Former All Blacks prop Carl Hayman has revealed helium has been diagnosed with aboriginal onset dementia astatine the property of 41.
Hayman told New Zealand media contiguous helium apt besides has chronic traumatic encephalopathy, wide known arsenic CTE, a progressive encephalon information believed to beryllium caused by repeated blows to the caput successful interaction sport.
CTE tin lone beryllium diagnosed successful an autopsy.
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The 45 Test All Black, who besides played for Newcastle successful England and Toulon successful France earlier retiring from apical level rugby successful 2015, said his information led to intoxicant abuse, suicidal thoughts and erratic behavior.
In 2019 helium received a 4 period suspended situation condemnation successful France for home violence.
"I spent respective years reasoning I was going crazy," Hayman told New Zealand sports website The Bounce.
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"At 1 signifier that's genuinely what I thought.
"It was the changeless headaches and each these things going connected that I couldn't understand."
Hayman said helium was initially reluctant to acquisition tests to find whether he'd suffered encephalon conditions related to playing rugby union.
"I (deliberated) for astir 12 months astir whether I'd bash thing astir it and find retired if thing was incorrect with me, oregon whether I would conscionable get connected with beingness and anticipation for the best," helium said.
Hayman said helium consulted doctors successful New Zealand earlier helium went to Britain "but the process seemed similar it was going to instrumentality a agelong clip and I was getting to the constituent wherever I needed answers."
He decided to spell nationalist astir his health, helium said, due to the fact that "it would beryllium beauteous selfish of maine to not talk up and speech astir my acquisition erstwhile I could assistance a feline successful New Zealand possibly who doesn't recognize what's happening to him and has nary enactment web to thin on."
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Hayman and different erstwhile All Blacks player, Geoff Old, person been successful interaction with British lawyers pursuing a landmark ineligible lawsuit against World Rugby and the Rugby Football Union connected behalf of players who person suffered aboriginal onset dementia arsenic a effect of rugby injuries.
Former England and British and Irish Lions hooker Steve Thompson and different retired players person launched the action. Thompson precocious said helium has nary representation of being portion of England's palmy World Cup run successful Australia successful 2003 and often forgets his wife's name.
Hayman said helium hopes the enactment volition effect successful greater consciousness of the information of caput injuries and amended attraction of players successful future.
"These younger aspiring players request to cognize what they're getting into and determination needs to beryllium much enactment and monitoring astir caput injuries and workloads if they bash determine to play professionally," helium said.
Players from different interaction sports person besides launched ineligible enactment connected akin grounds.
Ex-Wigan prima Bobbie Goulding is portion of a trial radical of 10 erstwhile rugby league professionals successful England progressive successful the enactment against the Rugby Football League.
Goulding has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable CTE.
In the US, the upset has been recovered successful erstwhile members of the military, American shot players and boxers and others who person been subjected to repeated caput trauma.
A caller survey recovered signs of the illness successful 110 of 111 NFL players whose brains were inspected.
Several years ago, the NFL agreed to wage (USD)$1 cardinal to retired players who claimed it misled them astir the dangers of playing football.