Tom Rock

[Melanie Bramwell-Popham @melliebrampops]

Please share in the rugby community 🙏This independent research is so important to help us make positive change for brain health in sport.

@AlixPopham @Tommo33s @PlantedSam @Phil_Vickery @Scabs15 @tomrock84 @PaulPook

[John Mulcahy @mulcs85]

I've had no response to this from @worldrugby - not even a holding response - every week every board member of every union and every governance committee is putting players brains at risk unless they speak up - if you know one of them please cc this to them

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@Scienceofsport @mitomavirus @mulcs85 No thanks Ross, I’ll not engage in semantics. You have acknowledged previously the policy as written is no longer followed which is something that can’t be deflected from.

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@mitomavirus @mulcs85 @AndrewW93733842 @ProgressiveRug @AlixPopham @WorldRugby @H_S_E Yeah, I get that but even accepting some risk is unavoidable there is still a duty to mitigate that risk, which I assume the HIA process is designed to do, but they routinely ignore it! That wouldn’t wash in other sectors I don’t think

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@mulcs85 @AndrewW93733842 @mitomavirus @ProgressiveRug @AlixPopham @WorldRugby In a workplace the @H_S_E ensure proper procedures and mitigation is adhered to, is professional sport outside of this legislation? If a building contractor deviated from this and someone was exposed to risk they could be prosecuted, but this is happening weekly in pro sport? 🤔

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

So much of this resonates... it's not an acceptable price to pay for those impacted. How will history look back on the current stance of those who govern contact sport? @rfu @WorldRugby @WelshRugbyUnion @NRL @FA @TheRFL @AFL @ProgressiveRug @Head4Change @AlixPopham

[Melanie Bramwell-Popham @melliebrampops]

Carl Hayman on life with dementia: Success now is doing one job in a day
Carl is one of rugby’s greatest players, an amazing man and great friend. Knowing how he’s suffering breaks my heart

Carl deserves so much more from the game he dedicated his life to https://t.co/hy4uwFOUu3

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL @NRL @RFU @WorldRugby @FA @WelshRugbyUnion Thanks for engaging, think we all want both codes to thrive, even though we maybe disagree on what’s that’s worth and how we get there. Cheers

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL @NRL @RFU @WorldRugby @FA @WelshRugbyUnion but allowing it will literally kill people, so wherever society lands on this, let’s be clear the game in its current form will cause serious medical issues and premature deaths, mitigating that will require changes to the game. Which is preferable?

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL @NRL @RFU @WorldRugby @FA @WelshRugbyUnion So stay passionate and promote the game, union or league, but if you blame the lads who are dying, needing care or fucked in whatever way, then I can’t get behind you on that. Everyone has the right to make that informed choice under an honest, transparent governing body

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL @NRL @RFU @WorldRugby @FA @WelshRugbyUnion Thank you, I totally admire your passion for the game, I share it still, but there’s a genuine issue here, thousands of ex players are genuinely fucked, I’m scared I won’t see my kids grow up, that I’ll be a burden on my wife and kids, I’m struggling to work like I need to etc

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL @NRL @RFU @WorldRugby @FA @WelshRugbyUnion The irony is the denials of established science from those governing bodies make me less not more likely to encourage my kids to play

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL @NRL @RFU @WorldRugby @FA @WelshRugbyUnion Yeah I played, I’ve got issues now, I was diagnosed at 37, it’s pretty shit. Personal choice is not to encourage my kids to play at the young age they are. I think risk outweighs the rewards and no, personally, I wouldn’t play now knowing the consequences.

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL Yet the @NRL @RFU @WorldRugby @FA @WelshRugbyUnion and others still fail to acknowledge/reject the link, I think that is dangerous, and players should have an informed choice, and the game made safer where possible. That can’t be contentious?!

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@omgiant88 @LloydWilce @AndrewW93733842 @Nakabuleluwa @simon_davies2 @Rich_CoatesCTE @AlixPopham @centralNRL Could we agree that the risks should be fully studied and publicised so all players take on the risk willingly? Surely everyone has the right to step on the field knowing potential consequences (totally accepting it won’t effect everyone the same)

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@PhilbyB @AlixPopham @NRL @ProgressiveRug This is a disgrace but not a surprise. Disgraceful in terms of welfare of the individual, but messaging for all the kids and parents out there watching @NRL also awful, especially if they also have a “tough kid”… it’s inexplicable 🤬 🧠😔

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@AlixPopham Thank god it wasn’t serious 👀 I was worried when I read he’d been unconscious for over 5 minutes… just a “head knock” with “no structural damage” - nothing to see here, don’t know what all the fuss is about 👀🧠🤬

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@gallagherbren58 @Rich_CoatesCTE @9smiler @ProgressiveRug @AlixPopham @Tommo33s Hopefully sense prevails for the good of the game and all involved 👍

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@gallagherbren58 @Rich_CoatesCTE @9smiler The likes of @ProgressiveRug might argue we’re a long way from best practice? Some also might also argue that litigation and the stand made by the likes of @AlixPopham @Tommo33s was a key factor in governing bodies making any improvements

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@gallagherbren58 @Rich_CoatesCTE @9smiler Why does the court case impact wider best practice, it shouldn’t? You obviously know more about the case than I do, I wasn’t aware of that

[Tom Rock @tomrock84]

@gallagherbren58 @Rich_CoatesCTE @9smiler "A 2023 Boston University study found that 345 of 376 (approximately 91.7%) analyzed brains of former NFL players contained CTE" - is rugby similar? in which case the majority (at a pro level) maybe do have neuro deficit? Again, scary. Transparency about the risk is key