Jones forced to retire after judo injury
Sam Jones, the Wasps flanker, would be entitled to sue the Rugby Football Union according to a legal expert, after announcing his retirement due to an ankle injury sustained during a judo session at an England training camp.
Jones had not played a game since he dislocated his ankle while wrestling Maro Itoje 18 months ago, which also resulted in a fractured fibula, a ruptured medial ligament and significant damage to ankle cartilage. He underwent a series of operations but to no avail.
The Daily Telegraph understands that Wasps players missed a safety demonstration provided to the rest of the squad at the Brighton camp in October 2016, as they arrived late having played a match on Sunday. Jones suffered the injury the following day.
If Jones and the other players who arrived late did not receive the same briefing, then the RFU could be liable to a lawsuit.
“To achieve success against any party in these types of cases, you would need to prove negligence,” Steven Baylis, a partner at Lime Solicitors, said.
“In the absence of training, that would be a hard one for the defendants to overcome. If it was provided in the first place to non-wasps players, that suggests it was necessary and if they did embark on the session without the training – and especially with what happened to Sam – then that may well mean there is a case to answer.”
The RFU remains confident that it followed the correct processes for the judo session, which several other teams employ in their training routines.
The Telegraph understands that England head coach Eddie Jones contacted his 26-year-old namesake directly yesterday to express sympathy. It is understood that Jones was offered a role within the academy coaching team at Wasps. However it seems he will instead pursue interests outside rugby. Jones said: “I’ve reluctantly had to listen to medical advice and retire from rugby.”