The head injuries sustained in the sport of rugby
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What legal actions are ex‑rugby players taking over head injuries?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Now, hundreds of former rugby players are pursuing legal action over head injuries sustained while playing the sport. They allege repeated blows on the pitch have caused neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and early onset dementia. Of course, those organisations they are suing absolutely refute those claims. Joining me now is rugby legend Will Greenwood to discuss all of this. Will, you're very welcome to the programme.
Oh, thank you for having me.
Thank you for joining us on this one. So we have these 500 ex-rugby players now and the High Court in London has said this case can go ahead. And obviously we have to wait for that to happen. But do you welcome the fact that all of this is going to be aired in public now and teased out?
Look, I always believe in nuance and conversation and there's obviously some context and some reference in this. So I come at this, let me put some background to me, I come at this from a kid who's grown up in rugby, my dad captained England, I grew up in Italy on a rugby pitch and I was at rugby training last night for Maidenhead, which is a very, very average rugby team in the English leagues. Level five, I was running around. There's some great lads.
How does Will Greenwood describe his personal rugby background and current involvement?
There was plumbers and solicitors. And then the other end of the pitch had a new girls team. And we've got the Iron Maidens because we're from Maidenhead. So I love my rugby. I also sit here and talk to you as someone who has been lucky enough to have played for England and the Lions. And on the back of that, I've got access to... biannual, if it's the right word, every two years, brain scans and checkups because they're wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing. They're wanting to monitor ex-rugby players who've had impacts at the sort of highest level.
Or you have those checks now, do you?
Yes, and that's a right for anyone who's played for England can apply and you go down to Tottenham Court Road. There's an amazing institute and you get put through scans and they're monitoring us and they're looking at us alongside that. And so I have to be very careful because I have some friends... Really, really good friends who are part of this group that are looking for fairness, looking to have their case heard. But I sit here as someone who currently has all my faculties and love my sport. And I watched my son play yesterday afternoon and I love the game. So I need to be very careful that that's the context with which I come at it.
And when your son started playing, did you have any...
What medical monitoring is available for former England and Lions players?
reservations about him going out there onto that pitch? None
whatsoever? No, I love it. Look, I love the game of rugby. It celebrates difference. It forges togetherness. It accelerates your personal growth, your collective growth. I love the word well-being, but well-being should be coupled with resilience. Life isn't a bed of roses. It's not always sunshine. It's tough. And if you can have a group of people who I'm currently, I'm going to watch my wife in a play tonight and she's gone back to acting after sort of 20 years. And she goes, it doesn't matter where this leads. People call me Greens. Greens, it doesn't matter where this leads. I just need to be part of this community.
Why does Greenwood emphasize the cultural and personal value of rugby?
And so whether it's ballet, whether it's art, whether it's music, whether it's lacrosse, whether it's hurling, whether it's Gaelic, whether it's rugby, whatever it is, having a sport that you love and have a passion for is an incredible place to be able to go and share your story and share your issues and articulate what's going on in your life in a safe space. And at the same time, your testosterone and dopamine and all these things are going off the charts because you're loving around whacking people. And I'm hesitant to use the word whacking when I'm talking in this context, but that young men and young women want to whack things and having it done in a safe, safe space. And why there's obviously a whole heap of work being done as to what people knew 30 years ago, 40 years ago, was there a duty of care being taken?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What legal actions are ex‑rugby players taking over head injuries?
0:01–1:22
2
How does Will Greenwood describe his personal rugby background and current involvement?
1:22–2:44
3
What medical monitoring is available for former England and Lions players?
2:44–3:26
4
Why does Greenwood emphasize the cultural and personal value of rugby?
3:26–5:27
5
How have player safety protocols and concussion awareness changed over the decades?
5:27–6:11
6
What role do modern training methods (nutrition, Pilates, yoga) play in injury prevention?
6:11–7:32
7
Why does Greenwood say the head cannot be ‘trained’ like other body parts?
7:32–8:41
8
What are the expectations for the upcoming High Court case and its public impact?
8:41–9:34