My shirt was soaked in blood - but I was told to get back on the rugby pitch

My shirt was soaked in blood - but I was told to get back on the rugby pitch 11 minutes ago Share Save Jordan Davies BBC News Share Save Former amateur rugby players with early onset dementia say they have been left with "no help and no hope". Ex-soldier and police officer Ross Coombs, 43, who captained British Army and club teams in south Wales, has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy - a brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head. Ross, who recalled being told to play on after a head injury "saturated" his shirt with blood, said medical and financial support was "non-existent". The Welsh government said former players could access support through Memory Assessment Services and the Dementia Care Pathway, adding that dementia services should "be aware of CTE risk". The British Army, Welsh Rugby Union and World Rugby have been asked to comment. Warning: This article contains references to suicidal thoughts Ross started playing rugby aged nine, before joining the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at 16 where he was quickly asked to play for the regiment. He went on to play rugby union and rugby league for the British Army and combined services and played club games at home on weekends. He captained Merthyr and Newbridge before moving to other clubs, including Newport, Nelson, Blaenavon, Bargoed and Monmouth. "At one point, between rugby league and rugby union, I was playing about 50 games a year," he said. World Rugby guidelines now limit elite players to 30 full games a season, but there is no game-wide official guidance for amateur players. Ross suffered arterial bleeds, lost teeth, multiple head injuries and concussions while playing and described being expected to play-on after being knocked unconscious. "It was a bit of a macho era," he said. "One of the worst ones I can remember, and I'm left with the scars - I fractured my eye socket, cheekbone, my jaw. After the impact I continued to run around...