My shirt was soaked in blood - but I was told to get back on the rugby pitch

Former amateur rugby players with early onset dementia say they have been left with "no help and no hope".

Ex-soldier and police officer Ross Coombs, 43, who captained British Army and club teams in south Wales, has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) - a brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head.

Ross, who recalled being told to play on after a head injury "saturated" his shirt with blood, said medical and financial support was "non-existent".

The Welsh government said former players could access support through Memory Assessment Services and the Dementia Care Pathway, adding that dementia services should "be aware of CTE risk".

The British Army, Welsh Rugby Union and World Rugby have been asked to comment.

Warning: This article contains references to suicidal thoughts

Ross started playing rugby aged nine, before joining the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) at 16 where he was quickly asked to play for the regiment.

He went on to play rugby union and rugby league for the British Army and combined services and played club games at home on weekends.

He captained Merthyr and Newbridge before moving to other clubs, including Newport, Nelson, Blaenavon, Bargoed and Monmouth.

"At one point, between rugby league and rugby union, I was playing about 50 games a year," he said.

World Rugby guidelines now limit elite players to 30 full games a season, but there is no game-wide official guidance for amateur players.

Ross suffered arterial bleeds, lost teeth, multiple head injuries and concussions while playing and described being expected to play-on after being knocked unconscious.

"It was a bit of a macho era," he said.

"One of the worst ones I can remember, and I'm left with the scars - I fractured my eye socket, cheekbone, my jaw. After the impact I continued to run around like a headless chicken."

That injury left him with metal plates in his face.

He said medical treatment was sometimes limited to a wet sponge, known in rugby circles as "the magic sponge".

After one head collision he said his shirt "was saturated in blood", but described being told to "put some vaseline on that, change your shirt and get back on".

Now living with his diagnosis, he said he was frustrated that players were not "better protected".

"It is frustrating to think that this could have been prevented - allowing people to carry on and put themselves at such a risk."

In 2024, Ross was diagnosed with early onset dementia and CTE, a brain condition thought to be linked to repeated head injuries and blows to the head.

Symptoms of CTE can include mood and behaviour changes, memory loss and problems with movement. But formal diagnosis of the condition can only happen after a person has died.

"On the surface, you try and put a brave face on - but deep down inside you know you're not right," Ross said.

He said he experienced "suicidal thoughts, depression and memory loss" and could not remember the birth of his son.

"It dawned on me - I literally can't remember being in that room - I can't remember anything from his childhood," he said.

Ross's brother, former Wales international Andrew Coombs, 41, has been diagnosed with the same conditions.

"We don't know what's around the corner for us," said Ross.

World Rugby, the WRU and the RFU previously said that they "constantly strived to safeguard" future, current and former players.

There is growing concern among former amateur players about the scale of the potential issue.

"The kind of support and care - it's just non-existent, there's just none out there," Ross said.

Another ex-player, who the BBC has decided not to name for the sake of his family, represented Wales at age grade, including U21s, and played with the biggest names in the sport as a youth player.

He said he had contemplated taking his own life because he had been left with "no help and no hope".

Some former players feared not being able to pay the mortgage or support their families if they had to finish work early.

"There is no support, there is nothing at all - I've been to see two neurologists, neither neurologist had any in-depth knowledge of CTE," Ross said.

The Welsh government said it was not currently working to identify the prevalence of CTE among former players, and was "not aware" of other research. But it said it shared 'UK Concussion Guidance' with health boards, sports clubs and governing bodies in 2023.

"One of the things that's become very important to me is making sure my family are financially sound," said Ross, who is trying to access his army and police pensions early.

Like other former players, he is also trying to access a life insurance policy.

"I tried to make a claim on my critical illness life insurance policy - under the category for traumatic brain injury.

"[I] provided them with the scan, which clearly identifies areas of neurodegeneration within the brain."

But Ross said his claim was rejected because his medical report did not contain the phrase "death of brain tissue".

Ross' insurance provider, Legal and General, apologised for "any distress or frustration" caused during the claims process, and offered £450 compensation.

It said CTE was "not covered" by the policy, adding that "policy definitions for Traumatic Brain Injury and Dementia are not currently met from the medical evidence that has been shared to date".

"Further scans have been offered by the customer's medical team, and we have told him we can consider the claim further if the results of these are provided," a spokesperson added.

Ross is one of hundreds of former rugby players - including former Wales captain Ryan Jones and England World Cup winner Steve Thompson - taking legal action against rugby's governing bodies for head injuries they say they suffered while playing.

He believes the scale of the issue has not been recognised.

"I'm 100% certain there are a lot of people very similar to me, played at the same level - without the doctors - where it was very physical, with potential neurodegeneration and CTE," he said.

"There's got to be thousands of people in the same boat as I am."

Lesley Butcher, a dementia expert and senior lecturer at Cardiff University, said many patients had "concerns about how they're going to pay their mortgage, are they going to forget their children's names, their wife's face, are they going to be able to work again?"

Lesley, a registered nurse, said the prevalence of CTE "hasn't really been established because of the complex diagnostic criteria".

"We can't actually diagnose the condition until somebody's died, which isn't particularly helpful," she said.

"It's difficult because the first point of contact is the GP - I can't make a broad statement here - but there haven't really been studies to determine how much GPs are aware of CTE.

"The health service should be geared up to identify it."

She said this could lead to "tension" and "frustration" if former players tried to access health services, insurance claims or early pensions, because "there's no actual strict diagnostic criteria".

The Welsh government said: "There is no specific treatment for CTE, and a definitive diagnosis can only be made post-mortem. However, Memory Assessment Services (MAS) across Wales are working to identify dementia earlier by strengthening links with GPs and communities, promoting brain health, and supporting timely diagnosis. The Welsh Government expects dementia services to be aware of CTE risk where there is a history of head trauma".

It added: "Former players can currently access support through Memory Assessment Services and the existing Dementia Care Pathway", and said, "national work led by NHS Performance and Improvement includes delivering GP training to improve early detection of dementia".

The British Army, Welsh Rugby Union and World Rugby have been asked to comment.

World Rugby, the WRU and RFU said previously: "Acting on the latest science, evidence and independent expert guidance, we constantly strive to safeguard and support all our players - future, current, and former."

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, a list of organisations that can provide help and support is available via BBC Action Line.