The father of a rugby player who died with a condition linked to concussion says former Māori All Black Shane Christie‘s death is “another kick in the guts” for head injury advocates.
Christie, 39, died suddenly in Nelson on Wednesday morning. Friends of Christie told the Herald it was believed his death was self-inflicted and came after a period during which concern over his wellbeing had increased.
The former Tasman Mako captain and Highlanders Super Rugby flanker has been remembered as a “relentless competitor” who gave all of himself to the sport he loved.
After his rugby career, Christie became a strong advocate for greater awareness around the impacts of repeated head injuries and its links to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
He told the Herald last year he wanted his brain to be studied after his death to see if he had CTE.
Christie’s close friend and teammate Billy Guyton was the first New Zealand rugby player to be diagnosed with CTE after a brain study was carried out following his death in 2023. Guyton also died of a suspected suicide.
Speaking to the Herald, Guyton’s father John said Christie’s death had “blown me away”.
“Shane was such a strong advocate in the CTE world. We had done so much work together on the issue.”
He said that included trips to Parliament to lobby politicians and hours of going through his son’s records to prepare for his upcoming inquest.
Guyton said he felt New Zealand Rugby (NZR) had yet to fully accept the damage head knocks in rugby could cause.
“At the end of the day NZR has control and deny the obvious,” he claimed.
Christie had set up a foundation in Guyton’s name after his death to highlight the risks of repeated head knocks.
Guyton said Christie was trying to “do his best to help others” but believed the efforts of the ex-player and the foundation weren’t properly supported by NZR or the NZ Rugby Players’ Association.
Christie and Guyton’s family had been at odds with NZ Rugby and the players’ association over messaging around head knocks. That included stand-down periods before playing again and ongoing monitoring of brain trauma.
“I’m feeling hurt, very sad and angry towards those who refuse to take on board the obvious and do something about it,” Guyton said.
The Herald put Guyton’s comments to NZR, which told the Herald it could not comment on the circumstances of Christie’s death at this time, but said his passion for rugby and player welfare was immense.
“We share the deep sadness felt across the rugby community,” the sports body said in a statement.
“Player safety and wellbeing remain New Zealand Rugby’s number one priority. We have taken, and will continue to take, a precautionary approach, with a clear focus on reducing and mitigating the risk of injury and exposure to head acceleration events at every level of the game.
“We are committed to making rugby as safe as possible, and to leading globally in player welfare initiatives. This includes everything from law trials in community rugby, to workload management in the professional game, and ongoing investment in scientific research.”
Players’ association boss Rob Nichol told the Herald that he and the group were “deeply saddened” by Christie’s death.
The association sent its deepest condolences to the former star player’s loved ones and friends.
“His loss is being felt profoundly across our community,” Nichol said.
“We have had a longstanding relationship with Shane – as a player, and more recently through his powerful advocacy in the brain health space.
“His willingness to share his experiences, alongside those shared by other players has been hugely important in shaping and informing the work we are doing.”
Nichol said Christie was a “valued member” of the association that had been involved in “regular and constructive engagement with him, heartened by his passion, his advocacy and his deep care for others”.
“We have always sought to support him and kept the door open to whatever we could do to help.”
Nichol said he hoped research being carried out by experts in the brain injury field would one day be able to diagnose CTE while a potential sufferer was still alive.
That would mean “the right care and support can be offered”.
“We accept there is an increased risk between playing rugby at a high level and developing neurodegenerative conditions,” Nichol said.
“We have, and will continue to, share the latest research available with our players so they are empowered to make informed decisions about their careers.”
Guyton said from his perspective, it did not appear that head injuries and the associated symptoms and outcomes were NZR’s highest priority.
It was something he viewed as “bloody atrocious”.
He said those injured felt a huge sense of being wronged by the organisations they had played rugby under, largely because they didn’t feel those institutions had accepted and taken on their struggle.
“This is another kick in the guts for myself and family, friends and our head injury community of advocates.”
Former TVNZ current affairs journalist Mark Crysell reported on the impact of head knocks, including revealing Guyton’s CTE diagnosis and former All Black Carl Hayman’s early onset dementia diagnosis aged 42 and probable CTE.
He said the history of head knock management showed “a kind of white-anting campaign where the player, not the game, is blamed”.
“Lifestyle factors like drinking or drug use are pointed to, or whispers of ‘he was always a bit mad’, when in fact what’s on display are the recognised symptoms of CTE: depression, paranoia, self-medication, suicidality.”
Crysell said he had interviewed world-leading neuroscientists who had laid out those symptoms but claimed sporting bodies continued “to downplay” them.
“It’s the families and mates who carry the heaviest burden – left asking how their man, a sporting hero, could unravel into a shadow of himself, withdrawn, depressed, and unrecognisable from the man they loved.”
Professor Patria Hume, sports scientist and injury prevention expert at Auckland University of Technology, told the Herald Christie had been in communication with her over the last few weeks, requesting NZ RugbyHealth study publications.
“It was very upsetting to hear of Shane’s death this morning... He told me was writing a story on the professional players education and how NZRU and NZRPA are delivering and educating professional players in New Zealand.”
In addition to representing the Māori All Blacks on eight occasions, Christie played 73 provincial games for the Tasman Mako between 2010 and 2016, as well as 29 games for the Highlanders.
The Highlanders said Christie was a “relentless competitor and natural leader”.
He co-captained the Dunedin-based Super Rugby side in 2016 alongside former All Black Ben Smith, “guiding the team with integrity and heart”.
“His contribution extended beyond the playing field. Shane returned as our defence coach in 2021 and 2022, bringing the same passion and commitment that defined his playing career,” a Highlanders spokesperson said.
“Our thoughts are with his whānau, friends, and the wider rugby community.”
David Fisher is a senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald who has twice been named New Zealand’s Reporter of the Year. He is based in Northland and has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, winning multiple journalism awards and being selected as one of a small number of Wolfson Press Fellows to Wolfson College, Cambridge. He joined the Herald in 2004.
Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers sport and breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.