sport news England World Cup hero Steve Thompson slams rugby bosses for 'flogging players ... trends now

England legend Steve Thompson has accused rugby administrators of 'flogging players until they fall apart' as he called for the government to act on promises to address the sport's concussion crisis.

The former hooker, a 2003 Rugby World Cup winner, sent shockwave through the rugby world three years ago when he revealed he had been diagnosed with early onset dementia.

In 2022, the ex-Northampton stalwart revealed he no longer remembered winning the World Cup with England, nor the name of his wife and children. 

Since Thompson's diagnosis, the impact of CTE - a neurogenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head - and neurological diseases on players in retirement has been one of the sport’s biggest talking points. 

And Thompson warned several of the current players faced a similar plight unless action was taken.

'It [rugby] is not gonna be a safe sport,' the former England international told ITV's Good Morning Britain on Wednesday when asked whether rugby would ever be a safe sport.

'But when it comes to the CTE aspect of it and the repetitive head injuries, they are coming from the training as well.'

World Rugby and the national unions have repeatedly insisted players welfare was their priority, but Thompson dismissed the claims as lip service.

He warned the introduction of a new World Club Cup will stretch an already congested calendar to breaking point.

'They say that looking after the players is their number one priority, but they are just about putting another world tournament [together] for clubs,' he said.

'Players are going to be playing all year round, they are going to be training all year round and that's where it [the damage] happens.'

As Mail Sport reported last week, the inaugural edition of the Club World Cup is slated to take place in June 2028.