Rugby Players

[diego 1,833]

Summa Navaratnam was born in
Araly, Vaddukoddai, Jaffna and died aged 98, he was a Sri Lankan track and field athlete, rugby union player, coach and business executive. He was considered one of Sri Lanka's best sportsmen. He was considered Sri Lanka's oldest living athlete until his death, Navaratnam was affectionately called "the fastest man in Asia" after clocking a record of 10.04 seconds in the Indian States Olympic Meeting, held in Madras in 1953. was also part of the Ceylon rugby team which played in an unofficial match against the touring British Lions in 1950, where the British Lions defeated Sri Lanka 44–6 .He was just one of three local Sri Lankan natives, along with Leslie Ephraims and Clair Roeloffsz, to be selected to play for the Ceylon rugby team, which was also nicknamed the "all-white" Sri Lankan team. He was also captain of the Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club and under his captaincy CR & FC won the Clifford Cup in 1954. He was elected president of the Ceylon Rugby Football Union in 1972 and was also re-elected president of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union in 1974, he He also coached the national rugby team

https://www.dailymirror.lk/worldnews/breaking-news/Rugby-legend-Navaratnam-dies-aged-98/108-269538

[The Old Crem 3,180]

4 hours ago, Gisooo said:

 

Guy Camberabero (Wiki) dead at 87

Crossposting here in the appropriate thread for him. 

[The Old Crem 3,180]

Ajith Abeyratne, Sri Lankan player administrator, commentator and coach.has died aged 75. Obit

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Alain Estève, French Union player caped 20 times for his country has died aged 77. Obit (In French). 

[Sly Ronnie 617]

Briefly saw Rob Burrow on BBC Breakfast this morning.

 

If I was a betting I would say it would be long odds on him making 2025.

[The Old Crem 3,180]

Aloisio Butonidualevu, Fijian rugby union player capped three times for his country has died aged 40. Obit (In French). 

[The Old Crem 3,180]

On 08/11/2023 at 00:41, The Old Crem said:

Alain Estève, French Union player caped 20 times for his country has died aged 77. Obit (In French). 

Gets a Telegraph Obit. It seems his cancer battle was not known - if had been I imagine he would have been on some pools.
 

[The Old Crem 3,180]

Norman Munnoch, Scottish Rugby Union player has died aged 94. Obit

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Bob Bugden Australian professional rugby league player has died aged 87. Obit

[DCI Frank Burnside 2,694]

Hannes Styrdom Wiki becomes the Fifth member of the 95 Springbok World Cup winning squad to die

[The Old Crem 3,180]

1 minute ago, DCI Frank Burnside said:

Hannes Styrdom Wiki becomes the Fifth member of the 95 Springbok World Cup winning squad to die

That squad are dropping like flies. All five started the final so a third are gone in 28 years.

[The Old Crem 3,180]

57 minutes ago, DCI Frank Burnside said:

Hannes Styrdom Wiki becomes the Fifth member of the 95 Springbok World Cup winning squad to die

BBC

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Paul Sait, Australian rugby league footballer and coach has died aged 76. Played at the 1970 and 1972 Rugby League World Cup. Obit

[The Old Crem 3,180]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2023/12/01/phil-vickery-mark-regan-gavin-henson-concussion-lawsuit/
 

‘Phil Vickery, Mark Regan and Gavin Henson join concussion lawsuit against World Rugby

212 players are taking legal action against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union

 

England World Cup winners Phil Vickery and Mark Regan, and former Wales star Gavin Henson, have been revealed as claimants as part of the concussion lawsuit against rugby authorities.

Steve Thompson, another World Cup winner with England in 2003, was already a central figure in the proposed Group Litigation Order that Rylands Garth are bringing against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union. Following a case management hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Friday morning, Rylands Garth released the names of 212 players involved in the case.

This included former Wales and Lions star Colin Charvis as well as Sean Lamont, who won more than 100 caps for Scotland, and former England second row Mouritz Botha who played alongside many of the current England team.

 

In a statement following the case management hearing, which was adjourned until April 2024, World Rugby said: “Whilst today’s case management hearing was necessarily about legal process, we must not forget about the people and players at the heart of this case. Legal action prevents us reaching out to support the players involved, many of whom are named publicly for the first time today. But we want them to know that we care deeply about their struggles, that we are listening and that they are members of the rugby family. The court’s ruling for the second time that the claimants’ solicitors must provide information previously asked for is a positive step.”

“Player welfare is rugby’s top priority, and will continue to be our top priority. Rugby is committed to leading the welfare agenda in sport, driven by evolving science and research to protect and support players at all levels.”

More to follow...‘

It’s not yet known if those named have dementia or another neurological condition - Sky say the lawsuit includes suffers of ‘ motor neurone disease, early onset dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.’. 

I note Phil Vickery was on GB News only a month ago giving an interview 

 

[DCI Frank Burnside 2,694]

Surprised they could tell with Henson..... 

