I don’t blame players but governing bodies were NOT negligent

LEEDS CHIEF HETHERINGTON ON CONCUSSION LEGAL ACTION

LEEDS chief executive Gary Hetherington does not blame any former player for considering legal action over the impact of concussion, as rugby league braces itself for further cases. Former Great Britain scrum-half Bobbie Goulding (pictured in action for St Helens in 1991, below) is among 10 players planning to sue for negligence against the RFL over their failure to protect them from the risks caused by concussions. Hetherington – himself a former player – believes that the sport is addressing the issue seriously, with his own club among those trialling mouthguard technology to measure the impact of collisions on the brain. The 67-year-old also sees the ability to prove negligence as the key part of any legal action, almost 12 months on from a group of rugby union players announcing the same intentions.

Hetherington said: “I’m not going to bag anybody for bringing the case. But equally I would say that governing bodies weren’t aware of this issue – it’s not as if they were negligent.

“It’s not as if they knew about it and refused to deal with it. I think that once it became apparent, they have dealt with it, are dealing with it, and there is on-going research all the time.

“Governing bodies are being very proactive and doing the right thing for the next generation and the current generation of players. There’s nothing they can do for what happened 10 or 15 years ago.

“Now it is a big subject, and all the sports’ governing bodies are serious about it.” Alongside Goulding, exprofessionals

Jason Roach, Mickii Edwards and Ryan MacDonald have also been named as showing symptoms associated with neurological complications.

Goulding is doing all he can. He said: “I’m learning French, I start my lessons next Tuesday. The doctor said I’ve got to get my mind going. I’m not going to lie down and have my belly tickled, I’ve got things to look forward to.

“I hope it doesn’t take its toll really quickly. I hope it’s slow and I am able to live a long and healthy life. I’m as fit as a fiddle, I’m the fittest 49-yearold about and I said

I was going to be the fittest 50-year-old about and I still will. I’ll need to be fit because that helps me with my mind.” National union the GMB, who have around 80 percent of Super League players as members, are expecting further cases to emerge and have offered free legal advice to players.

Senior organiser Peter Davies said: “Not too long ago everyone would have dismissed any links between dementia and other debilitating and life changing conditions in connection to sporting activity. But science moves on and new evidence comes to light.

“All of us, on a constant basis, alter, improve and develop the approach to upper body contact and concussion.

“We have to weigh that up with the risks players take. I know that this is of no significant relevance to the shattered lives of those who pay the ultimate price. We have to do all we can to support them.”