Rugby player suing

ugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson and seven other former players claim the sport has left them with permanent brain damage - and are in the process of starting a claim against the game's authorities for negligence.

Rugby dangerous regarding effects to the brain, wow, who saw that coming?

 

Not the players obviously, or they wouldn't have signed up if it meant forgetting their wife's name by the time they were 45.

 

The concussion rules were changed when the game became professional. Reduced mandatory time out from 3 weeks to 1 week if concussion was diagnosed.

 

Rugby union? Legalised violence. Even ice hockey players normally have protection all over.

 

I think to suggest they didnt know the risks is a bit disingenuous. Glad my kids never wanted to play rugby.

 

It's the reason I never played.

 

There's knowing the risks and putting measures in place to help mitigate those risks.

 

What do boxing do?

 

Regular brain scans, specialised paramedics at events.

 

I can see boxing not being as it is in a decade or so's time, maybe even less. I'm not saying it should be changed necessarily, it should be up to boxers. They know that getting punched in the head and knocked out repeatedly is not good for the brain, but the money is undoubtedly too good to turn down.

 

For all boxers? And at what point do you get advised to stop because you risk dementia?

 

In boxing I think scans are annual and are a condition of a licence being granted. Without a licence you can't box.

 

So could football and rugby not introduce sonething similar i wonder?

 

I believe specialists look for changes in brain structure based on the images and boxers can't fight if they are detected. There is also a mandatory 6 week break if a boxer is knocked out.

 

Chess Players will have protective gear on in a decade at this rate.

 

Yes,. They probably should. Think some FAs do cardiac tests for example after a series of SAD incidents.

 

Gloves?

 

Take it you've not cared for anyone with dementia then?

 

It's difficult to see how it can be made safer, short of limiting the amount of match time any individual player can have or totally changing the rules so it is unrecognisable. Even wearing helmets wouldn't work, as shown in NFL. Helmets just allow bigger hits.

Meanwhile, footballers are experiencing something similar (less widespread?) from years of heading balls.

It's the worst price to pay. Living with dodgy knees and ankles is nothing compared to dementia.

 

Don't know how they could prevent or reduce head injuries other than mandatory sponge type helmets or go all gridiron, Castleford 49ers or Wakefield Seahawks