Ex-pro with dementia wants rugby to be 'safer'

Neil Spence played in the Premiership for Rotherham Titans during his 16-year career

A former rugby union player diagnosed with early onset dementia says he is taking legal action against the sport's governing bodies to help "make the game safer".

Neil Spence, 44, is one of several ex-pros pursuing litigation against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union (RFU), which governs the game in England, and the Welsh Rugby Union.

The group argues the sport's authorities failed to sufficiently protect players against health risks, though the governing bodies say player welfare has always been their top priority.

Mr Spence, who played for clubs including Rotherham Titans and Bradford and Bingley RFC across a 16-year career, said he wanted to raise awareness of the "dangers of concussion".

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Spence, who was diagnosed in December 2020, said the effects of his condition had led to the break-up of his relationship with his long-term partner and he subsequently moved out of the family home.

"I didn't like the person I was becoming," he said.

"I was short, snappy, grumpy. I was snapping at the kids because I was tired and I was sensitive to noise as well.

"It had an impact on me and my family."

Neil Spence, pictured playing for Rotherham Titans in 2003, also played for clubs including Bradford and Bingley RFC, Hull RUFC and Otley RUFC

The Hull-born ex-pro first realised something was wrong several years ago when he started putting things in the wrong place at home. On one occasion he forgot to pick his children up from nursery.

Mr Spence, who is still involved in the game as a coach, said: "At the time I thought it was just me getting old, but I was in my early 40s. If you get a degenerative brain disease, you think you'll be 60, 70 or 80 years old.

"To get a diagnosis, you get some answers to why you are behaving like that. It was a double-edged sword, because it was tough to take, but at least I knew what it was."

Rugby on Trial, a new BBC documentary, has examined the legal case and spoke to several other former rugby players with dementia.

'I want to make it safer'

During his career, he said he would sometimes be involved in up to three hours of contact training per day as a professional.

Although he did not blame any of the clubs he played for, he said he believed the impact on his body and brain led to his illness.

Mr Spence, who works in pastoral care in a secondary school, said that if the governing bodies "knew what was going on" they "had a duty of care" to players to protect them.

He added: "The only thing for me is to make the game safer for everyone involved, from little ones up to seniors.

"It's a game I love and it's brought me so much, but I want to make it safer and make everyone aware of the dangers of concussion."

Richard Boardman, the solicitor representing the players involved in the litigation, said rugby union's authorities had been "negligent in their duty of care" towards players.

He added: "We believe it’s a catastrophe and the true scale of the damage will play out like a car crash in slow motion as players continue to deteriorate."

Rugby on Trial is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer

In a joint statement, Welsh Rugby Union and World Rugby said: “Whilst the ongoing legal action prevents us from reaching out to the players involved in this programme, we want them to know we care, we listen and they remain valued members of the rugby family.

"World Rugby never stands still when it comes to player welfare at all levels of the game, and we are constantly innovating and evolving to make rugby safer and more enjoyable to play. The concussion protocols in place today are informed by the latest science and world leading, independent, expert opinion."

The RFU, which operates within the guidelines of World Rugby, said its "paramount concern is and always has been the health and wellbeing of players at all levels of the game".

In a statement, it added: "Rugby is a leading sport when it comes to investment in and commitment to injury and concussion surveillance, prevention and management.

"The RFU entirely rejects the totally misplaced and unfounded allegations made in the BBC programme."

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