What's Next for McCrory?

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The British Journal of Sports Medicine and its publisher BMJ said in a statement last week when those nine retractions were announced. They said their trust in McCrory's work was broken, as you say. The first area we're going to see a change come about here is the Concussion and Sport Group. A legal action has been launched between a large group of former rugby players and the authorities who run the game.

Dr Paul McCrory is a world-renowned concussion expert whose work shaped concussion policy across global sport for the past 20 years. In his work, and through his role on the influential Concussion in Sport Group, McCrory had previously adopted a sceptical view on the link between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a progressive brain condition whose symptoms are similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Last week, the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) retracted nine of his articles and attached an ‘expression of concern’ to another 74. In an editorial, the BJSM, and its publisher, BMJ, stated that ‘their trust in McCrory’s work –specifically the articles that he has published as a single author – is broken’. Ian Sample speaks to senior sports writer Andy Bull about how the scandal unfolded, what it could mean for players and what is likely to happen next. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod