Rugby league star quits at 27 over concussion
STEVIE WARD has called for urgent reforms to rugby league after retiring at the age of 27 because of the effects of concussion. The three-time Super League winner became captain of Leeds Rhinos in December 2019 — on the same day he discovered his old team-mate Rob Burrow had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
But Ward started suffering his own neurological problems a month later and has decided to step away from the sport after fearing for his long-term health. ‘I have had a glimpse into the scary world of neurological impairment,’ he said. ‘I have come to the conclusion, after over 11 months of severe symptoms, that I need to give this injury the respect and time it deserves and cannot put my health and brain to any further risk and detriment.
‘Enormous consideration needs to be taken when mixing the brutality of the game with the brain’s fragility. I am choosing to step away from the game to fully look after my health and with a dream of being able to live with day-to-day “normality” again soon.’
Ward suffered his first serious concussion in a pre-season friendly with Wigan last January and was concussed for a second time in the Rhinos’ Super League opener against Hull FC a fortnight later. He has not played since and his contract expired at the end of last year. ‘On a daily basis, I struggle with migraines, dizziness, motion sickness, sensitivity to light and screens, short-term memory issues, slurred speech, and an inability to exercise or do daily tasks without irritating my symptoms,’ he revealed.
Ward, who scored 23 tries in 136 appearances for his hometown club, now wants to use his platform to help make the sport safer. His comments come while a group of retired rugby league players are preparing to take legal action against the game’s governing bodies for alleged negligence over head injuries.
They are using the same law firm who are suing the RFU, Welsh Rugby Union and World Rugby on behalf of a group of nine ex-rugby union players, including England World Cup winner Steve Thompson. Ward is not involved in the lawsuits but believes serious questions must be asked of the sport, in light of his troubles and the tragic plight of the terminally-ill Burrow.
‘With the news about Rob and the current climate of rugby union players, I cannot help but ask the questions that need to be asked,’ he added.
‘I am left motivated to help get our sport to a place where it can ensure the players’ long-term safety while keeping the beauty and grit of the game.
‘Of course, more research is needed but it is now time to be asking and answering more specific questions. The biggest question is what can be done to make things safer for our players now.
‘We need to be more proactive and not rely on another generation of players to be guinea pigs for future research that will take years to give us the answers we need now. ‘Part of this questioning has to look into the culture and stigma around concussion within the game, and how we can use the anecdotal evidence that we are receiving from former union and league players, with the science that is already out there, to draw connections to the part of the sport we can adapt.’ Shortly after Ward announced his retirement yesterday, the Rhinos revealed details of a research project with Leeds Beckett University, the University of Leeds and Prevent Biometrics, a mouthguard technology company. Last season, players wore the mouthguards — which are fitted with sensors to measure head acceleration and impact during collisions — and results have shown they produced accurate readings. Research will continue this year and the Rhinos said in a statement: ‘In the future, this data could be received by medical staff in realtime via a mobile application and has the potential to be a useful tool in the understanding and management of head impacts and concussion.’