"I don’t remember anything": Rugby World Cup winner suffers memory loss from sports injuries

Steve Thompson, a 2003 Rugby World Cup champion, revealed that he doesn’t remember his team’s iconic victory and often struggles to recall even the names of his children. In 2020, the former athlete was diagnosed with early-onset dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), reports The Sun. At the time, Thompson was just 42 years old.

• Read also: Former rugby star Tom Voyce missing during storm Daragh, hopes of survival slim

The health issues stemming from his rugby career pushed Thompson to the brink of suicide.

Thompson regrets pursuing a career in rugby and believes he would have chosen a different path if given the chance to go back. He attributes his condition to the concussions and head injuries he sustained over the years.

"I'd much rather just go and work on a building site, have a normal life. The way I look at is, that was our job, we got asked to do that. And you do it to the best of your ability. You don't question anything around it. And that's why we probably did as well as we did," Thompson admitted.

Throughout his career, the former rugby star suffered numerous injuries, including a neck fracture, highlighting the severe physical toll the sport took on his body and mind.