Here’s the roundup of the latest rugby news for Tuesday, April 4th.

David James reveals dementia diagnosis

Former Wales and Lions winger Dafydd James has revealed he has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

James, 47, played for Scarlets, Bridgend and Pontypridd before his playing career was cut short in 2009 after breaking a vertebra in his neck. He previously said that he suffered from panic attacks and anxiety after retirement.

The 48-capped player has now filed a lawsuit against rugby governing bodies accused of failing to protect players from permanent brain damage. The Rugby Football Union, World Rugby Union and Welsh Rugby Union told the BBC they were “disappointed” but could not comment due to the legal action.

He told the BBC he was tested for dementia because “I was wondering what was wrong with me”. He said he was also diagnosed with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease.

He said: “In a way it probably highlights that I have a bit of an answer to why I feel the way I do. I suffer because of my mental health and in a way it’s cathartic to tell people why I am. trying to help other people who are suffering and there are many people who are suffering.

James said he explained his diagnosis to his children, “who don’t really understand”, but noticed a change in him. “They are children and they are very supportive of me, I am lucky in that sense, I am blessed,” she added.

James, who played three times for the Lions on their 2001 tour of Australia, said he was experiencing “severe headaches”. “I’d like to get more information and learn about it, and if that information can be passed on to future generations, it’s worth it,” he said.

“For guys who are hurting, I think knowledge is the key to understanding. I just think knowledge is the key and I think it’s important for people to be careful. Let the game live and thrive, I’m definitely not one of those people who wants to see the game die, I had a lot of fun doing it.”

Baxter is delighted with Hawkins’ capture

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter says he is delighted with the signing of Joe Hawkins, adding that the Wales international has been on the Devon club’s radar for some time.

Hawkins is one of three new signings for the Chiefs ahead of next season’s Premier League campaign and will be joined by Ospreys teammate Ethan Roots and former Newcastle Falcons and Wasps midfielder Will Haydon-Wood.

The move casts serious doubt on Hawkins’ chances of being dropped from the upcoming Rugby World Cup, as current rules do not allow players with less than 25 caps to challenge.

However, from Exeter’s point of view, the change was welcome. This comes six weeks after Baxter publicly dismissed trade speculation linking the Chiefs to Hawkins during a press conference.

“Obviously, we are delighted that Joe has signed for next season and beyond,” said Baxter. “We watched him closely for a while and he was someone I noticed when we were looking at pictures of Duff and some other Welsh under 20s.

“Like I said, we have players coming up at the end of this season, so it was important for us to look at the areas we needed to fill and bring in the right players. Joe, in my opinion, ticks almost every box we look for in a player and I have no doubt he will be a great addition to the team.

“You can see that he is certainly talented and has a bit of versatility, having played both at halfback and halfback for Wales during the Six Nations. Like any player, we feel that there are areas in his game that could be further developed, but he’s someone we’re really delighted to have.

“I look at him and the others in the team and I think we are building a group of players who can really take this club forward for years to come and really fight for honours.”

In late February, Baxter said, “I watched and looked at Joe many times. He apparently played on the same Under-20 team as Duff. [Dafydd Jenkins] So when we spent a lot of time with Duff before we signed him, I saw him.

“Duff also mentioned to me personally that he is a good player. I’ve seen him play for the Ospreys many times and in Wales games.

However, he went on to say, “Watching a player to see how he plays and sitting down with him and making contract offers and signing him are worlds apart.”

Flanagan urges the dragons to stick together

Dragons manager Dai Flanagan has told his players that they need to stick together after they recently defeated Glasgow Warriors in the European Challenge Cup.

Gwent’s men ousted Aki Seyuli in the first half before trailing 73-33 in a torrid night at Scotstoun Stadium, and Flanagan admits his team lost control of the match.

“As a young coach, it’s hard for me to see that,” he said. – We must pull ourselves together and stand united. We were completely out of control during the period they scored 21 points in three minutes and that was great.

“We lack the ability to figure out what to do to keep the score and stay in the game – Glasgow are a fantastic team and we always knew it would be a serious challenge. We had a plan with the ball in our hands and we executed it well, but it wasn’t good enough and defensively we missed a lot of tackles.

“There were elements in Glasgow that were better, but we have a tough game in Ulster. Things don’t get any easier and good teams peak at the end of the season and we’re limping and that’s hard to accept.”

Murphy announces his resignation

Ulster and Ireland back-row Jordy Murphy announced his retirement from professional rugby at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old has won 20 caps for his country since making his Six Nations debut in 2014 and has played in two World Cups. He scored three goals in his international career, most famously against the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016.

After his Leinster breakthrough in 2011, he joined Ulster seven years later.

“I feel the time is right and my family and I are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives,” Murphy wrote on social media.

“Playing for my childhood club Leinster and current club Ulster is an experience I will always cherish. Representing my country will always be one of the highlights of my life. I hope I can contribute as much as possible to the team for the rest of the season.”

Du Toit’s French gambit fails

South African star Peter-Steph du Toit would have seen a high-profile move to French side Toulon fall through.

According to L’Equipe, the striker has been in talks with the club recently, but the transfer appears to have stalled due to the player’s salary demands. Du Toit, currently considered one of the best players in the world, is ending his current contract with Japan’s Toyota Verblitz and is now being promoted to return to former Stormers squad.

However, the 30-year-old’s future looks uncertain at the moment and his signing is likely to be highly sought after in the coming weeks.

Source: Wales Online