Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Monday, August 15.
Hughes insists 'World Rugby need to wake up'
Former Dragons star Adam Hughes has hit back at comments made by World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin around the treatment of head injuries within the game, and insists legal proceedings brought against the game's top brass have been made to protect the long-term future of the game.
Hughes is one of nearly 200 former players to take legal action against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union, and the Welsh Rugby Union, having been advised by medical professionals he is likely on the same trajectory as past stars like Alix Popham, Michael Lipman, and Steve Thompson, who all have traumatic brain injury, early-onset dementia and probable CTE.
In an interview with the London-based press World Rugby chief executive Gilpin hit out at the perceived targeted use of the media to recruit new complainants, adding that those affected should engage with the governing body rather than take legal action.
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But Hughes insists such actions are in the best interests of the game.
“We aren’t a bunch of guys who want the game to disappear,” the 32-year-old told Telegraph Sport. “We all love rugby and very much enjoy watching it. There’s certainly no vendetta here at all.
“I honestly feel the game is at a crossroads and rugby really needs to take the right turn. What these ex-players are doing is carving a future for the game.
“With more former players getting diagnosed with horrible conditions like early onset dementia parents are going to keep their children away from the game. This is something World Rugby needs to wake up to because that would really cripple the game.
“I’ve played at professional level and refereed it at grassroots level. I’ve seen the rot and the issue with participation at lower levels with first team and second team rugby.
“Hopefully with all this media attention surrounding the long-term health risks of concussion and head knocks World Rugby will start to make meaningful changes but as it stands, they haven’t done this.”
Eddie Jones branded a 'dictator'
Luther Burrell is the latest former England player to come out and pan Eddie Jones in the wake of his comments surrounding private schools.
Jones' view is that those who attend the schools - like many of his current squad - do not face much hardship and therefore do not develop leadership skills. His comments drew fire from all quarters, including former England fly-half Danny Cipriani.
Now Burrell has joined the chorus of critics, saying Jones is a 'dictator' who his staff are scared of and that he should look at himself.
Writing in a column for Mail Sport: “It’s a dictatorship. That is how I felt when I was part of Eddie’s set-up. That sort of environment doesn’t allow the players within it to grow and make wrong decisions, which is crucial.
“No one wants to make a wrong decision, but rugby is never going to be a smooth process. The ability to make mistakes, learn from them and then correct them the next time around is crucial to the growth and development of both a player and the team as a whole.
“I’m not sure England’s players feel they can do that. They’re worried about making errors which could lead to them being dropped. They live in fear of Eddie.
“So too do his assistant coaches. That much is clear by the huge number who have worked in the England set-up under him and then moved on.”
Foster still not safe despite Springboks win
New Zealand Rugby chief Mark Robinson has refused to confirm that Ian Foster's job as All Blacks coach is safe, despite the weekend's win over South Africa
Foster watched on as his side triumphed 35-23 over the world champions at Ellis Park, a result that will have surely gone some way to easing the pressure built up by their previous defeat to the Springboks in the first round of the Rugby Championship - their third consecutive defeat and their fourth in their last five Tests.
It was widely expected that Foster would resign if his team lost again, but this was a result that acted as a timely reminder of his team's talents.
However, Robinson has refused to confirm that Foster's position at the helm remains safe.
He said afterwards: "We're delighted for the team and management after the last few weeks of adversity.
"There has been a lot of onslaught, particularly from our New Zealand media.
"They've got high expectations of us and they've made that loud and clear. They've come very strongly at me as a person."
Cheika admits to tears after Argentina win
Argentina coach Michael Cheika admits he was left in tears after his side's 48-17 Rugby Championship win over Australia at the Estadio Bicentenario.
Cheika, who was head coach of the Wallabies for five years between 2014 and 2019, spoke of his love for this passionate Argentina side whom he recently took over, and admits the win left him emotional.
"I love these guys, they're my crew now. I was up on the last try, cheering. But then I started crying because I know I probably shouldn't be doing this. It was a bit confusing for me, personally.
"But they're my boys now. That's my team. I will do everything I can to help them get success and enjoy rugby. They are paying me a lot of respect here and people are believing in the things that we are doing. I have to do everything I can to help them.”
“It’s good to be going to Australia and have a few days off, seeing my mum and my brothers and sisters and take the boys for a Leb (Lebanese) feed at my mum’s place. But I am looking forward to going to New Zealand because it is a great place to go and play rugby.”
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