Coroner says New Zealand rugby player who died by suspected suicide h…

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand professional rugby player who died by suspected suicide last year had advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain abnormality linked to repeated concussions, according to a post-mortem examination.

The diagnosis was announced Thursday by Coroner Ian Telford, who is conducting a preliminary hearing into the death of Shane Christie who died in August aged 39.

CTE is a disease which causes progressive damage to brain tissue and has been known to cause mood swings, impulsive behavior and depression, among other symptoms. It can only be diagnosed after death.

Christie was a former New Zealand Maori representative who believed he was suffering from CTE and campaigned for greater understanding of the condition after the death of his friend and fellow rugby professional Billy Guyton, also by suspected suicide.

The abnormality has also been linked to deaths in the National Football League and in other contact sports such as hockey and soccer.

Friends and family of Christie said he wanted his diagnosis made public to raise awareness of CTE for players suffering its symptoms.

Christie who played Super Rugby for the Crusaders and Highlanders retired from rugby in 2018, suffering the effects of repeated concussions.

The coroner said pathologist Dr. Clinton Turner had confirmed “the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which he characterizes as ‘high stage’.” Turner works at the University of Auckland “brain bank” to which Guyton and Christie had donated their brains.

The coroner said the diagnosis was the pathologist's opinion and that the cause of Christie's death would be determined by the coronial process.

The chief executive of New Zealand Rugby, Steve Lancaster told New Zealand media his organization recognizes “an association between repeated head impacts and CTE and takes this issue seriously.”

“New Zealand Rugby acknowledges the CTE pathology results for Shane Christie confirmed by The Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank. We also acknowledge and respect the role of the coroner to determine the nature of any inquiry they may hold examining the cause and circumstances of Shane’s passing,” Lancaster said.

“We share the concerns about the potential long-term effects of repeated head knocks in rugby and support the need for ongoing research into this."

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — District 6-3A Region I might be the Concho Valley’s toughest to win.

Entering the first week of April, the No. 15 Wall Lady Hawks come off a series split with No. 16 Merkel. In game one Friday night, the visiting Lady Badgers defeated the Lady Hawks 13-3. That snapped Wall’s previous six-game winning streak, but the Lady Hawks bounced back the following game, knocking off Merkel 6-3 Tuesday night.

Up next, No. 15 Wall collides with No. 1 Clyde in a district heavyweight. After this away-and-home series on April 2 and 7, respectively, the Lady Hawks conclude their regular season versus No. 17 Jim Ned on April 17. This means the Lady Hawks will have faced three consecutive ranked district opponents at the end of their schedule. But the key to navigating such a difficult, gauntlet-type schedule revolves around the players having their teammates’ backs.

“I think just knowing that my teammates have my back and that we’re all going to push each other and be there for each other [is key],” junior Shyanne Floyd said. “No matter the outcome, or if it’s a hard game, we’re still going be there for each other.”

Floyd’s teammate, Elise Jordan, reciprocates the philosophy.

“Knowing that everyone has each other’s backs [is important],” Jordan said. “[Wall] has the same mentality having played Merkel a second time.”

In the vision of Lady Hawks head coach Allyson Seider, competing is vital in facing the No. 1 team.

“We’re going to try to go play our game and do what we know how to and just compete,” Seider said. “That’s our goal, to compete the entire seven innings and see where we end up.”

Wall’s first game at Clyde begins Thursday, April 2 at 5 p.m. CST. The Lady Hawks go for their seventh win in the last eight games.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.

Liam Rosenior has been openly criticised by some of his players lately, notably Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto questioning tactics.

We’ve also had players such as Enzo Fernandez out there speaking about Real Madrid and the obvious want to move there as soon as he can.

EXCLUSIVE! Chelsea pick their No.1 transfer target for midfield this summer, with rumours suggesting Enzo Fernandez is off!

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CHELSEA NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON THE APP STORE

There’s been heaps of other criticism aimed towards Liam Rosenior lately as well from fans, pundits, and journalists alike, and it’s been a rough time for the former Hull City boss.

It all obviously goes hand in hand with the bad run of form he is going through as Chelsea head coach, but it looks like one player has come out to offer some public backing, at least in the form of an image on Instagram.

Garnacho backs Rosenior

Alejandro Garnacho, who isn’t exactly a regular starter under Rosenior, posted the above image on Instagram of him hugging Rosenior yesterday, suggesting that he is offering his support to the under fire heac coach.

It was part of a selection of photos he posted up from the last month, and he posted them with no comment.

In other news today…

Former Blues midfielder Jon Obi Mikel has laid into Chelsea’s owners for their decision to get rid of Enzo Maresca back in January, calling it a “big, big mistake.”

Chelsea’s crazy agent spending has little to show for it after disappointing year – Chelsea’s spending on agents in the last two transfer windows was miles clear of anyone else in the Premier League.

If you enjoy Chelsea News coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a preferred source on Google to make us a favourite and see more of our content.

Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:

Even before Sonia Bompastor was sent off in stoppage time for her protests to the referee, there was plenty to frustrate Chelsea.

There were superb saves from Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar to deny Lauren James and Sjoeke Nusken. There was Sandy Baltimore’s cross that bounced just out of Sam Kerr’s reach in the Arsenal box. There was Nusken’s glancing header across the face of goal, and the effort Alyssa Thompson lifted over the bar in the first half.

There were so many occasions that this Chelsea squad, had they been at the peak of their powers, would have turned into a goal that could have sparked a memorable Champions League comeback. Instead, a stoppage-time effort from Nusken was not enough to overturn their first-leg deficit and Chelsea lost 3-2 on aggregate — their earliest exit from this competition since 2021-22, at the hands of their biggest rivals.

“Our season is not good enough from (our) ambitions,” Bompastor said after the match. “I’m a manager who always gives clarity from the beginning of the season, saying, ‘We want to win the four titles’.”

The next natural step for Chelsea for somtre time now has been winning their first Champions League. After a domestic treble last season, and an impressive 1-1 draw with Barcelona — the team who have been their constant European stumbling block — in the autumn, the logical continuation of that dynasty was for this to be their year to conquer Europe.

Instead, what has played out this season is not a squad reaching new heights, but one needing to fast-track a transition.

Plenty of Chelsea’s strengths were still on show against Arsenal. In the first leg, James’ stunning long-range goal showed the magic she can bring. Nusken demonstrated her versatility again by popping up across the pitch in the return fixture at Stamford Bridge, often pushing up from midfield to act as a second forward and being rewarded with a goal for her efforts. Chelsea dominated the ball in the second leg and created several strong chances.

This tie was also significantly impacted by officiating. Veerle Buurman had a goal disallowed for a soft foul at the Emirates, and in stoppage time at Stamford Bridge Chelsea were furious that Arsenal’s Katie McCabe was not sent off for pulling Thompson’s hair. Bompastor’s protests earned her two yellow cards and a dismissal.

Chelsea are within their rights to be angered by those decisions, but Bompastor said after the game that the “main reason” her team did not progress was their own shortcomings in front of goal.

“It’s probably been a little bit the story of our season,” Bompastor said. “We have been missing that clinical element in front of the goal and that’s probably why, like today, our season is not at the level we want the season to be.

“The players are trying hard. I’m behind them. I’m proud of them and the performance they put on the pitch. But it’s just the reality between one team being clinical, especially in the first leg, and us tonight not being clinical enough.”

Part of Chelsea’s ongoing difficulties in front of goal is confidence — but it also speaks to a wider need to refresh the squad.

The striker position is the clearest example of Chelsea’s need for transition. Kerr, 32, has not been the match-saving player she used to be for them. Early in the second half there was a flash of her trademark confidence when she held up the ball against two defenders, only to have her attempted lob saved. Later, she would see a volleyed shot saved but the flag went up anyway.

Kerr has produced crucial goals for Chelsea this season, but is not the player she used to be and is expected to leave at the end of her contract in the summer. With Catarina Macario moving to San Diego Wave and Mayra Ramirez and Aggie Beever-Jones struggling for fitness, Chelsea need to consider new options up front.

That is only one area where their team of serial winners needs a refresh. Injuries this season have stretched the squad and contributed to a struggle for cohesion. Lucy Bronze found herself playing out of position at centre-back against Arsenal, while James has stepped in as a makeshift striker on other occasions and Nusken has played across defence and midfield. The squad depth chart below shows the lack of cover in certain positions.

Plenty of players are approaching the end of their contracts, are in the latter stages of what would usually be considered their prime playing years, or both. Many of them still have absolutely critical experience, leadership, and on-pitch ability that continue to add value for Chelsea. However, the lack of options Bompastor had at her disposal to change the game against Arsenal underlined that new talent is needed.

Chelsea’s recent signings show promise for how they can handle that transition. Summer signings Ellie Carpenter (right-back) and Thompson (winger) have stood out this season and are shrewd buys, with Bronze now 34 and winger Guro Reiten completing a move to Gotham recently. Buurman, 19, has been hugely impressive in defence during Millie Bright and Naomi Girma’s absences through injury.

An obvious difference is that former head of women’s football Paul Green, credited with much of Chelsea’s smart succession planning over the past decade, has left since those signings were made. His departure comes at a time where many of Chelsea’s squad are out of contract either this year or next — leaving a huge task for new women’s sporting director Phil Radley and the rest of the leadership team. Being proactive in the market to bring in young players while Chelsea’s experienced leaders are still there to learn from will be key.

Chelsea’s attention now turns to ensuring they qualify for next season’s Champions League — but unless they handle their summer business carefully, they risk squandering one of their final chances to conquer Europe with this legendary generation of players.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Chelsea, Women's Soccer

2026 The Athletic Media Company