Alix Popham, one of hundreds of former rugby players to bring a lawsuit against the sport's authorities for head injuries, told AFP he wants his day in court so he can look in the face some of the officials "who are part of the reason why we are in the mess we are in."

The former Wales flanker, who won 33 caps between 2003 and 2008 and played in two World Cups, was diagnosed in 2020 with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the age of 40.

CTE is a progressive brain condition that is thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head and episodes of concussion.

The basis of the legal case is that rugby's governing bodies failed to provide sufficient protection from the risks caused by concussion.

"The press are talking about 500 players, but I can tell you by the end of May, which is the deadline to join the suit, it will be double that," Popham told AFP in a phone interview.

"Everyone is in a different situation. However, I want to go to court and........

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