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Rugby World: Ex-All Blacks prop, 41, has dementia, two new Wallabies call ups, Eddie under fresh attack

2nd November, 2021
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2nd November, 2021
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Welcome to our weekly column Rugby World where we take a look at the stories making headlines in and outside Australia in the XV man game.

Hayman’s dementia verdict

Former All Blacks prop Carl Hayman has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the age of 41.

Hayman played 45 times for his country as well as for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and Newcastle Falcons in the English Premiership.

Hayman told The Bounce of his diagnosis and his struggles since retiring in 2015.

“I spent several years thinking I was going crazy,” Hayman said. “At one stage that’s genuinely what I thought. It was the constant headaches and all these things going on that I couldn’t understand.

“At the time I felt indestructible. I never got injured, I trained bloody hard… but if I knew then what I know now, I don’t think I would have played post the [2007] World Cup. I think I would have stopped playing.”

Hayman revealed the issues led him to abuse alcohol and he received a suspended prison sentence in France after admitting to charges of domestic violence.

Hayman said at first he didn’t want to be tested to determine damage to his brain over the course of his playing career.

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“I um’d and ah’d for about 12 months about whether I’d do anything about it and find out if something was wrong with me, or whether I would just get on with life and hope for the best,” he said.

“It would be pretty selfish of me to not speak up and talk about my experience when I could help a guy in New Zealand perhaps who doesn’t understand what’s happening to him and has no support network to lean on.”

Carl Hayman of the All Blacks poses during the New Zealand All Blacks Portrait Session at Jade Stadium August 8, 2007 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Ross Land/Getty Images (Photo by Ross Land/Getty Images)

Carl Hayman in 2007. (Photo by Ross Land/Getty Images)

Hayman’s diagnosis comes at a time when concussion and the long term effects of head injuries are under investigation by World Rugby, with new training procedures to be implemented including caps on the amount of contact training players are allowed to engage in.

Former World Cup-winning England and Lions hooker Steve Thompson and other retired players are engaged in a legal case against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union after being diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

Hayman has joined the legal action.

“I’ve even come across people who have been affected having just played school and university-level rugby, so it’s a conversation that needs to be happening with parents and teenagers at the very start,” he said.

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All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree expressed his sadness at Hayman’s situation during a media call on Wednesday.

“It’s really sad,” Plumtree said. “Carl is a 45-Test All Black and he’s done a lot for New Zealand rugby. It’s a real sad situation if he’s struggling with dementia at such an early age.

“We’ve got a lot of empathy for that. He’s been a popular person in this environment so it’s not nice to hear about those stories.”

Two more Wallabies call ups

Duncan Paia’aua and Colby Fainga’a are to join the Wallabies squad for the remainder of the Spring Tour.

Paia’aua, the first player to be selected in the Wallabies squad under the amended Giteau Law for 2021, went back to Toulon after not being used but the loss of Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Reece Hodge has seen a repreive for the 26-year-old.

“I’ve grown so much as a player since when I left,” Paia’aua said.

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“I’ve played with a lot of experienced players during my time at Toulon and I’ve just picked up how they prepare for games and their bodies every week for the games.

“My skill set has improved a lot also so hopefully I can get the chance to show that.”

Jones wins support from ex-assistant

The knives are out for England coach Eddie Jones, with media reports over his man management and training methods coming in waves ahead of their Autumn Series matches.

A disappointing Six Nations campaign has shone the spotlight on Jones.

The latest news from England, in the UK Telegraph, is that scrum half Harry Randall was injured during a paddle-board session in Jersey last week.

Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

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Jones has several injury worries ahead of the match against Tonga this week, including an issue with Marcus Smith, but Randall’s is said to be worrying to clubs.

“Telegraph Sport understands that Randall hurt himself in a paddle-boarding session, which was billed as a team-bonding exercise,” the newspaper reported.

“The 23 year-old was cleared by England’s medical team to train in a subsequent rugby session where he aggravated the injury further. This is the second time that Randall, who started the summer Tests against USA and Canada, has been forced into a long lay-off on England duty after injuring his ankle in the Six Nations.

“Bristol would not comment on Randall’s lay-off on Tuesday, but it is understood that Premiership clubs are concerned that another player has apparently been injured in a non-rugby exercise. Sam Jones, the former Wasps openside flanker, was forced to retire after sustaining an ankle injury during a judo session.”

Jones has played down the injury rate, saying: “It’s all part and parcel of preparing an international team.”

The latest dig at Jones comes after The Times ran a series hammering Jones’ man management methods.

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However, his former assistant Steve Borthwick has mounted a robust defence of Jones.

The Times had described Borthwick was described as a “punchbag” who had endured a “heroic feat of endurance” by working with Jones for more than four years.

They worked together at Saracens, Japan and England.

“I will be forever grateful to Eddie for the opportunities he’s given me and for the education in coaching and ongoing support,” Borthwick said.

“I know, whenever I have a question or I can’t find a solution to something, that I have someone I can always turn to and bounce ideas off.

“Not only does Eddie have the highest win rate of any England coach, I can’t see any other England coach having such a big impact on English coaching.

“When you get coached by someone of the quality of Eddie Jones, you are going to be a better player.

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“The opportunity these players have, to be coached by one of the best coaches in the world, ever, is tremendous.”

World Rugby looking at eligibility

Tonga are hopeful that a radical proposal to relax World Rugby’s eligibility laws comes into effect, boosting their chances of being competitive, with older players allowed to return ‘home’ near the end of their careers.

Tonga will play England on Saturday missing around 20 players because of travel restrictions. Many more Tongan players represent other nations.

Under World Rugby regulations, players cannot represent a nation after they have been capped by another.

World Rugby’s council is expected to vote on a proposal this month that would allow players to switch nations to one where they or their parents were born after a stand-down period of three years.

That would put players such as England’s Billy and Mako Vunipola and former All Black Charles Piutau in the Tongan frame.

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Back to the Blues
The Blues have recruited former Six Nations winning coach Joe Schmidt.

Schmidt previously held an assistant coaching role with the Blues from 2005-07 before taking Clermont Auvergne to a French Top 14 title, won two Heineken Cup titles with Leinster to and coached Ireland from 2013-19.

Since finishing with Ireland after the 2019 World Cup Schmidt has been World Rugby’s director of rugby and high performance.

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