Player welfare needs top priority - Hayman

CARL Hayman says rugby is in denial about player welfare and insists there must be improved education on head injuries.

- BEN JAYCOCK

The former New Zealand prop, who won 46 caps before retiring in 2015, is suffering from early onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Hayman is calling for a restructuring of the calendar to lessen the load on players whose bodies are unable to handle the relentless workloads.

“We’ve got to get out of this denial of what’s been happening,” Hayman told The Rugby Paper. “Around head injuries, education is a real big thing and some acceptance by the players would be good.

“Let’s look at the calendar and decide what’s a sensible amount of matches. Do we need bigger squads? Do we need to cut things out that don’t need to be there? Give guys a proper break. International players are on this 10 month treadmill and for some of them it’s even longer than that.

“Players shouldn’t have to ask around for support, if they are having issues cognitively they should have direct access to people that can help them.

“With the reluctance from the governing bodies to accept there’s an issue, there’s a dependence on a public health system which depending on what country you come from can be a difficult process to go through.