Concussed

By recounting the untold story of the most influential sports campaign in British newspaper history, which turned concussion in professional rugby from a niche issue into front and back page news, Concussed poses the questions all sports lovers need answering as evidence grows linking sports-related concussions to premature deaths and dementia.

Written by Sam Peters, the journalist who spearheaded the Mail on Sunday's Cudlipp Prize nominated concussion campaign, Concussed reveals one man's attempts to blow the whistle on a mounting head injury crisis. For years, his efforts saw him labelled a 'pariah' and almost forced him out of the sport he loved for good.


Including exclusive interviews with bereaved families whose stories have never been told before, as well as high-profile administrators, medics, current and past players, coaches, lawyers and media figures, Peters recounts the countless battles he fought and the threats he faced in a sport whose macho culture masked the urgent need to radically overhaul player welfare standards. Expanding his research from rugby to football, NFL and cricket, Peters brings an unparalleled breadth of experience and depth of knowledge to a subject he has written about and campaigned over for almost a decade.


Now sport's 'dirty secret' is out in the open, Peters asks what it must now do to ensure future generations of players are not left permanently damaged and how parents can be persuaded their children are safe to play contact sports. Ultimately, in an increasingly risk-averse world, Concussed: Sport's Ticking Timebomb asks: will concussion kill sport?

Concussed is a call to action, which shows Peters's unwavering passion for the safety of the players in a sport he loves so much. The tension between Peters and professional rugby's top organisations is palpable; there is a real sense of mission in his voice - and vitriol for those who held back the sport for so long. Observer
'Sam's work is comparable to David Walsh exposing Lance Armstrong. It should go down along with Walsh and the work of someone like Marie Colvin as one of the great pieces of investigative journalism.' Stephen Jones, Sunday Times rugby correspondent
'Peters is driven, balanced, incredibly bright and appropriately relentless.' -- David Flatman
'Sam achieved more in a year than most journalists achieve in their lifetimes. There's no doubt his work saved lives.' -- Alison Kervin
'Rugby will never be the same again knowing what we now know. In a time when others obfuscated and trod water, Peters asked the difficult questions and told the terrible stories. Sport needs voices like Sam's.' -- Alan Dymock, editor of Rugby World

Sam Peters is a rugby writer who has been credited with driving cultural change to the sport's attitude towards head injuries and concussion. In 2014 Sam was shortlisted as sports journalist of the year at the UK Press Gazette Awards and was runner-up as rugby writer of the year at the 2017 SJA Awards. Sam has written two books; Broadside with England cricketer Stuart Broad and The Row to Recovery.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.