‘Hundreds’ set to join brain injury court fight
FORTY more retired rugby professionals are in the process of adding their names to the legal action over brain damage.
They came forward during a week when Welshman Adam Hughes, at 30 the youngest victim of the nine ex-players in the vanguard of the action, reinforced the harrowing effects of cumulative concussion suffered by ex-internationals Steve Thompson, Michael Lipman and Alix Popham.
The current total is up to 170 and rising on an almost daily basis. Medical experts and many within the sport fear that the number of those stricken by head injuries and traumatic collisions will rise into the high hundreds.
“The 40 who have contacted us are all former professional Rugby Union players, mostly in their early to mid 40’s,” solicitor Richard Boardman of Rylands Legal told The Rugby Paper. “Unfortunately they fall into a key age
group, the first wave of those who played in the professional era.
“Their symptoms range from part-concussive syndrome to the early onset of dementia. You have a few suffering from epilepsy. Some are anxious, understandably so. It’s worrying.
“They are in addition to the 119 we’ve been talking to for some time.
“We have never been in any doubt that this is a major issue.We are accused of scare-mongering but this issue has been out there for some time.
“We believe that as many as 50 per cent of all retired Rugby Union players could end up with some kind of neurological problem during their post-playing days.
“Even if it’s only ten per cent, that’s still an enormous amount. We expect a lot more to come forward. Many will be waiting to see what happens.”
Rylands are also acting on behalf of 15 former Rugby League players, some of whose conditions prompted Boardman to draw comparison with ‘Iron Mike’ Webster, the former Pittsburgh Steelers centre whom some doctors claim suffered the equivalent of ‘25,000 car crashes’.
Webster was the first NFL player to be diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) following his death at 50 in 2002. After retiring, he suffered from amnesia, dementia and mental illness.
“The Rugby League players are in their 50’s, ten years older than Thompson, Lipman and Popham,’’ Boardman says. “Anyone familiar with the Mike Webster story knows how terrifying this can be – suicide attempts, addiction. It’s heart-breaking.
“This is what happens when they fall through the cracks in society. There is a lot of anxiety about others falling through the same cracks. Some, hopefully, will be absolutely ok but a lot need testing.”
Rylands made the opening move last week in the long legal process, serving a Letter of Action on World Rugby, the RFU and the WRU ahead of action on behalf of nine players alleging negligence. While five have spoken out, the other four have chosen to remain anonymous.
Neil Spence, former Leicester, Gloucester and Rotherham flanker, is the oldest at 44, Hughes the youngest at 30. The Welsh centre, now a financial advisor, had been forced to abandon his ambition to become a pilot following his premature retirement two years ago after suffering several knock-out blows.
“For me, I think the biggest issue around concussions was attitude,’’ he told The Guardian. “It was often treated like a weakness if you didn’t dust yourself down and carry on.
“So, naturally, you see great players expert at just getting up and carrying on regardless of how they feel. Ultimately it’s their job and no player wants to lose his job. I was finding it more and more difficult to recover from each and every bang to the head.”
Alex Bywater writes: The WRU and the country’s four professional sides have met for detailed crisis talks to discuss their potential liabilities for concussion-related damages.
At a time when Welsh rugby has lost £50m in the devastating consequences of Covid-19, the WRU and regions are well aware of the potential ramifications should the players’ legal case be successful.
The WRU have enlisted the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association to reach out and support players like Hughes and others who may be struggling with concussion-related problems.
WRU chief executive Steve Phillips said: “All of Welsh rugby was saddened to hear news from Alix (Popham) of the health problems he is experiencing in retirement.
“We have made contact with the WRPA as we would with any player welfare matter and we are aware they are in direct contact with Alix.
“I would like to express my personal admiration for Alix and his family for raising the issue and suggesting possible improvements to our game.
“More generally speaking, I would also add we take the wellbeing of all players, including our former players, very seriously. We will always listen to, as the game has always done, any potential improvements to our game for any reason. This is certainly not a time for rugby
to go missing.”