Wallabies full-back Dane Haylett-Petty hung up his boots after a year of battling the lingering effects of a concussion, Australian rugby player told local press on Sunday.
The 32-year-old was struggling to make his return to the pitch after a shock received to the head during a game against the All Blacks in October 2020, which resulted in the diagnosis of a "footballer's headache".
“Right from the start, the specialist said the best thing to do was listen to his head,” Haylett-Petty told foxsports.com.au.
“Even though I'm doing a lot better, there are some symptoms that I haven't been able to get rid of.
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A few days before this announcement, former All Blacks star Carl Hayman revealed that he suffered from dementia precocious at just 41 years old, reigniting the debate on the risks of concussions in contact sports.
Hayman has joined legal proceedings against rugby authorities, initiated by many former players with neurological disorders, such as England's Steve Thompson and Welshman Alix Popham.
Haylett-Petty, 38 caps for the Wallabies, says she suffered ten or seven hits to the head during her 14-year career.
He says the growing debate about the risks of concussions played a role in his decision, along with the birth of his first child.
To read also "Today, we cannot say if dementia is caused by concussions", estimates a neurologist
"Sometimes, for someone, the first symptoms appear at his first shock to the head, other times, it is at his sixth shock", explains the former player of Biarritz, in the Top 14. "By saying that, at 32, is not the end of the world.
I know some guys had problems after their second head shock when they were 21 or 22 ”.
Haylett-Petty's latest concussion occurred after All Black's Jordie Barrett nudged him during a game in Sydney on October 31, 2020. “I received a blow to the head, my vision was clouded. and I had to struggle the whole match with blurry vision, ”said the Australian.
Headaches from heavy exercise - known as a footballer's migraine - have persisted ever since.
"They can't tell you how long it's going to take to go away, but they told me that once I stop tackling people and bumping into them, they expect me to come back." normal, ”he said.
