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The potential impact on health of repeated blows to the head in sport has been in the news recently, with confirmation in February that rugby player Justin Jennings was the first New Zealander to be diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – a form of dementia.
It is a subject of intense personal interest to Hibiscus Coast resident Brian (Bluey) McClennan who, along with his late father Mike, and son Regan, received significant concussions while playing rugby league.
In 2019, Bluey’s father Mike, who had dementia, went missing from an Ōrewa rest home and was found deceased in dense bush, a week later.
Bluey says although they will never have scientific proof of it, the family is certain he had CTE.
“He had clots on his brain, which is a sign of CTE,” Bluey says. “Our family knows and feels that the bad concussions he had when he was playing as a fullback were the cause of his dementia.”
Bluey’s son Regan has stopped playing league after some severe concussions.
“It was his call, thinking about the future and having seen with his own eyes the effects,” Bluey says.
Since his father’s death, Bluey has focused on his own health.
“I am looking after myself better now – diet, fitness and cutting out alcohol – because I have to look after my family,” he says. “I had some serious knocks and blacked out a number of times during my playing years. In the early 1980s we got up and kept playing. We know a lot more now – but more research is needed. For example, what kind of head trauma leads to CTE? And what is the impact of things like diet and alcohol on dementia?”
He encourages players of contact sports to consider donating their brains to advance the science. This has to be stated in the donor’s Will, because of the time involved.
The former league player and coach says while he has full faith that contact sports are endeavouring to do as much as they can to adapt the game, following the science is key.
“I disagree with lowering the tackle as an option,” he says. “I have seen more people knocked out going low – such as making head contact with another player’s hip – then high. The more research we can do that will help sports such as rugby union, league, boxing and MMA, the better.”
Bluey is back at Hibiscus Coast Raiders’ trainings this season, liaising with team coaches and the club chair but staying in a background, advisory role.
He says that things such as having an independent doctor on the sidelines to monitor players is easier at higher levels of the game, but that clubs are heading in the right direction with stand downs.
“Coaches and managers need to accept responsibility for the health of their players,” he says.
Despite the risks of contact sports, Bluey has no doubt that the advantages outweigh them.
He says if he had his time again, knowing about CTE, he would still play league – “every day of the week, and so would my father”.
“Our family is passionate about league and the value of sports in general. As a community we are getting less people playing team sports and they are so beneficial. It’s vital to get younger ones in, as they learn to be part of a team and also part of the community. Everyone deserves to have the information so they can make a decision for themselves about what sport they play.”
Bluey says if he sees any Raiders players getting head knocks that he is concerned about, he will be taking them aside and making them aware of the dangers.
“I will encourage them to do further research themselves, so they can make their own decisions.”
