Concussed: Sport's Uncomfortable Truth

by Sam Peters

By recounting the untold story of the most influential sports campaign in British newspaper history, which turned concussion in professional rugby from a niche issue into front and back page news, Concussed poses the questions all sports lovers need answering as evidence grows linking sports-related concussions to premature deaths and dementia. Written by Sam Peters, the journalist who spearheaded the Mail on Sunday's Cudlipp Prize nominated concussion campaign, Concussed reveals one man's attempts to blow the whistle on a mounting head injury crisis. For years, his efforts saw him labelled a 'pariah' and almost forced him out of the sport he loved for good. Including exclusive interviews with bereaved families whose stories have never been told before, as well as high-profile administrators, medics, current and past players, coaches, lawyers and media figures, Peters recounts the countless battles he fought and the threats he faced in a sport whose macho culture masked the urgent need to radically overhaul player welfare standards.

Genres: Nonfiction, Journalism, Health

400 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 2023

Reviews

[Ian Harrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read this it does make you wonder why anyone would play rugby at the top level, the data is clear and Sam has done great job in presenting it in a measured but conclusive way. A few points to think about….

Why did the likes of David Walsh waste so much time in picking up on a story, are there other motives to consider

Why does the governing body still not take it seriously

Why do those like Laurence Dallagio and Matt Dawson not offer stronger support for their former colleagues even if they themselves don’t accept the impact of the issue

Why would anyone sponsor a sport that acts in this way

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The early chapters of the book record the transition from the amateur ("gentlemen's") game to professionalism, and then there is the long and sorry story of individuals who suffered concussions on the field, went on playing, and suffered terrible consequences including early onset dementia and death.  There's a section on the medical history of CTE from when damage to the brain was first recognised at post mortems of boxers and then gradually the connection to other contact sports was made.  (Why boxing is considered a sport I have never understood.  Of course there would be an outcry if it were banned, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be.)

There was, of course, considerable resistance to making changes to protect the players.  As anyone who's ever had a knock on the head knows, you're supposed to rest and take it  easy afterwards. (Schools nowadays have very clear procedures, including that parents must be notified no matter how slight the bump appears to be).  Medical advice for rugby concussions varied, but ambitious coaches sent players back onto the field even while they were still groggy, and though advice about the length of taking a break from playing  varied according to how many concussions a player had had, the pressure of contracts and a keeping a place in the team meant that a return to play was all too frequently premature.

Peters is a journalist, and his chapter 'Nothing to see here' is the shocking story of how the media ignored or suppressed the growing evidence.  We here in Australia know how powerful the sports media is: all through Covid lockdowns when nobody was playing any sport, sports journalists kept their 10-15 minute spot in the news bulletins even though there was nothing to report.  And even if the only sports reporting we ever see is that section of the news bulletin while we wait for the weather forecast, we know that the footage always includes brutal incidents in contact sports, the bloodier the better.  If they're reporting on tribunal decisions, the footage of the contact will be replayed multiple times.

'Death of a Schoolboy' is a sobering chapter.

On 31 January 2011, Benjamin Robinson's life support machine was turned off.  Two days earlier the 14-year-old schoolboy sustained three separate head injuries in a game between two schools in Northern Ireland.

A happy-go-lucky boy with everything to live for, Benjamin was a strong-running centre from a rugby-loving family who lived to play sport.  On three separate occasions, in a game between Carrickfergus Grammar and Dalriada, he was allowed to play on, having been examined following blows to the head.

Benjamin's mother, Karen, had earlier been told to calm down by the referee after she voiced grave concerns about her son's continued participation in the game. (p.122)

Doctors at the hospital were shocked by the severity of the injuries to his brain, which had swollen to such an extent it pushed into the base of his spinal cord.  If he hadn't been admitted still wearing his rugby uniform, they would have assumed he'd been in a road  traffic accident.

Yet this death was barely reported beyond the local media.

TO read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2025/08/16/c...

[Charles Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Very readable and important. Cannot recommend enough.

