Rugby union and dementia: is the sport facing a crisis? – video explainer

Steve Thompson, who won the Rugby World Cup with England in 2003, former Wales back-rower Alix Popham and nine other former internationals – all under the age of 43 – have launched what could be a landmark legal action after being diagnosed with early onset dementia. At the last count, in 2014, there were 1,339 people in the UK from their age demographic who had been diagnosed with the condition – or 0.01% of the 13 million in that age group, or one in every 9,500 - presenting a sobering contrast with these latest cases from the sport.The players are now proposing to bring legal proceedin…