Ten former professional rugby union players, including British internationals, showing symptoms of neurological damage, will file a complaint against the English federation (RFL) for negligence, the law firm which defends them announced on Wednesday (October 27th).
These ten players, aged under 60, form a “pilot group“, clarified the firm Rylands Legal, which also represents 175 players of rugby union in a similar procedure launched last December against the persons in charge of their discipline. Among these former players, we find Bobbie Goulding, former England international and coach of the France team from 2009 to 2011.
In total, about fifty players at XIII, whose age ranges from their twenties to fifties, and presenting symptoms associated with brain damage, are represented by these lawyers. The collective complaint accuses the RFL of negligence for failing to protect the players from the consequences of concussions.
“That such a thing, appearing out of nowhere, comes crashing into me like a bus, it’s hard to accept”, Goulding, 49, explained daily Daily Mail, after learning this month that he was suffering from premature dementia and probably chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease diagnosed mainly in athletes who have suffered regular shocks to the head.
“I remember having to replay just a few days after severe knockouts on at least three occasions”
Bobbie goulding
Daily Mail
“My symptoms appeared suddenly two years ago (…) All of a sudden, everything deteriorated. I became clumsy, I was dropping things all the time. I had headaches, waves of fatigue. I couldn’t stand the bright lights anymore, even the fact that my wife turned on the light in the morning annoyed me. The loud noises were painful. “, also told the Daily Mail Mickii Edwards, 48, former Welsh international pillar, also has dementia and probably CTE.
The complainants claim that the RFL take “immediate, relatively inexpensive measures […] such as limiting contact during training and extending the period necessary before resuming play “ in concussion, lawyer Richard Boardman explained. The governing body of world rugby union, World Rugby, had recommended at the end of September to limit the phases of contact in training in order to protect players from injury.