The pillar of the XV of the Rose Joe Marler admitted Tuesday “to have been the ostrich” concerning the concussions of which he has been the victim during his career, confiding to have even forgotten that he had children following one of between them.
The testimony comes days after former Wales captain Ryan Jones revealed he was suffering from dementia praecox, possibly linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease caused by repetitive head shocks.
“It’s terrible for Ryan to learn this and to go through this ordeal,” said the 32-year-old international (83 caps) on TalkSport.
“Learning about this struck a chord with me because it’s been talked about a lot in rugby over the past few years with all the discoveries about concussions,” added Joe Marler. But, he said, “to be honest, I’ve always been like an ostrich because it all scares me.”
“I remember suffering a concussion a few seasons ago – I took a big hit trying to tackle Billy Vunipola. I was in a daze and the only thing I remember is finding myself in a room and seeing the physio enter, ”he said.
The trainer then asked the pillar if his wife and children were present in the stadium.
“I paused and broke down. I had no memory of having children and it really scared me,” he said.
A hundred former professional players, including former All Blacks and Toulon pillar Carl Hayman, former English world champion hooker Steve Thompson and Welshman Alix Popham, have launched legal proceedings against World Rugby, in order to claim compensation after diagnoses of neurological disorders.
For Joe Marler, if these contacts to the head are inherent in the practice of rugby, their serious repercussions on the health of the players can no longer be ignored.
“It’s true that I’ve tended to stay ostrich up to now, but the better it goes, the more things you learn, and the more diagnoses are made, so it’s really sad,” he said. he thinks.
The Harlequins mainstay has again admitted to playing despite suffering a concussion last season.