Rugby world in mourning over pioneering player Shane Christie

• Prominent New Zealand rugby player Shane Christie, aged 39, has died at his home in Nelson.
• Christie was a vocal advocate for research into the connection between concussions and long-term brain injury, specifically Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
• He suspected he suffered from CTE, a degenerative brain disorder only detectable post-mortem, and had intended to donate his brain for scientific study.
• Christie was a friend and teammate of Billy Guyton, the first New Zealand rugby player diagnosed with CTE, and helped establish the Billy Guyton Foundation.
• Police have referred Christie's death to the coroner, with New Zealand Rugby expressing deep condolences for the loss of a passionate member of the rugby community.

IN FULL

Rugby player Shane Christie, who called for study of concussion, dies at age 39