[Ryan Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. I played amateur rugby 10 years as a senior player and as a junior as well. At the age of 26 I was retired with concussion after a multitude of them. One of them left me with a stutter so bad I couldn't form sentences for a number of weeks. It got to the point where just a "dominant" tackle left me unconscious. No need to make contact with my head. The longest I took off in between all these was two weeks. I remember after my rugby career was cut short I cried for several days straight. Biblical level tears. I struggled with suicidal thoughts, as the concussions grew I also became more agitated and snappy. The problem with the HIA tests were it was how do you feel and I always said I'm fine, yeah fine. How can someone with a brain injury answer that accurately and honestly. I was first choice tighthead in a critical season for us and there was no one I was going to let anyone down. My club were really good with me and I still love rugby. Both my younger brothers play, one is a professional. Rugby also changed my life for the positive after I rediscovered when I was removed from my mum's care by the children's panel and it provided me with a second chance at life. I do believe if there was a mandatory 21 day stand down I'd maybe still be playing. Now my club has seen what happened to me I can talk to players and say to them "please don't just say you're ok, take your time or you'll lose it all". I love rugby and I'm not bitter about what happened to me but I do think the responsibility was too much on the player and not even in black and white rules. I now read as much as possible to exercise my brain and try to prevent the worst from happening.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no interest in rugby. I barely played it (despite playing a ton of sports) and haven't watched a single game. I only heard about this book because I bumped into Sam - two years above me at a school that had 160 boys in each year - at the Stratford upon Avon Literary Festival, where we were both presenting our books.

And I found it fascinating. This is a book not just about rugby, but about the importance of data and evidence over hunches and anecdotes, and standing up for the truth despite the repercussions. A former pro who speaks out might be shunned by his former team-mates; a journalist might be accused of trying to destroy the sport. Academics experience some of these frustrations too, but concussion can be a matter of life-or-death. And that's why the book was sometimes infuriating: rugby authorities, and so-called scientists on their payroll, demonstrating extreme confirmation bias and denying evidence to protect the status quo.

There lessons go far beyond rugby. Just like concussed players are told to play on, exhausted junior investment bankers are told to pull another all-nighter (which has sometimes had fatal consequences) - and to say no would be to appear soft or uncommitted. And it applies to any field where asking questions can see you excluded or accused of disloyalty.

Concussed is about more than rugby. It’s about courage, evidence, and what happens when institutions choose blind faith over truth.

[Rob Sedgwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a picture of a football and a rugby ball on the cover and "Sport" in the title but it's almost entirely about Rugby Union. It's very misleading, which is ironic given the book's search for the "Truth" and criticism of putting financial considerations first.

I don't follow Union at all so most of the matches, players and events covered in Sam's tale were not familiar at all to me. His story is really about how the rugby establishment closed ranks to deny the undeniable - that rugby union causes CTE (as, probably, does football and NFL). Sam has been at the centre of the story for a long time and has been a voice calling for safer practices during matches and in training. Things have improved by the sounds of it, but there's more work to be done.

[Benjamin Wile · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult but needed read for any sports fans. This book documents how the RFU (English rugby) continuously and unashamedly suppressed the looming issue of concussion and injury rate that has been rapidly increasing since rugby turned professional in 1995. There is no doubting the hard work and sacrifice Sam Peters has put into his work in the last 15-20 years, whilst being belittled but those at the very top of English Rugby, who wanted to hide the issue and being abused my some former players (with media interests to protect and current fans who all sit in the “rugby has gone woke brigade”. Rugby requires radical change but should it have even got this far? No, absolutely not.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having an unapologetic love for sport while openly acknowledging the concussion epidemic and advocating for change is a lonely place at times. Different from previous reads, this book was equal parts insight, empathy, and activism without losing the spirit of sport in its entirety - or, more importantly, the people sport have failed in their pursuit of money and researcher’s often forget in their pursuit of fame.

[Hugh O · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read and a good overview/illustration of the worst impulses of bureaucratic organisations when on the defensive.

A bit 'needless to say, I had the last laughing parts though. I'm sorry that David Walsh didn't say hi to you at work, but letting the resulting emnity shine through doesn't add much to the tale .....

[Julius Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concussed is a powerful, eye-opening account of the concussion crisis in rugby and other contact sports. Sam Peters combines investigative journalism with human stories to expose the risks players face and the systemic failures behind the scenes. His passion for the topic and commitment to change shine through every page. Essential reading for anyone who cares about player safety.

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and eye-opening story showing really important investigative journalism. It's shocking how the people at the top of rugby and even medical professionals ignored and covered up all the evidence about concussions and their long term effects. The stories about affected players and their families are heartbreaking - you really see how the rugby authorities exploited players just for money and corporate interests. Really respect the author for fighting so long to get this story out and finally getting the changes needed in the sport.

[Harry Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly fantastic, eye-opening book.

[Pete Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling, disturbing, shocking but sadly not entirely surprising, this is a must-read for anyone who works with young people, especially in rugby, but in any contact sport.

[Dave Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion of twenty years of superb journalism. Deeply inciteful into the corruption within Rugby Union and finally explains why everyone has been falling out of love with the game.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still think about this and I read it months ago 🧠 🤔