England World Cup hero Steve Thompson slams rugby bosses for ‘flogging players until they

England legend Steve Thompson has accused rugby administrators of ‘flogging players until they fall apart’ as he called for the government to act on promises to address the sport’s concussion crisis.

The former hooker, a 2003 Rugby World Cup winner, sent shockwave through the rugby world three years ago when he revealed he had been diagnosed with early onset dementia.

In 2022, the ex-Northampton stalwart revealed he no longer remembered winning the World Cup with England, nor the name of his wife and children. 

Since Thompson’s diagnosis, the impact of CTE – a neurogenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head – and neurological diseases on players in retirement has been one of the sport’s biggest talking points. 

And Thompson warned several of the current players faced a similar plight unless action was taken.

‘It [rugby] is not gonna be a safe sport,’ the former England international told ITV‘s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday when asked whether rugby would ever be a safe sport.

‘But when it comes to the CTE aspect of it and the repetitive head injuries, they are coming from the training as well.’

World Rugby and the national unions have repeatedly insisted players welfare was their priority, but Thompson dismissed the claims as lip service.

He warned the introduction of a new World Club Cup will stretch an already congested calendar to breaking point.

‘They say that looking after the players is their number one priority, but they are just about putting another world tournament [together] for clubs,’ he said.

‘Players are going to be playing all year round, they are going to be training all year round and that’s where it [the damage] happens.’

As Mail Sport reported last week, the inaugural edition of the Club World Cup is slated to take place in June 2028.

Thompson, who won 73 England caps between 2002 and 2011, noted rugby’s current schedule was significantly longer than that of the NFL, another sport which has been beset by a CTE crisis among retired players.

But unlike the rugby season, which runs from September until May, the NFL regular seasons stretches over 17 weeks plus up to four weeks in the play-offs.

Significantly, coaches are only permitted to schedule 16 contact sessions each year. 

‘American football is on for three to four months and they are resting for the rest of the year,’ Thompson said. 

‘That doesn’t happen in rugby, they are just literally flogging the players until they fall apart.’

Thompson is one of 328 ex-players taking legal action against World Rugby, the RFU and Wales Rugby Union after suffering dementia symptoms in a group that includes his former international team-mates Phil Vickery and Mark Regan.

Ex-Wales stars Gavin Henson, Lenny Woodard and Ryan Jones have also joined the legal action. 

The claimants are seeking damages as they argue World Rugby, the RFU and WRU were negligent and failed in their duty of care by not putting in place any reasonable measures to protect their health and safety. 

The legal claimants are seeking damages but also change in the sport they played to protect the players of today. 

‘We do not believe elite level rugby in either code (union or league) is safe in its current form,’ the claimants said in a statement. 

‘Without reform to the game, many more players will end up suffering from significant neurological impairment.’ 

The three governing bodies strongly refute the allegation. World Rugby say they have only received legal notice of 269 union claimants. 

In a statement in December last year, World Rugby said: ‘Legal action prevents us reaching out to support the players involved.

‘But we want them to know that we care deeply about their struggles, that we are listening and that they are members of the rugby family. 

‘The court’s ruling for the second time that the claimants’ solicitors must provide information previously asked for is a positive step. Player welfare is rugby’s top priority.’ 

Both sides have criticised the other during the legal process.

The next step will be a High Court hearing in London on May 20 when the lawsuits in union and league will be heard together for the first time as part of a group litigation order.