A leading campaign group has warned rugby stars should start missing games in order to protect them from 'brutal' long-term brain injuries.
Their message was delivered following the news that former Wales Grand Slam winning captain and Lions star Ryan Jones has early-onset dementia,.
Jones, aged 41 and capped 75 times by Wales, revealed he had received the diagnosis of probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in December last year.
READ MORE: Ryan Jones reveals he has dementia at 41
He is the latest in a number of high-profile former players to be diagnosed with the disease and now Progressive Rugby - a non-profit rugby union lobby group - has called for action.
It said in a strongly-worded statement: "Ryan Jones is the latest high-profile player to reveal this devastating diagnosis, but sadly he won't be the last.
"We commend Ryan's bravery for speaking out on behalf of the numerous other players in the professional and amateur game who are still coming to terms with the brutal impact brain injury is having on them.
"The focus must now be on learning the lessons and ensuring that current and future players are protected from the same debilitating fate.
"It is time for everybody involved in the game to prioritise individual player welfare. If that means protocols erring on the side of caution and players being rested and missing games, it is a small price to pay to try and protect its participants.
"We can, and must, make the game of rugby union as safe as possible so that future generations aren't deprived of all the wonderful things it can offer."
In an emotional interview with the Sunday Times, Jones revealed he fears for his future. He said: "I feel like my world is falling apart.
"I am a product of an environment that is about process and human performance. I can't train harder, I can't play the referee, I don't know what the rules of the game are any more."
After being diagnosed with depression Jones, who retired in 2015, said he began to have short-term memory problems and was becoming forgetful.
"It terrifies me because I don't know if, in two years' time, we're sat here and these episodes are a week long, two weeks long or permanent," said Jones, who resigned from his post as performance director at the Welsh Rugby Union in October 2020.
"That's the fear, that's the bit that never leaves. That's the bit I can't shake off."
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