Former Wales captain issues emotional plea for greater care in rugby

Amelia Jones

A former Wales rugby captain has called for greater care and support for players in a new BBC documentary.

Ryan Jones has said he wants rugby to become safer as the former Wales captain opens up about his battle with early onset dementia in a new documentary.

Jones, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), said he wants his experience to help prevent future generations of players from facing the same uncertainty.

In the BBC documentary Ryan Jones: Unbreakable, Jones said he was sharing his story in the hope that players can get more support.

He said: “My biggest hope is that there is something provided – care for people like me, players like me in the future and our families to go and get the support we do or might need.”

The former British and Irish Lion also called for greater openness around player welfare at all levels of the sport.

He added: “I want to normalise conversations so boys and girls, men and women in rugby clubs can look after each other.

“We can talk about when they’re not feeling well and we look after them, not put them at risk.”

Jones retired in 2015 after a decorated career with Wales, which saw him win multiple Grand Slams, captain his country and represent the British & Irish Lions.

His history of head injuries stretches back to his playing days. In 2009, Jones was called up to the Lions’ tour of South Africa as a replacement for Stephen Ferris, but within days of arriving he was ruled out by the Lions medical team because of head injuries sustained during a previous Wales Test.

That history has since become part of a wider conversation around player welfare, with Jones now among hundreds of former players involved in legal action against World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Rugby Football Union.

Despite the impact the sport has had on his health he said he still has a deep love for rugby, but he added: “Our game won’t ever be safe but it can be safer.”

Dementia diagnosis

Jones’ diagnosis came after years of struggling with his mental health and noticing changes in himself following his retirement. He said he had visited doctors and been treated for depression and anxiety before recognising that there could be something more behind his symptoms.

His eventual diagnosis came during the Covid pandemic, when a neurologist told him his prognosis could mean his life would look “significantly different” within five years or potentially 25 years.

In the interview with the Sunday Times in 2022, he said specialists had told him he was one of the worst cases of probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) they had seen.

The documentary also shows Jones reflecting on his playing career and the memories he has lost. Looking through old Wales jerseys kept by his father, he admitted that he could no longer remember everything he had achieved on the pitch.

He said: “I’d be lying if I sat here and said I remember all of it. I wish I could.”

Focus on family 

Despite the uncertainty, Jones said he is determined to focus on his family and make the most of his life.

He said: “I spend more time now looking for the joy in things and the simple things.

“I understand the value of the outdoors. I love adventure.”

His comments come as Jones remains involved in ongoing legal action alongside hundreds of former rugby players against World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Rugby Football Union over allegations they failed to adequately protect players from the effects of repeated head impacts.

In response to the documentary World Rugby and the WRU released a joint statement, which said: “Our thoughts are with Ryan and any other player who is suffering. Many of the points raised here are the subject of an ongoing legal case, so we are unable to address them directly.

“However, we would want Ryan and others to know that we listen, we care and player welfare is at the heart of everything we do.”

You can watch the documentary on BBC iPlayer.

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