Former New Zealand rugby player Shane Christie, who strongly campaigned for greater research into links between concussion and long-term brain injury, has died at the age of 39.

Police said Christie was found dead early Wednesday at his home in Nelson and confirmed the case would be referred to the coroner. The New Zealand Herald reported that friends believed he may have taken his own life.

Christie, a former Highlanders and New Zealand Maori flanker, suspected he was suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) — a degenerative brain condition that has been associated with suicides among NFL players in the United States. The condition can only be confirmed after death, and Christie had said he intended to donate his brain for research to help make rugby safer.

“Without brain donations we’re not going to be able to identify how long it takes to get this disease. It’s important to help the research in New Zealand,” he said in a recent interview.

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A close friend of Billy Guyton, who died in 2023 and became the first New Zealand rugby player diagnosed with CTE, Christie co-founded the Billy Guyton Foundation to raise awareness about concussion.

Christie had reported several concussions during his career and later spoke of ongoing headaches and memory lapses.

New Zealand Rugby paid tribute, saying: “Any time the rugby community loses a member it is felt deeply. Shane’s passion for the game will be remembered always.”

Source: Agency