While professional players are in contract, their club will take responsibility for the cost of medical treatment. But when an injury forces retirement, players are on their own.

The nature of sport-related injuries often requires specific care that is not always available quickly or easily on the NHS. With the help of funding from Restart, retired players can still have access to the specialist care they need. The physical effects of sporting injuries can be felt for many years to come, and it is still relatively early in the history of the professional game to know what the long-term implications will be on players’ health. But we do know that the demand for our help is only going to increase.

Our support is not just limited to injuries sustained from rugby. We will also help when a player is forced to retire through illness or an accident off the pitch.