Former rugby player James Collins calls for changes in the sport

A former rugby player who was left with a brain disorder after suffering repeated head injuries is calling for changes within the sport.

James Collins, from Worcester, is one of hundreds of players suing the Rugby Football Union (RFU), World Rugby and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) over brain injuries.

The former Worcester Warrior, who suffers from hyperventilation syndrome, suffered six concussions between 2005 and 2011, forcing him to retire that year.

The three governing bodies stated that the well-being of the players was always their top priority.

More than 500 former players who claim the sport has exposed them to long-term brain diseases such as early-onset dementia, motor neurone disease and Parkinson’s disease are embroiled in a legal case against rugby authorities.

The plaintiffs the authorities claim have failed to take reasonable steps to protect their health and safety.

Mr Collins said he was “virtually housebound” and had suffered “massive visual problems” for a year after his last concussion.

“My last (concussion) I lost consciousness and was taken away in an ambulance. I spent the night in the hospital. Then I had a small brain hemorrhage,” he said.

“It was a year where I mostly stayed in my bedroom with the curtains closed and listened to audiobooks.”

He told BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester that his ordeal had left him with a number of health problems, including an overactive bladder and an overactive immune system.

Speaking after a new BBC documentary called Rugby on trial Mr Collins said he felt it was “clear” that “not enough has been done” over the past 20-30 years.

He said the documentary was “an eye-opener” and “difficult to watch” and that authorities needed to make “some changes in the game”.

“I find it very difficult to say what changes need to be made,” he explained.

“But it seems like changes are definitely needed to take care of the players.”

In a joint statement, World Rugby and the WRU said they “never stand still when it comes to player welfare at all levels of the sport” and that they “continually innovate and evolve to make rugby safer and more enjoyable to play.”

“While the ongoing legal process prevents us from making contact with the players involved in this program, we want them to know that we care, we are listening and that they remain valued members of the rugby family,” a spokesperson said.

“Current concussion protocols are based on the latest scientific evidence and independent, leading expert advice,” the statement said.

An RFU spokesman said: “The RFU’s paramount concern is and has always been the health and welfare of players at all levels of the game.

“The RFU completely rejects the totally misplaced and unfounded allegations made in the BBC programme.”