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Can rugby players get life insurance?

Yes, it can be possible for rugby players to take out life insurance. In fact, life insurance for rugby players could be available at the standard rate (meaning there have been no price increases or exclusions added to the policy).

During the application process, insurers will take your personal circumstances into consideration to determine your eligibility and the price you’ll pay for a policy. 

This will include general information about your health and lifestyle, as well as details about playing rugby.

If you’re considered as ‘high-risk’ by insurers, due to playing rugby, this could result in higher premiums, exclusions being added to the policy or being refused cover.

Comparing multiple policies is essential in finding a good deal for your circumstances.

Whether you like to play matches at the weekend, play professionally or are part of an ‘old boys’ team, Reassured can help you compare quotes to find our best solution for you.

How will playing rugby affect your life insurance application?

Playing rugby is a popular pastime in the UK and while it’s not typically considered as an ‘extreme sport’ it is a contact sport, meaning there’s a risk of serious injury.

Your eligibility and the price you pay for life insurance is based on risk. Essentially, the riskier insurers perceive you to be, the more you’ll pay for a policy (and in some cases, if the risk is too great, you could be declined).

Depending on your personal circumstances, playing rugby may not be seen as a big risk.

Below are some potential risks that could be flagged when applying for cover as a rugby player:

  • High BMI– during the application, insurers take your height and weight so that they can calculate your BMI. Some rugby players could have a BMI that would be classed as overweight (although this can be due to the amount of muscle).
  • Health issues– if playing rugby has impacted your health (as a result of frequent injury), your condition could mean that you pay more for a policy.
  • Frequent travel– if playing rugby means you need to travel a lot (for example, if you regularly relocate to play for teams in different countries) you might find expat life insurance/international life insurance (not offered by Reassured) could be more suitable. If you’re based in the UK but find yourself travelling to countries that are considered as ‘high-risk’ (such as the Middle East, Caribbean, Africa, Ukraine, Russia or New Guinea) then you could pay more for your policy.
  • Risky occupation – due to the frequency of matches when playing rugby professionally, there’s an increased risk of developing dementia, encephalopathy (CTE) and other neurodegenerative conditions due to frequent head trauma and impact. It’s also been found that there’s an increased risk of developing mental health conditions (such as anxiety, depression and trauma) after severe injury.

Exclusions could be added for death due to dangerous hobbies and/or occupations. This means if you pass away as a result of playing rugby, your loved ones wouldn’t be able to claim.

It’s important to give correct and truthful information when applying for life insurance. if it’s found that you gave false details, a claim may not be paid out when the time comes.

Why is life insurance important?

Losing a loved one is emotionally devastating, but it can also cause a lot of financial uncertainty. Life insurance is important as it can provide vital funds for your family when they need it most.

A pay out from a life insurance could help to cover:

  • Mortgage/rent
  • Household bills and utilities
  • Additional childcare costs
  • Funeral expenses
  • An inheritance

Ultimately, it helps to give you peace of mind that your loved ones are protected should the worst happen.

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How much life insurance do you need?

Find out how much life insurance may be right for you by using our simple calculator. Fill in the costs you would like your policy to cover.

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£121,687 is the estimated average outstanding mortgage per household in the UK.

Our property is generally the largest financial commitment any of us will make.

Your life insurance should cover this significant debt should you no longer be around.

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According to Money Advice Service, full-time childcare in the UK now costs £242 a week.

The loss of a parent could result in the need for additional childcare whilst the surviving parent increases their hours to account for lost income.

Your life insurance cover should factor in this additional required outgoing.

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The average level of debt (minus a mortgage) in the UK is £15,385.

Factoring in any outstanding debts in your name when arranging life insurance ensures this burden is not passed to loved ones.

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You may wish to leave your loved ones an inheritance or lump sum gift upon your passing.

Factoring in the gift amount when arranging your cover will ensure the pay out amount will be sufficient to provide your loved ones with this selfless gesture.

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According to SunLife, the average cost of a UK funeral is now £4,417, whilst the total cost of dying is £9,493.

