Kevin Sinfield says rugby league’s evolving protocols have made the sport “safer than ever” despite ongoing concerns over the long-term impact of head collisions.
Sinfield’s comments come hours before a group of over 75 former players were set to launch a legal claim against the Rugby Football League (RFL), alleging negligence in failing to take “reasonable action” to protect against irreversible neurological conditions.
The former Leeds Rhinos star is due to embark on his latest challenge to raise money for research into Motor Neurone Disease.
Sinfield, whose former team-mate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019, will run seven consecutive ultra-marathons, starting in Edinburgh and ending at the Rugby League World Cup final in Manchester.
He told BBC Radio Four’s Desert Island Discs: “I think with the advances medically in sport and how they’re governed, players are looked after better than they have ever been.
“Governing bodies have worked really hard to take away as many head collisions as they can, and then how these head collisions are monitored and look after, the protocols that are in place now are better.
“I’d say it’s safer now than it’s ever been to play sport.
“However, there will continue to be head collisions. If we took all contact away from rugby and it became something very different to what it looks like today, we’d have a lot of people stop playing.”
The legal claim by former rugby league players including former St Helens captain Bobbie Goulding follows a similar move by former rugby union players against their sport’s governing bodies earlier this year.
The claim reveals that former players now suffer from a range of neurological impairments, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease, and makes 53 allegations of negligence in relation to the RFL’s failure to protect players.
The RFL said in a statement that it places player safety as “paramount importance” and will continue to work to evolve and strengthen protocols relating to head collisions and treatment.
It said: “The RFL takes player safety and welfare extremely seriously and it has been desperately sad to hear of any players’ difficulties.
“Rugby League is a contact sport and, while there is an element of risk to playing any sport, player welfare is always of paramount importance.
“As a result of scientific knowledge, the sport of Rugby League continues to improve and develop its approach to concussion, head injury assessment, education, management and prevention across the whole game.
“We will continue to use medical evidence and research to reinforce and enhance our approach.
“Support to former professional players is always available from Rugby League’s charity partner RL Cares.”
