Former Super Rugby and Māori All Blacks star, Shane Christie,  has d!ed at the age of 39 from suspected su!cide.

The respected flanker was found de@d in Nelson, New Zealand on Wednesday morning, with police confirming they attended a call-out for a sudden de@th, Stuff reported.

Christie played 29 Super Rugby matches for the Highlanders from 2014 to 2016, and also played 73 games for Tasman in addition to representing the Māori All Blacks on eight occasions.

‘It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Shane Christie,’ NZ Rugby said in a statement. 

‘Shane represented Aotearoa New Zealand in both the All Blacks Sevens and the Māori All Blacks jerseys. 

‘He played in our domestic competitions and Super Rugby, forging deep connections with the Tasman Mako and the Highlanders. 

‘He was passionate about coaching, holding coaching roles with Tasman, for both their women’s and men’s teams, and the Highlanders.

‘Any time the rugby community loses a member it is felt deeply. Shane’s passion for the game will be remembered always. Our thoughts are with Shane’s whānau, friends, former team-mates, and community at this incredibly difficult time.’

Christie said he suffered three or four concussions in just six weeks when he was playing for the Highlanders.

He said the head knocks left him with debilitating symptoms.

‘It feels like a bruise in your head, and when you’re walking, it hurts,’ he said.

‘So when you’re thinking, it hurts, when you’re trying to exercise, the pressure hurts, and you’re not as fast and can’t think as quick.’

Christie believed he was suffering from the deadly brain disease chronic traumatic encephalpathy (CTE), which results from repeated head knocks and has been a factor in the deaths of several high-profile football players across codes including rugby union, rugby league, and gridiron.

He became an advocate for players who suffered from the after effects of concussion and documented his struggles on social media.

‘Over the months of May to September 2023, I gradually exhausted my brain’s energy and cognitive capacity, pushing myself to a point where I became delusional and paranoid,’ he wrote after the death of another Kiwi rugby star, Billy Guyton, in May that year. 

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For many Nigerian footballers, the medical room has not just been a checkpoint but a place where dreams were limited, and where lucrative transfers collapsed at the final hurdle.
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While a few Nigerian footballers, like Nwankwo Kanu, bounced back stronger, others were forced to take entirely different career paths after failing crucial fitness tests.

It was reports that Victor Boniface’s proposed move to AC Milan broke down this summer due to fitness concerns. According to BILD, the Bayer Leverkusen striker underwent four separate tests in Italy before Milan eventually pulled out of the deal.

Boniface has since returned to Germany, leaving uncertainty over his next move. The failed transfer once again highlights the delicate balance between talent and fitness in the high-stakes world of European football.

This is not a new story for Nigerian stars. Back in 1996, Nwankwo Kanu faced a far more frightening scenario when Inter Milan doctors discovered a life-threatening heart defect during his medical. Many thought his career was over, but surgery and sheer determination brought him back.

He would later shine at Arsenal, winning two Premier League titles and cementing his place as one of Africa’s greatest exports.

Other Nigerian footballers, however, never fully recovered from failed medicals. Tijani Babangida was on the verge of joining Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in 2000, but failed the stringent tests. Instead, he got on loan at Gençlerbirliği, where his career ended.

The same year, Dele Adebola’s dream of playing in Spain collapsed when Las Palmas rescinded his contract over medical concerns. Ironically, that setback rejuvenated his Birmingham City career, where he went on to help the club reach the 2001 League Cup Final before injuries caught up with him.

Seyi Olofinjana had his share of disappointment in 2004 when his Monaco move fell apart. Reflecting later, he said: “I think there was a misunderstanding after I had a medical, and as a result, I didn’t sign. But the club had a change of president, so perhaps it was political, I don’t know.” The setback turned into a blessing, as he later found success in England with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Meanwhile, David Oniya failed his medical at Uzbek side Neftchi Fergana in 2014, and while he later revived his career in Malaysia, tragedy struck a year later when he collapsed and died during a friendly match, aged just 30.

Romanus Orjinta, the former Enyimba captain, also saw his career derailed in 2007 when Zamalek pulled out of a deal after detecting health issues in his medical. Though he briefly revived his career in Nigeria, the move that could have elevated him to continental fame never materialised.

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Two-time Olympic medallist, Enefiok Udo-Obong, believes that past and present Nigerian athletes in different sports are entitled to respect and recognition from the country, against the idea of lifetime financial benefits.

Udo-Obong made this remark in the wake of comments by some Nigerian ex-football players, who berated the Nigeria Football Federation and the government for neglecting ex-players.

Former Super Eagles defenders, Taribo West and Austin Eguavoen, spoke at the service of songs for the late goalkeeper, condemning the government for abandoning Rufai.

The Nigeria Football Federation, however, released a statement to counter the claims of the ex-internationals.

“It is insulting for Austin Eguavoen to compare playing in the Super Eagles or any sportsman with a soldier. One lives a life of luxury and privilege, and the other lays down his life and privileges so that all can enjoy a life of privilege,” Udo-Obong wrote via Facebook.

“The nation owes no sportsman any favour. On the contrary, we owe the country for the opportunity and platform they have given us to flourish our talents and to live a life envious to the majority.

“All we deserve from the country and its leaders is respect and recognition for our hard work.”

Udo-Obong won two Olympic medals for Nigeria.

He anchored the men’s 4x400m relay team to gold at the Sydney 2000 Games and also won bronze in the same event at Athens 2004.

In 2024, he joined the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Athletics Development Programme as Technical Director.

He landed the job after a stiff competition with other experts from America, Britain and Australia.

Before then, the 43-year-old functioned at different capacities in Nigerian athletics. He was also prominent as the Technical Director of the Lagos State Athletics Association.

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