I'm not a doctor, but I'm going to take a punt here and suggest that 'recurrent concussion symptoms' are fairly consistent with a heavy blow to the head. Something like, say, being punched in the head whilst out cold on the floor by a rugby league player.

I'm guessing a certain Wigan player might not be sleeping well tonight.

Not the last we hear of this then....

Opens the door for him to make a legal case against whoever caused the condition.

Top guy, met him at the roses 20/20 match last year. A real shame his grand final ended like it did and a bigger shame his career has too. Good player, never seemed to quite settle at Saints but he was always capable of quality.

This could get ugly.

I'd expect it to have more to do with recurrent blows to the head, as with [url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11264856Shontayne Hape[/url, than any single incident. If sh[ii[/it is hitting fan, it's possibly wider than that particular event at last year's grand final.

...ugly for the sport.

Good luck to Lance and hopefully everything goes well for him.

One guy I've worried about is Rob Burrow. He's been knocked out quite a few times and played on. After this they might tighten up the concussion rulings even tighter.

Luke robinson too. Playing at hooker in the middle of the park in their later careers won't have done them any favours either.

Saracens RU had some players wearing impact monitors to assess concussive injuries, but it was part of a study so, results yet to be released.

The problem is - if there is a proven link between rugby (of either code) and brain injury, then how does the game change/adapt to reduce risk?

You cannot remove the risk of contact to the head from any contact sport entirely. You just can't. Kallum Watkins took a knock to the head making a tackle last Friday, it's not just caused by punches or high tackles that are punishable as foul play.

All you can do as a sport is ensure that players long term health is not being put at risk by being exposed to repeated damage over a long period of time, which is why the new concussion protocols are in place.. There really isn't an awful lot else you can do without completely removing the element of contact or collision from the game and making it tag or touch and pass.