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Ryan Jones Ex Wales Captain diagnosed with dementia aged 41, shocking news.
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
Poor guy
Elderly folks who get it have at least had a long life
Really sad news for himComment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
****ing hell, so young. Incredibly sad.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
Awful newsComment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
Hopefully it's a slow progression and he has many more years with his family.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
Poor chap.
41 is no age for that sort of diagnosis.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
That's dreadful.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
I might be wrong but I seem to remember him being one of the first Welsh players to wear protective head cap.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
Awful news for someone so youngComment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
When I heard the news this was the first thing I thought ofOriginally posted by Whisperer View Post
Awful diagnosis for the kid, and let's be honest, forty one years old is a kid.
The rules in the game of Rugby Union in the modern era with these huge oversized players in every position has to change.
Legend of the game no question, wishing Ryan and his family all the best for the future.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
That’s very sad. Something needs to change because players shouldn’t be suffering like this at such a young ageComment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
41 is very young to be diagnosed. It's very sad indeed. I think there was a NZ player the same age diagnosed last year.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
No, I'm pretty sure you're right.Originally posted by Whisperer View Post
This is shocking news. Ryan Jones came over as bright, likeable and a natural leader.
One of the things which put me off rugby after it went fully professional was when, around twenty years ago, I began to notice commentators and pundits almost getting more excited about "big hits" than they would do about tries being scored.
Rugby used to be a sport where you looked to avoid contact and it was a game played to a very high standard by, skilful, smaller men, but with human beings getting bigger because of natural progression, a move towards much bigger backs and the switch to a more power based game where contact is encouraged, it's a different game to what it was and so there are no precedents from the game decades ago about the extent to which we can expect modern day players and those not retired that long ago to not suffer the fate of Ryan Jones and a few others.
Look at all of the modern day players with concussion issues. Rugby is more aware of its inherent dangers than it once was, but it still has an awful long way to go - my best wishes to Ryan Jones and his family, sadly I don't think he'll be the last prominent rugby player from the fairly recent past to receive such devastating news so early in his life.Comment
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Re: Ryan Jones Dementia
The game has fundamentally changed with an emphasis on size , power and overall physicality.
Concussion was always in the game but now with the glorification of huge hits more and more players , at all levels, are being exposed to this and then, by default, more serious medical conditions.
The AB’s v Ireland series highlighted the issues at stake with at least two players looking in serious trouble yet being cleared to play in the next game.
The game needs to change not only for player welfare but to simply continue to attract young talent.
Best wishes go to Ryan Jones who was a fine player and a decent man off the field even if he did cause me quite a lot of disappointment result wise.Comment
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