England rugby international Joe Marler revealed one concussion led him to temporarily forget he had children as he shared his fears surrounding dementia within the sport.
The rugby world was rattled recently when ex-Wales captain Ryan Jones revealed he had been diagnosed with early onset dementia. Jones was told he had a severe case of probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in December 2021.
The 41-year-old has joined a legal action, led by figures including England World Cup winner Steve Thompson and former Wales international Alix Popham, against rugby union's governing bodies. Marler labelled Jones’ diagnosis as ‘awful’.
Marler is a notable figure in British rugby after he made 83 appearances for England, although he admitted he’s been in denial about the serious nature of head injuries in the sport during his career. Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, the Harlequins star said: “It’s kind of struck a chord with me because it’s been quite well spoken about in rugby over the last few years with all of the discoveries that they’ve had with concussions and the relation to it all.
“I’ve just buried my head in the sand, to be honest because it scares me. I remember getting knocked out a couple of seasons ago – a big, big blow when I was trying to tackle Billy Vunipola.
“I was out cold and the next thing I remember was being in the physio room and the kit man came in. He was like, ‘alright mate, is your wife here?’, ‘Yeah she is’. He said, ‘what about the kids?’, I went ‘pardon?, and he said ‘has she brought the kids?’
“I just paused and broke down and I had no recollection of having kids and it just really scared the life out of me. It all came back together and it happens. Those concussions happen in rugby, it’s a contact sport.
“Since those moments I just ignore it and bury my head in the sand, but the more it comes out and the more apparent it becomes in the sport, the more boys are getting diagnosed with this stuff, it’s sad.”
Marler, a three-time Six Nations winner, believes improvements are being made to the game but called for more education on the subject. He wants to ensure players know all the risks associated with the sport before they turn professional.
The 32-year-old prop admitted his life outside and away from the sport is helping to change his attitude when it comes to head injuries. He is aware of how his mental health affects those around him, including his family.
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“It happened this season, actually. I got a concussion and I did what I used to do which was to just crack on,” Marler added. “Shake it off a bit, take a breather and then crack on.
“I remember telling Daisy, my wife, a week after and said I was struggling this week and the look I got from her, she was like ‘no, I’m not having it any more. If you get a head knock, you follow the right protocols and you tell someone because it’s not about you anymore’.
“She said, ‘do you want to be here for the kids, or not? Do you want to be here for me, or not?’
“They’re definitely things that I think about a little bit more.”
