The Rugby Death Nobody Wants to Talk About

The trajectory of a professional athlete is often measured in trophies, but Holly Parkes reveals the hidden cost of CTE paid in the darkened rooms of recovery. Speaking with David Walsh, she recounts the decline of former Highlanders and New Zealand Sevens player Shane Christie from an emotionally stable builder to a man losing his sense of reality. This podcast episode explores the devastating gap between official rugby concussion protocols and the lived experience of traumatic brain injury. Parkes details the somber bond Shane shared with teammate Billy Guyton as both players navigated the paranoia and cognitive decay that led to their tragic deaths. #rugby #cte #concussion #mentalhealth #sportsmedicine Read the best of our journalism: www.thetimes.com/sport Subscribe to the Times Sport YouTube channel:    / @thetimessport   Find us on X: x.com/TimesSport Find us on Instagram:   / timessport