Steve Thompson, member of the 2003 World Cup gold medalist in English rugby, donated his brain to scientific research.
Thompson, who was diagnosed with early dementia by doctors last year at age 42, said he decided not to let the children of people he loved experience the same thing he did because of the research findings.
Steve Thompson on September 26, 2011.
Photo: Paul Ellis/AFP
In terms of his position, Thompson made his senior debut between 1998 and 2011, and played 73 appearances for the England national team between 2002 and 2011. A year ago he made a statement that raised quite a bit of dust saying: He has no specific memories or feelings about his career. Even from winning the 2003 World Cup, he could only recall vague moments, and made it clear that rugby was responsible for his deteriorating mental state.
Thompson was one of nine rugby players who eventually filed a class action lawsuit in December against the International Federation and other governing bodies in the sport, claiming that their decisions contributed to the early onset of dementia.
Thompson noted that while he trained twice a week early in his career, he trained every day after his full transition to professionalism, and with a tighter club and national schedule, this involved extra physical exertion, which included early illness and the possibility of his formation. In England, on the day of the 2003 World Cup final, matches were also held in the developing tournament, and a week later, in the next round, new World Cup gold medalists who had returned home from Australia already entered the field . (MTI)
