Billy Guyton, a scrum half for the Maori All Blacks, died suddenly in May 2023 at the age of 33. Scientific studies confirmed that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) CTE is a degenerative brain disease that is related to impacts to the head.
The New Zealand Rugby Union warned in a statement that it is “concerned about the possibility that repeated impacts to. the head could contribute to neurodegenerative diseases in the future.