Former Irish international rugby star Gordon D’Arcy said he considers himself lucky that he has never had serious problems after suffering several concussions during his rugby career.
he said the jury is still out on whether protocols to prevent brain injuries in rugby players should be stepped up in light of news that some of his ‘colleagues’ are claiming they have contracted early-stage dementia as a result of contact sport.
Speaking on RTE One’s PrimeTime program on Thursday night, the 42-year-old father of three said: “I’ve been playing rugby since I was 11 years old and no doubt I had concussions at several points when I played rugby.
“There aren’t so many (incidents) that I can look back on and go… that the doctor said ‘Listen, you have to leave, you’re not going to play for the next few games’.
“I don’t think that ever happened,” he said.
“I remember getting collisions and sparks and a few different things, but I could remember the concussion — and that’s not meant as a pun — but there weren’t that many I’d look back on and that stood out. ”
But he added: “We can’t shy away from the fact that there are players who experience incipient dementia. This is very public and it is out there. It is terrible to have to read about from my own peer group.”
But he said he sincerely believed, “We followed the best advice and I know I was being looked after very, very well by doctors in my area.”
But he added: “I am also very aware that this has not been the experience of every rugby player. I am probably one of the lucky ones who got through that period with good experiences.”
He retired from rugby in 2015.
He added that World Rugby and the IRFU are taking the issue very seriously. But he said, “It’s very difficult to diagnose a concussion in real time and that’s still one of the biggest problems in the game.”
His comments came a day after the IRFU reaffirmed its commitment to players’ welfare as it braces for legal action from a group of Irish former players who claim they suffered brain injuries while playing rugby.
The union says it has not been made aware of any pending proceedings after news of the players’ intention to sue came out on Wednesday.
After more than 185 players filed a class action lawsuit against World Rugby, the RFU and WRU on Monday, the Irish Times reported that a similar case is looming here.
Law firm Maguire McClafferty confirmed it is acting for a group of unnamed players, citing client confidentiality as it declined to disclose the number of plaintiffs.
“I can tell you that the procedures have been prepared and will probably be published by the end of September. I have them ready,” said senior partner Manus McClafferty.
He confirmed that the Irish players face similar problems to England and Wales, where a number of former professionals, including Ryan Jones and Steve Thompson, have revealed they have been diagnosed with dementia.
Asked for comment, an IRFU spokesperson said: “Everyone in rugby is moved by the personal accounts of former players as reported in the media.
“The wellbeing of players is paramount to the IRFU and we are constantly reviewing safety protocols for all players.
“Our approach, based on scientific evidence, includes a commitment to ongoing education, monitoring and application of safety protocols throughout the game, including proactively managing elite players’ playing time with a focus on injury prevention and supervision.
“So far, no lawsuit has been served on the IRFU.”