Always a Wasp

From the Sunday Times. Behind a paywall, this is all I could see for free.

Almost 300 former rugby union professionals and top amateurs who blame the sport for life-changing brain injuries will formally apply for a class action against its governing bodies next month.

Players including the England World Cup winner Steve Thompson are currently among 268 who say they have been left with illnesses, including dementia and depression, because of repeated blows to the head on the field and in training. A further 26 are expected to put forward similar claims this week.

They are bringing a case against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in England and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

In claims seen by The Sunday Times they detail how their lives have been affected by injuries sustained on the pitch. On December 1 in the High Court in London their solicitor will apply for a group litigation order on their behalf.

One of the claimants is Michael Lipman, 42, who won 10 caps for England between 2004 and 2008. A neurologist's report states that he "suffered at least five episodes of loss of consciousness during a game, which would be sufficient for a classification of mild traumatic brain injury to be made".

It says he "now suffers from headaches; vertigo, fatigue; sleep disturbance; intolerance to noise; alcohol intolerance; changes in personality; difficulties with short term memory; problems with new learning; anxiety; depression; emotional lability in the form of increased tearfulness and increased irritability".

The report on Neil Spence, 47, who played at Leicester Tigers, Gloucester and in clubs in Yorkshire, states "In my opinion, on balance, Mr Spence has developed long term brain injury complication from rugby. This is on the balance of probabilities, a form of early onset neurodegeneration, and is most likely to be CTE. Chronic Traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive brain disease caused by repeated head injuries, which leads to conditions such as dementia and, eventually, death.

Spence is now a teacher but has to sleep for two hours after the school day and has split with his partner of nearly 19 years, which she blames on his "problems with [his] head". He said "I still love the game, for what it has given me and the person it has made me. Rugby has values and I hold those values dear. The places I've been, the friends I've made, the memories, but if I knew that it was going to turn out the way it has, with the issues that I have and the problems that are ...

I was watching the Bath Vs Gloucester match on BT, but I have given up. Foley is so bad today he is ruining the game. He needs to go back to school and learn the laws.

https://twitter.com/SamLStandsUp/status/1529881494860181504

He is rumoured to be leaving Bulls to join an English Premiership club based in the Midlands.

1.97m (6' 5.5")
114kg (17st 13lbs)

Announced 10 days ago, but I missed it:

https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-group-enters-exclusive-negotiations-with-discovery-inc-to-create-new-sports--joint-venture/

Just watched a livestream interview with BB on Facebook.

Some takeaways (his view/opinion).

Obviously he doesn't 'know' who is leaving (and not yet announced), but feels the main opportunity for signings are in the backs. Maybe Wasps are still looking for someone like Esterhuizen, who they tried to sign before Quins nabbed him.

Seemed to suggest the pack was not going to see much by way of change other than what we have seen/know already.

Hinted that we will see Jack back soon also.

Oh, and he is pretty sure Jimmy is off to Tigers.

Some discussion around Alfie and mad Eddie, and around Jacob/Charlie (needing experience and development).

Not good enough in almost all areas of the game. Little likely to change for at least 4-5 weeks.