[The Old Crem 3,180]

‘Other Welsh internationals include Morgan Stoddart, Dafydd James, Darren Morris, Ceri Jones, Rhys Gill, Ian Gough, Andrew Coombs and Emyr Lewis.’

 

Welsh online names others. 
The Telegraph have  now published  the full list. Lots of sad cases. A few are represented by a litigation friend which to me feels like they not well enough to formally give consent. Those are some of the more non known names of Martin Livesey, James Batterham, Alan Godson, Nicolas Riou but also seemingly Trefor Evans.

 

Could be quite a few DDP hits in the years to come. 

[The Old Crem 3,180]

‘Phil Vickery and Gavin Henson are among 295 former players taking legal action against World Rugby, the RFU and WRU, it can be revealed. The former British & Irish Lions duo feature in a list of 207 names released on Friday evening after the partial lifting of an anonymity order at a High Court hearing.

 

Three of England’s 2003 World Cup-winning squad — Vickery, Mark Regan and Steve Thompson — are among those suing the sport for negligence after being diagnosed with neurological issues.

 

There is a cast of former Lions involved in the lawsuit, including Colin Charvis and Ryan Jones, two former Wales captains, Dafydd James and Harry Ellis, the former Leicester Tigers and England scrum half.

 

Duncan Bell, Mouritz Botha, Chris Jones, and Michael Lipman, who all played Test rugby for England, are involved in the litigation. Alix Popham, who was one of the original players to reveal his diagnosis, is among a number of former Wales players, including Hal Luscombe, Lou Reed and Andrew Coombs.

 

Sean Lamont and Kieran Low, who both played for Scotland, are involved in the lawsuit along with Carl Hayman, the former New Zealand prop, and Jamie Cudmore, who played for Canada and Clermont Auvergne.

‘The youngest former professional player on the list is Theo Brophy-Clews, the ex-London Irish and England Under 20 fly half, who is only 26. Brophy-Clews retired two years ago because of concussion. The youngest person on the list is a former amateur player called Joseph Cook, who is 22. ‘

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/phil-vickery-and-gavin-henson-part-of-legal-action-over-brain-damage-qchrll8gv

[Thatcher 2,124]

On 01/12/2023 at 17:51, The Old Crem said:

‘Other Welsh internationals include Morgan Stoddart, Dafydd James, Darren Morris, Ceri Jones, Rhys Gill, Ian Gough, Andrew Coombs and Emyr Lewis.’

 

Welsh online names others. 
The Telegraph have  now published  the full list. Lots of sad cases. A few are represented by a litigation friend which to me feels like they not well enough to formally give consent. Those are some of the more non known names of Martin Livesey, James Batterham, Alan Godson, Nicolas Riou but also seemingly Trefor Evans.

 

Could be quite a few DDP hits in the years to come. 

Just a note on Andrew Coombs - he confirms dementia and CTE, with his diagnosis 8 months ago and symptoms for 4 years.

[The Old Crem 3,180]

2 minutes ago, Thatcher said:

Just a note on Andrew Coombs - he confirms dementia and CTE, with his diagnosis 8 months ago and symptoms for 4 years.

Very sad news. He is only 39. 
 

 

Hard to see how Rugby will even be legal ij 15 years times. It seems way more dangerous than even boxing is. 

[Lafaucheuse 3,659]

28 minutes ago, Thatcher said:

Just a note on Andrew Coombs - he confirms dementia and CTE, with his diagnosis 8 months ago and symptoms for 4 years.

anyone know the life expectancy for such an illness as such a young age ?

[The Old Crem 3,180]

3 minutes ago, Lafaucheuse said:

anyone know the life expectancy for such an illness as such a young age ?

Hard to tell as all cases are very different. Steve Thompson has been diagnosed three years and is still active and able to give interviews etc. 

[The Old Crem 3,180]

13 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Syd Millar QO: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67677645

Crossposting here.

[DCI Frank Burnside 2,694]

Willie John McBride paying tribute to Syd Miller

 

Looks and sounds ok (bar being a bit emotional).  Turns 84 next year 

[diego 1,833]

Des White died aged 96 and was a professional New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. A record-setting defender for goal-kicks, he was named one of the country's best players of the 20th century. His total points scored in all matches (61) for the Kiwis is a record 467 (7 tries and 233 goals). He won championships with Auckland club Ponsonby and his total of 794 points (391 goals and four tries) is the club's all-time record. In 2007, White was named halfback in the 1907 New Zealand Rugby League Team of the Century. to 2007.

In 1961 he was coach of his country's rugby team.

Now New Zealand do not have a living coach from a season before 1983, that coach is Graham Lowe, who coached New Zealand between 1983 and 1986 (born 2 October 1946)

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/des-white-kiwis-rugby-league-legend-passes-away/BIJVKAPQDNE45BFCRRWSJNMV74/

[Thatcher 2,124]

Brian Price, former Welsh international and Captain, has died aged 86. He played for Wales from 1961-69, gaining Triple Crown wins in 1965 and 1969. He also played for the British and Irish Lions in the 1966 Tour of Australia and New Zealand.

 

Obituaries: BBC