A total of 75 rugby league stars who have suffered brain injuries as a consequence of playing the sport are reportedly launching a legal case against the Rugby Football League.
Twelve months ago former Whitehaven and Workington Town forward Ryan McDonald was one of 10 former players who initially were to sue the RFL for negligence.
That number has snow-balled as both Rugby League and Rugby Union authorities are hearing of more and more players who claim illnesses caused by injuries while taking part in the game as professionals.
The original claim for negligence that had been discussed was over the RFL’s failure to protect them from brain injuries caused by concussion during their careers.
McDonald, 44, played 317 games between 1998 and 2015, and they included 51 games for Workington Town and 42 for Whitehaven as well as appearances for Bramley, Widnes, Batley, Halifax, York, North Wales and London Skolars.
Ryan was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE), a progressive brain injury which gets worse with age, by a neurologist.
At the time west Cumbrian McDonald said: “I try not to get upset but I know it’s only going to get worse.
“It started with silly little things like I would go to the shop and forget what I had gone there for, so I would be walking around aimlessly wondering why I was there, just silly things like that, just like forgetfulness and then you start getting anxiety attacks and things like that.
“It’s really weird to describe. To be fair it makes you agitated because you can’t do simple tasks you should just be able to do without thinking about.”
The claim being made now could reach into the tens of millions, as they say the RFL failed to protect them, with some now suffering from illnesses like dementia, Parkinson’s and epilepsy.
They have joined 220 rugby union pros who launched their own claim earlier this year, while 40 former footballers are still planning to bring a claim for dementia-related negligence.
The most high-profile RL player is Bobbie Goulding, who starred for St Helens during his career, but started to suffer symptoms of early-onset dementia during his 30’s.
Goulding, capped 17 times for Great Britain, played briefly for Barrow Raiders in 2014 when he was coach and aged 42.
The 50-year-old told The Mirror: ‘We are crying out for help. It’s the biggest pandemic that’s ever going to hit the sport, and it’s happening now. But Rugby League has washed its hands of us.’
He said that for himself and his wife Paula, their lives changed in an instant.
“The scariest bit is not knowing how fast it will progress. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I’ve never been scared of anything in my life, but I’m scared of this. I sit looking out the window for six or seven hours.
‘I don’t realise time is passing. There’s mad, bad headaches, where you feel so sick you can’t lift your head off the pillow and I have to take anti-dizziness tablets every day, otherwise the room starts spinning.
‘I keep forgetting things. The other day I went to get something to eat and, without thinking, I took my teeth out and put them in the fridge. I couldn’t find them for 24 hours.’
As well as Goulding and McDonald, the other claimants include Michii Edwards, Lenny Woodard, Jason Roach and Francis Maloney, but the vast majority have not been named.
Their legal representative will be listing a ‘letter of claim’ listing 53 crucial allegations.
