A bunch of former soccer, rugby league and rugby union gamers who’re taking authorized motion claiming they suffered mind accidents enjoying their respective sports activities has grown to 378.

The new claimants embody 100 former rugby league gamers, 40 ex-rugby union gamers and 14 former footballers.

Lawyers are attributable to file the claims on the High Court on Tuesday.

More than 200 ex-rugby gamers started motion final yr and authorized specialists stated the claims could exceed £300m.

The claimants allege the video games’ governing our bodies have been negligent in failing to take cheap motion to guard gamers from everlasting damage brought on by repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows.

“There is remarkable consistency of symptoms across all these contact sports and it’s very grim,” stated Richard Boardman of sports activities authorized agency Rylands Garth, which is appearing for all of the claimants.

“Everybody, the lawyers included in this matter, are all fans of these sports our main priority is looking after our guys and female payers as well with brain damage and they need urgent clinical support and damages for themselves and their families.

“We in the end need these sports activities to outlive properly into the long run, however clearly pressing, speedy modifications are wanted.”

Former rugby union stars involved in the claim include former British and Irish Lion and Wales captain Ryan Jones, England international and World Cup winner Steve Thompson and former Wales international Alix Popham.

Wales Rugby Union, the Rugby Football Union and World Rugby – the game’s governing body – said they continue to await the full details of the claims being made against them.

They added in a joint assertion: “We care deeply about each member of the rugby household and have been saddened by the courageous private accounts of Dafydd and different former gamers who’re battling well being points.

“Whilst legal claims prevent us from speaking to Dafydd directly, we would want him and his family to know that we care, we listen, and we never stand still when it comes to further cementing rugby as the most progressive sport on athlete welfare.

“Acting on the most recent science, proof and unbiased knowledgeable steerage, we continually attempt to safeguard and assist all our gamers – future, present, and former. Rugby is a pacesetter within the prevention, administration and identification of head impacts and World Rugby additionally proactively funds transformational analysis, embraces innovation and explores expertise that may make the game as accessible, inclusive and protected as attainable for all contributors.”

Colin Gibson remembers lifting the European Cup with Aston Villa in 1982.

Time may have eroded some of the clarity, but the emotion of the victory over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam 41 years ago remains.

“I keep in mind all the enjoyment”, said the 62-year-old, who was a substitute that day.

“I’m a little bit of a winner, I beloved to win and even when we performed badly and gained it, I used to be rather a lot happier than if we performed brilliantly and misplaced. It was all about profitable and it was a improbable expertise. I’d do it once more in a heartbeat.”

Gibson also remembers his goal for Manchester United against Liverpool in 1986 when Bruce Grobbelaar spilled his initial shot at The Kop end. Similarly, he recalls the screamer of a free kick he scored later that same season in the Manchester derby.

But now Gibson will sometimes go out in the car and be back home five minutes later having forgotten why he left the house.

And as trivial as that sounds, it’s a symptom of something more.

“That was taking place increasingly and I assumed this was a bit unusual, we have to do one thing about it,” said GIbson’s wife Kim.

“I most likely nagged him a bit an excessive amount of, however I stated let’s simply go and test, possibly nothing, nevertheless it could possibly be one thing.”

It was something. In 2019 Colin was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.

“Obviously it impacts me, do not get me incorrect, nevertheless it impacts the youngsters, you are undecided if they are saying one thing you are going to keep in mind it,” he stated.

“If they are going to convey the grandkids spherical, do I keep in mind they have been bringing the grandkids spherical? Things like that, it is extra of an issue to the individuals that you simply love round you.”

Gibson, who also played for Leicester City and Walsall, is one of 15 former footballers now pursuing legal action against the game’s governing bodies for negligence.

As for the governing bodies. they are still working out how best to deal with concussion.

A study into reducing the risk of dementia in former footballers, funded by the FA and world governing body Fifa, was launched last year.

Last month the Premier League stated it was “dissatisfied” that a trial of temporary concussion substitutes has been rejected by football’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

“The sport in the present day has received some huge cash in it and that cash is there for the gamers due to us and the blokes who performed 40 years earlier than us and 40 years earlier than them,” stated Gibson.

“Use the analysis that’s being discovered by my situation, different individuals’s circumstances and use that for their very own profit to enhance and make the sport safer.”

On why he has joined the claim, he explained: “We’re placing our names right down to say ‘is there any well being and security that the FA ought to have achieved’?

“If you look at most occupations and somebody has smacked their head and got 11 stitches down their head, they’d send you home, put you to hospital.

“They would not sew you again up and throw you again on the pitch.

“So there comes a point where there may well have been a problem with that and that’s something, everybody has got to look at this and look at it properly.

“Nobody goes to remove that there is not an issue, as a result of there’s.”

The Football Association has been approached by the BBC for comment.

Nick Fozzard was a tough guy in a tough sport.

“I as soon as broke my cheekbone, tore my eye ligaments, received concussed,” he said. “I solely discovered I’d achieved all that injury a couple of weeks later. I missed one sport.”

At 6ft 3in and nearly 17 stones, the former prop forward admits it was the “brutality” of rugby league that attracted him to it.

“The subject is not getting harm, you are going to get harm enjoying rugby league however once you get harm you might want to be mounted afterwards as finest you might be and the programs should be put in there.”

Fozzard had a distinguished Super League career notably for Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens, winning one Great Britain cap.

It is why he’s one of 100 former rugby league players who are filing legal claims against the sport’s governing body in the UK, the Rugby Football League (RFL).

“I used to be by no means informed of any dangers. No one stated ‘pay attention this can be a actually tough, robust sport, these are the dangers, that is what might occur to you if you happen to play it after which you recognize what the rating is’.

“But I didn’t know the score. I didn’t know I was going to forget everybody’s names of friends and it would change my personality.”

The Rugby Football League says it offers assist to former skilled gamers by its charity associate RL Cares.

It added: “The RFL takes player safety and welfare extremely seriously, and it has been desperately sad to hear of any players’ difficulties.

“Rugby league is a contact sport and, whereas there is a component of danger to enjoying any sport, participant welfare is at all times of paramount significance.

“As a result of scientific knowledge, the sport of rugby league continues to improve and develop its approach to concussion, head injury assessment, education, management and prevention across the whole game.

“We will proceed to make use of medical proof and analysis to bolster and improve our strategy.”

“You do get a bit scared,” stated Fozzard.

“My fiancé is scared, how lengthy has she received me for and regardless that I’m right here, how lengthy am I going to be me for? Traumatic mind accidents, dementia and CTE, it is a very critical and worrying factor that nobody is aware of the extent of how rapidly your regression shall be.

“I’m pretty lucky with the support that I’ve got but not everybody has got that support system.”