Steve Thompson has often watched footage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup victory. He can be seen lifting the Webb-Ellis Cup on the pitch at Sydney's Olympic Stadium, alongside England teammates such as Jonny Wilkinson. However, while the images remain, the memories of those glorious moments have faded from the now-retired player's mind, as if they have been erased. Thompson, 45, frequently suffers from memory gaps and lapses. He recently told The Guardian that he sometimes forgets his wife's name.

The culprit is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – the medical term for dementia – which Thompson believes was caused by multiple blows to the head throughout his successful career (76 caps for England and 141 league games). At the end of 2020, the former hooker was at the forefront of a legal action launched in the UK by former players against World Rugby, the sport's international governing body, and the Welsh and English federations. They accuse these organizations of failing to adequately protect them from repeated concussions and are seeking financial compensation to cover their medical costs. According to their lawyer, Rylands Garth, the aim "is also about making the game safer and ensuring current and former players get tested, so that if they are suffering a brain injury they can get the clinical help they need."

It's been over 10 years since rugby began to recognize the dangers of such impacts. World Rugby has tightened the rules on tackles, which must not be aimed at the player's head, and, more importantly, has adopted a set of measures that federations, clubs and national teams are expected to comply with. These measures require players to leave the field in the event of a suspected concussion and, in the case of a confirmed concussion, to take a period of rest before returning to competition.

However, as the lawsuit in the UK shows, a growing number of players consider these rules to be inadequate. In June, after a long period of unsuccessful conciliation, the case against rugby's world governing bodies opened in London's High Court of Justice. The class action concerns 235 players – 169 of whom are professionals. In addition to Thompson, they include former All Black Carl Hayman and ex Welsh internationals Ryan Jones and Alix Popham. In Ireland, three former players (David Corkery, Declan Fitzpatrick and Ben Marshall) took the Irish FA, World Rugby and the four Irish clubs (Ulster, Leinster, Connacht and Munster) to Dublin's High Court in September 2022. The players told the press about the incessant blows to the head and their return to the pitch despite losing consciousness. And, once their careers were over, the incessant migraines. A World Rugby spokesperson told Le Monde, "We are saddened by the accounts of former players and their experiences and appreciate that they have been brave in sharing such personal accounts. Player welfare has been and will continue to be our top priority and we constantly strive to safeguard our players, acting on the science and evidence, enacting our six-point plan."

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