Former Lions and England prop Alex Corbisiero wants professional rugby to match the welfare standards set down in gridiron.
The 27-year-old blames mental fatigue as much as physical damage for his decision to take a year out of the game after his latest knee surgery.
He says he decided on the sabbatical before surgeons told him he needed more treatment on a knee problem which threatens to end his career.
Corbisiero says the rising physical demands of professional rugby needed to be acknowledged with teams reducing their contact training and using enforced rest periods between seasons.
'In the NFL, they're allowed to do a little contact in pre-season but once the season starts they are massively limited in terms of contact," he told the Daily Mail.
