Dementia in sport

Just seen this about ex-rugby players suing the Rugby authorities as they have been diagnosed with early signs of dementia.

Not wishing to sound harsh but rugby is a very physical game and surely the players must know the risks involved? Do they have a case?

I know its big news in football as a lot of the older players have had dementia from heading the old leather balls repeatedly and other sports especially American Football have had massive issues with concussion and its management. 

Are physical sports going to have to become less physical and less contact in the future and how will that affect the way the sports are played?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55201237

It's not just dementia. How many players have suffered crippling knee problems due to being forced to take knee and ankle pain killing injections. Tommy Smith, for one, suffered terribly.
Modern sport is heading into a minefield.

Surely there must be a bit of common-sense involved in taking care of yourself?

I was around when we used to play with casey balls on the street and boy were they like kicking lead around. I remember trying to head one once and it hurt, really hurt.

I decided even at that age that heading that thing wasn't going to be good for my health and throughout my footballing career that took me into my fifties before my body gave out, I very seldom used to head the ball, even though I often played as a defender.

Ok football was never going to be my career but I simply never saw the sense in banging my head against an object dropping out of the sky if I didn't have to, and certainly not for fun.

Obviously I feel sorry for anyone with brain injury's from playing sport but surely there's also an element of duty of care to oneself and you don't have to be Einstein to know banging your head against something, even only once or twice a match, isn't really the best thing to be doing, is it?

Each to their own though, you do what you have to do and heading simply wasn't for me.

I still play once a week and it's fairly rough but I've had more injuries on the few times I've taken a turn in goal when the regular goalie can't make it than playing outfield. I'm a crap goalie but my instinct is to block everything I can by hurling myself around so I keep getting hit (full on my ear from two yards the other week) and bent fingers. I hate going in goals but it's a team game so I do it.