Bill Guyton, the former Auckland Blues scrum-half, who died in May 2023 at the age of 33, was recognized as suffering from traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) He is the first known professional rugby player in New Zealand to be diagnosed with this condition. CTE has been associated with repeated hits to the head in a number of contact sports and is known to cause violent outbursts, dementia and depression.
The discovery comes as a group of nearly 300 former rugby players, including Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery, World Cup winners with England in 2003, decide to take legal action.