Carl Hayman: Francis should not feel pressure to play
This article is written by Progressive Rugby
Former All Black Carl Hayman has waded into the debate around Tomas Francis’ likely inclusion in the Welsh squad to face France in Cardiff on Friday.
Hayman, who earned 45 caps between 2001-07 and is considered by many the best tighthead prop to have played the game, revealed last November that at 41-years-old he had been diagnosed with early onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
“This isn’t really about how he is feeling right now it’s about the potential repercussions of playing years down the line,” Hayman said discussing the head injury Francis sustained in the first half of the Six Nations International between England and Wales at Twickenham on 26th February.
“Ultimately, it’s just one game of rugby but with the potential to affect the day-to-day health of someone for the rest of their life. At the end of the day their health has to come first.”
As fate would have it, Hayman found himself in the exact situation as Francis, having been knocked out in a sickening collision against Australia in 2006.
“It wasn’t pretty, I must have looked like a young foal which was trying to run but kept falling over. I sat out the next Saturday but was back against South Africa the following week.
“As a player I was eager to get back out there playing, but with hindsight and knowing the effects I suffer with now, I’d have adopted a different approach.
“Look, when you are in that environment you are striving to be the best you can be and that’s why decisions around your health have to be taken out of your hands.
“I’ve seen the clip and it’s quite clear that Francis has taken a significant blow to the head and is struggling to hold his feet.
“As a player he is going to want to play and I respect that, but if I had a message for him - it would be that he should never feel pressure from himself or anyone else to put his health at risk.
“Be mindful that a time will come when he will hang up his boots and there’s a long life to live following rugby and it’s certainly more difficult with a brain injury.”
The handling of the Twickenham incident brought fierce criticism from lobby group Progressive Rugby who said it was a ‘clear and flagrant breach of HIA protocol.’
The group said Francis should have been immediately and permanently removed following the collision under the World Rugby Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocol.
Instead, Francis undertook a HIA and returned to the field ‘that potentially puts both the short-term and long-term health of an elite athlete at risk.’
Key member Professor John Francis, a former WRU doctor, went on to warn that selecting Francis for the next game would be a ‘grave mistake.’
Once estimated to be the highest-paid player in rugby, following retirement Hayman suffered relentless headaches him which led to alcohol abuse and frequent suicidal thoughts.
He is the first former All Black to join a lawsuit being prepared on behalf of 150 former professional rugby players, nine of whom are claimants, including England’s World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, former Wales No8 Alix Popham.The landmark suit claims rugby’s governing bodies, including World Rugby, failed to protect players from the risks caused by concussions and sub-concussions, despite being armed with the knowledge and evidence to do so.