This is a 130% increase over the past 16 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

A significant cost which should be factored into the amount of life insurance you secure.

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If you are one of the 65% of the UK who are lucky enough to have savings, this could be used as protection if you were to pass away.

Any pay outs from existing life insurance policies and investments can also be used as financial protection for your loved ones if you were no longer around.

Factor this into your required cover amount.

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Your total cover estimate

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What’s the best rugby player life insurance?

The best life insurance policy will depend on your personal circumstances and what you’d like to cover.

Popular life insurance options include:

Level term life insurance

Level term life insurance provides you with cover for a set period (for example, 40 years). If you pass away during this time a pay out will be made to your loved ones.

Your cover amount will remain level (the same) throughout the policy term. It’s a popular choice for helping to protect an interest only mortgage and/or family living costs.

Health and lifestyle information is needed during the application process.

Decreasing term life insurance

Decreasing term life insurance provides you with cover for a set period (for example, 40 years). If you pass away during this time, a pay out will be made to your loved ones.

Your cover amount will decrease throughout the policy term. For this reason, it’s most commonly used to help cover a repayment mortgage.

Health and lifestyle information is needed during the application process.

Whole of life insurance

Whole of life insurance provides you with cover for life, paying out when you pass away (not if you pass away).

Due to offering lifelong cover, it’s often used to help cover funeral costs or for inheritance tax planning when the policy is written in trust (helping with inheritance tax bills or being left as an inheritance).

Health and lifestyle information is needed during the application process.

Over 50s life insurance

Over 50s life insurance (over 50s plan) provides cover for the rest of your life and guarantees acceptance to UK residents aged 50 – 85.

The pay out amount is smaller than with traditional types of life insurance so it’s often used to help cover funeral costs or to provide a small inheritance.

No health or lifestyle information is needed during the application process, although some insurers may need your smoking status.

How much does Rugby player life insurance cost?

The price you’ll pay for life insurance as a rugby player will depend on your personal circumstances and policy details, such as:

  • Age
  • Health
  • Occupation
  • Smoking status
  • Lifestyle
  • Policy type
  • Policy term
  • Cover amount

As part of the lifestyle questionnaire, you’ll need to give information about your hobbies. When telling insurers that you play rugby, they may want to ask you some additional questions.

This will likely be questions about how long you’ve been playing rugby, how often you play and what level of rugby you play (recreational, amateur, semi-professional or professional).

You may also need to give information about any injuries you’ve had as a result of rugby and whether these have required you to take time off work.

If insurers flag any of the information you give as being ‘high-risk’ you could experience inflated premiums.

In many cases, it could be possible to get life insurance with standard terms. The pricing table below gives some example prices for standard pricing.

Quotes are based on a non-smoker, in good health, for a level term life insurance policy with a 20 year term and £100,000 of cover.

AgePrice per month
20£3.50
25£4.23
30£5.25
35£7.02
40£10.01
45£14.57
50£21.79

Each insurer has a different criteria when assessing risk so, if one insurer is out of budget, comparing quotes can help you to find a more suitable option.

At Reassured we work with some of the UK’s best insurers (plus specialist insurers through our advised service), allowing us to provide you with the best quotes from our panel.

What other insurance policies should rugby players consider?

You might also want to consider:

  • Critical illness covercritical illness cover can be added to your policy for an additional cost. It allows you to make an early claim on your life insurance policy if you’re diagnosed with an illness that’s listed within your policy.
  • Income protectionincome protection pays out a percentage of your income while you’re unable to work due to illness and injury. If you play rugby professionally as your career, you might experience higher premiums and exclusions for certain injuries added to your policy due to the increased risk.

Compare life insurance for rugby players

As there can be a risk involved with playing rugby, insurers will need to take your personal circumstances into consideration.

While it could be possible to take out a policy with standard terms, some people could also experience inflated premiums.

This is where using a broker, like Reassured, can be beneficial. A dedicated expert can take you through the application process and provide you with the quotes that are suited to your circumstances and needs.