Former All Blacks mainstay Carl Hayman, 41, revealed on Wednesday he suffers from dementia precocious, and has joined legal proceedings initiated by many former players against various rugby authorities. Hayman, selected 45 times for New Zealand, also a former Toulon player (France), explained that he consulted after having experienced memory loss, feeling of confusion and suicidal thoughts. "
I spent several years thinking I was going crazy, and at some point I really thought so,
" the former player told New Zealand site The Bounce. “
It was constant headaches, and all these things that happened that I couldn't understand,
” he explained.
Tests showed that he suffered from premature dementia and probable chronic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease.
This diagnosis prompted him to join the action brought by about 150 players, especially in England, against the rugby authorities.
Last December, this group of former professionals, including England's Steve Thompson and Welshman Alix Popham, announced their intention to seek compensation from World Rugby and the English and Welsh federations after diagnoses of neurological disorders.
These younger prospects need to know where they're headed and there needs to be more support.
Carl Hayman
“
These younger prospects need to know where they're headed and there needs to be more support and better oversight around head injuries and workloads,
” Hayman said. "
The problem of the link between concussions and long-term cognitive problems is extremely complex, and science is evolving,
" said New Zealand Rugby Federation boss Mark Robinson. “
New Zealand Rugby will continue to put the well-being of players first and make the sport safe for everyone.
"World Rugby, the body of world rugby, for its part indicated that it had not been contacted by Hayman, and did not comment on her statements, reaffirming that for her,"
the well-being of the players is the priority of sport
”.