Modern rugby union on collision course

Begin the story

It's a sport with a health warning. Four young players died on French rugby pitches in just eight months as a result of head injuries caused by bone-crunching tackles, one ex-player has sued his club claiming his life was put in danger while hardened professionals have quit, realising their bruised and battered bodies can no longer take the strain.

The facts

The whole story

With an unmatched network of expert rugby correspondents in all of the game's traditional strongholds, from New Zealand, the home of the world champion All Blacks, to Argentina via Australia, South Africa and Great Britain, AFP has made sure it is at the heart of the coverage of this modern-day crisis in the sport by reporting on the investigations, the expert views as well as the possible solutions.

Rugby has changed radically since the beginning of the professional era in the 1990s. The rewards are greater but so are the risks as tackles and contact on the field become more violent. Players sweat in the gyms, building more and more muscle, making themselves more powerful than they were in the amateur era. Concussions are seemingly common currency as are the number of injuries.

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Year after year, AFP is increasing its coverage of the stories that drive the headlines as well as the non-sporting aspects of competition. Global sports is experiencing tremendous economic growth through sponsorship and mind-boggling TV deals. The result and the performance remain key to coverage. However, we also get to grips with the spectre of doping and the political manipulation of sports events. AFP covers not only the sports that matter but all the issues that matter in sports.