Introduction Regular exercise that delivers impact forces to the skeleton are positively associated with bone strength. Athletes from high impact sports such as rugby have higher bone density than non-athletes ( Hind et al., 2015 ). Engaging in regular impact exercise is widely suggested as a means for reducing the risk of osteoporosis in later life ( Heinonen et al., 1996 ). However, to date there have been few studies of the bone density of retired athletes and none in retired rugby players.