04/04/2026
We join the global rugby community in mourning the loss of former New Zealand professional rugby player Shane Christie, following the confirmation of advanced-stage CTE at just 39 years old. He is the third New Zealand rugby player to be publicly confirmed with the disease, following his close friend and teammate Billy Guyton, and Justin Jennings.
Shane represented the Highlanders, the Māori All Blacks, and the All Blacks Sevens during his career, before retiring in 2017 after repeated concussions. In retirement, he became a powerful advocate, sharing the reality of living with suspected CTE. In 2023, he co-founded the Billy Guyton Foundation to support players living with brain injury and to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of repeated head trauma. He also worked closely with our organization’s chapter in Australia, serving on its advisory committee and advocating for meaningful, systemic change in how rugby approaches player welfare.
Shane died by su***de in 2025. His loved ones hope that his final act of generosity, donating his brain to research, will help advance understanding of CTE and continue the mission he so passionately championed.
We stand with our colleagues in Australia in calling on all sporting codes and governing bodies to acknowledge the causal relationship between repetitive head impacts and CTE, implement CTE prevention protocols, and increase funding for research and athlete support services.
