Results ‘matter more than health’

and did not have my best interests at heart,’ Cudmore told the Mail on Sunday.

‘Winning games took precedence over the health, both short and long term, of players and a line needs to be drawn to ensure this does not happen again.

‘Players need to be protected, especially in these big games when the result seems more important than people’s health.’

Cudmore’s legal action comes after the Mail on Sunday revealed three weeks ago that ex-Sale scrum-half Cillian Willis is attempting to sue the Aviva Premiership club for medical negligence following an incident in 2013.

Last week Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond criticised rugby’s concussion protocols by claiming ‘all you need is a slap on the head’ to be taken off.

Diamond’s comments were yesterday labelled ‘horrendous, ill-informed and dangerous’ by former Ireland international Alan Quinlan, while Cudmore said studies into former NFL players suffering from degenerative brain disease was a serious cause for concern.

Premier Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty said Willis’s claim against Sale would be an ‘isolated case’ as the English Premiership had some of the highest player welfare standards of any professional league.