WRU launches brain health scheme for ex-players

James King and Alun Wyn Jones tackling Ken Owens in October 2017 during a Welsh derby between Ospreys and Scarlets

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), the Welsh Rugby Players' Association (WRPA) and World Rugby have launched a scheme to support former elite players in Wales and help detect whether they have suffered brain injuries during their careers.

The initiative, called the Brain Health Service, was unveiled at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, with former Wales captain Ken Owens the first male player to take the new tests.

The scheme comes against the backdrop of 390 rugby union players suing the game's authorities over head injuries.

The claims against the Rugby Football Union (RFU), WRU, and World Rugby are from players who say they sustained brain damage playing the sport and that rugby union's governing bodies failed to put in place reasonable measures to protect their health and safety.

Any trial will not take place until 2025 at the earliest.

How will the new scheme work?

The WRU is the third governing body to launch such an initiative, which is available free of charge, and follows services in Ireland and Australia.

It assesses players for any brain health warning signs, provides advice on managing risk factors and will identify anyone in need of specialist care.

Participants are required to fill out an initial questionnaire before proceeding to an online consultation with a brain health practitioner.

Any player displaying signs of poor brain health will be referred to a specialist for further, in-person tests via their family doctor.

Players who do not display any warning signs are supported with up-to-date advice on keeping their brain health in check.

They will also be advised of the WRPA's intention to introduce a membership category for former players, which will include mental wellbeing support, personal development initiatives, career guidance and community engagement opportunities.

The scheme is funded by World Rugby with the WRU providing ongoing costs and staff required to support the administration of the service.

Who is eligible?

The WRU says eligibility criteria have been set with advice from world-leading independent brain health experts.

The service will initially be made available to any retired player, male or female, who has played 15s or 7s rugby for Wales.

It is also available to any player who has played senior professional rugby for a team in Wales after August 1995 or any player playing at an elite level for a team in Wales prior to August 1995.

The rugby authorities hope this will be rolled out to current players in the next couple of years.

The scheme sits alongside the use of technology for current elite players such as smart mouthguards and trials of a lower tackle height in community rugby across Wales and around the world.

'Player welfare is paramount'

World Rugby chief medical officer Prof Eanna Falvey, former Wales captain Ken Owens, WRU medical services manager Prav Mathema and WRPA player welfare and membership manager James King

"Player welfare is crucial and it is important to us to be able to provide a wide-reaching, accessible service with expert guidance so that players have access to the resources they need for a healthy and fulfilling life beyond rugby," said WRU medical services manager Prav Mathema.

"We feel this service demonstrates our continued commitment to supporting those who have played the game at an elite level in Wales and their continued wellbeing, beyond their playing days."

Those players seeking damages are claiming governing bodies failed to put in place reasonable measures to protect health and safety and have alleged negligence led to long-term neurological complications.

World Rugby, the RFU and WRU are contesting the claims and have questioned the way lawyers at the centre of the case have pursued it.

World Rugby chief medical officer, Professor Eanna Falvey, says "player welfare is the organisation's number one priority and that applies equally to current and former players".

"In providing this service, we are demonstrating our sport leads the world in looking after our players at all levels of the game," said Falvey.

"We will never stand still when it comes to ensuring rugby is a game that can be enjoyed by everyone at every level of the sport."

Any eligible former Welsh players interested in the new Brain Health Service scheme can register by emailing [e-mail]