Two centuries after the birth of rugby on school playing fields, academics say the game has become a form of child abuse and should be banned among under-18s.
William Webb Ellis is credited with first running with the football at Rugby School in 1823, eventually giving rise to a global sport. But researchers say children should no longer participate in rugby, or boxing, and that parents do not understand the long-term risk of brain injuries.
Sports organisations, they claim, are in effect “grooming” adults to ignore the consequences. Schools that have rugby on the curriculum have not sought informed consent from children, who could suffer injuries that affect them in later life, according to the paper.
