RUGBY and boxing must be overhauled to protect competitors from suffering serious brain injuries, Newport West MP Paul Flynn has said.

The Labour MP was writing on his blog after an inquest into the death of former Pontypool RFC captain Cae Trayhern heard his family believed concussions he suffered during games were responsible for him developing mental health problems, which led him to kill himself.

Mr Flynn said the case of the 37-year-old, as well as that of amateur boxer Kuba Moczyk, who died last month, after being knocked out in a fight in Great Yarmouth, showed the importance of reforming sports where participants run the risk of repeated blows to the head.

“We must not repeat past tragedies,” he said.

“Past ignorance of the risk is understood, present ignorance is not.”

Mr Flynn also referred to Pill-born heavyweight champion David Pearce, who died in May 2000, aged 41, after developing epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, as further evidence of the need for change.

“The evidence is overwhelming,” he said.

“Both sports should change their rules to avoid clashes that lead to brain damage and premature Alzheimer’s disease and deaths.

“Both sports should now reform their rules or a new generation will shun them both as spectators and participants.”

In a letter released after Mr Trayhern’s inquest, his mother, Althea Clark, said new guidelines on concussion introduced by the Welsh Rugby Union in 2014 “came too late for me and my family”.

“As far as our family are concerned the ‘game’ of rugby took our boy,” she said.

In a statement, Pontypool RFC chief executive officer, Ben Jeffreys, said he was "exceptionally disappointed" with the comments from the Newport MP.

He said: “The [MP's] blog post made direct reference to the tragic passing of Pontypool RFC great, Cae Trayhern, but his comments appeared to demonstrate little appreciation of the current climate regarding concussion management in Welsh rugby.

He said the club strictly abides by the guidelines set within the Welsh Rugby Union’s 'Recognise and Remove Concussion' guidance document. 

He added: "Led by the Pontypool RFC's Medical Director, Mr Angus Robertson, the club performs annual concussion guidance educational evenings to its squad, staff and volunteers.

“The success of this approach was evidenced earlier this year when a member of our squad was immediately removed from a pre-season training session after several players identified that the player displayed numerous unmistakeable symptoms of concussion.

“The player was subsequently treated by our medical team and was not medically cleared to return to competition in any form for over five weeks.

“The player has since made a full recovery and has returned to active competition for the club.

“This demonstrates that Pontypool RFC strictly abides by the guidelines set within the document and it forms a central part of the club’s extensive Medical Policy, which has been commended by the Welsh Rugby Union as part of the club’s A Licence accreditation. Pontypool RFC has held A Licence accreditation since 2014."

He added: “I wish to place on record my total admiration for what Cae’s family are striving to achieve in terms of raising awareness of sport-related head injuries and they have the complete support of Pontypool RFC in their quest to achieve this.

“It is vital that we never stand still in ensuring that our players are well protected and it is my intention to share Pontypool RFC’s medical policies in full with Cae’s family to assist with their efforts.

“They remain in our thoughts during this difficult time and Cae’s legacy will live on at Pontypool RFC for generations to come.

The full statement can be read here.

In October, Wales and Lions legend Shane Williams spoke about his fears around the long-term impact of multiple concussions during his playing career, saying he had begun to suffer from frequent headaches and has difficulty concentrating.

The 39-year-old said at the time: “My career was spent in a time when no-one really had a full understanding about head injuries.

“The mind-set was completely different.

“We knew rugby was a contact sport so if you couldn’t see the injury then you just got on with it.”