SPORT’S INJURY CRISIS
TWENTY YEARS AGO, STEVE THOMPSON lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, surrounded by teammates and cheered on by millions. He had helped to propel England towards its only rugby world cup triumph.
Today he suffers from EARLY-ONSET DEMENTIA, and together with almost 200 other players, he is suing the governing bodies of rugby union for negligence — claiming the sport he loved has caused him permanent brain damage.
Thompson’s argument is not that contact sport is inherently wrong, but that the policies in place to protect players from serious injury were tooplayed as rugby turned professional in the 1990s, and the strength of the players, the physicality of contact, and the time put into training all increased.
