Actually those at the front of the line in rugby, the “scrum”, must so build up the muscles in their necks they are quite prone to neck & spinal arthritis.
As in AF, the players are getting faster & bigger. One in the U K has some level of paralysis.
They do sustain injuries like concussions, but seem more prone to neck injuries & complications.
Search something like “head injuries and rugby”, an interesting article from the U K Telegraph should appear.
