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https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2023/08/26/rugby-players-suffering-long-term-injuries-from-concussions-want-justice_6109970_9.html

 

Steve Thompson has often watched footage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup victory. He can be seen lifting the Webb-Ellis Cup on the pitch at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium, alongside England teammates such as Jonny Wilkinson. However, while the images remain, the memories of those glorious moments have faded from the now-retired player’s mind, as if they have been erased. Thompson, 45, frequently suffers from memory gaps and lapses. He recently told The Guardian that he sometimes forgets his wife’s name.

 

The culprit is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – the medical term for dementia – which Thompson believes was caused by multiple blows to the head throughout his successful career (76 caps for England and 141 league games). At the end of 2020, the former hooker was at the forefront of a legal action launched in the UK by former players against World Rugby, the sport’s international governing body, and the Welsh and English federations. They accuse these organizations of failing to adequately protect them from repeated concussions and are seeking financial compensation to cover their medical costs. According to their lawyer, Rylands Garth, the aim “is also about making the game safer and ensuring