Alzheimer’s Society link key to helping former rugby players with dementia – RPA

The opening of a new referral pathway to the Alzheimer’s Society for former players diagnosed with dementia will be “critical”, according to the Rugby Players’ Association.

The Society announced on Friday that partnerships had been set up with the RPA, the Welsh RPA, the Professional Cricketers’ Association and the League Managers’ Association in football, providing those organisations with a permanent way of referring any past and present player or manager who has either been diagnosed with dementia or is caring for a loved one.

The intention is to make the process of getting dedicated dementia support as easy and swift as possible for current and ex-professionals.

Members will benefit from personalised advice and practical and emotional support from the Society’s frontline experts, to help them live well with the condition and better prepare for the future.

The RPA’s player welfare director Richard Bryan said the news regarding early-onset dementia diagnoses for a number of former professionals, including England’s 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, had prompted concerns from their peers and that significant changes had since been made to the RPA’s offering.

“We’re looking at four different areas – education, supporting former players, protecting current players and then looking at research as well,” he told the PA news agency.

“As part of that planning we were looking to see what was out there, what organisations are out there that we need to be partnering with, because I think what became apparent at that time, 18 months ago, was actually it wasn’t easy to find specific information for former sports men and women on the topic of dementia and the effects of head injuries.

“So it’s been about trying to find