'Two years on and I still suffer from anxiety, migraines, problems with my balance, insomnia and irritability' - Cameron Pierce on his concussion-forced retirement
It is fair to say that the journey Cameron Pierce has been on in professional rugby is not the one he envisioned when he was growing up in Canada.
After impressing at the 2011 Junior World Trophy with the Canadian U20 side, the lock was offered a two-year contract in Clermont’s academy. At that the end of that deal, a senior contract was on offer from Section Paloise, which Pierce took and subsequently helped the club in their successful bid for Top 14 rugby.
Unfortunately, the story doesn’t have the happy ending that, at the time, it felt like it was building towards.
At the age of just 25, Pierce had to turn his back on rugby due to the long-term symptoms of concussions. Instead of heading into his prime as a professional player, Pierce was left without a career, in a foreign country, with little help from his club.
Here is Pierce’s story, in his own words.
“The last game I played was on October 1st, 2016. It was for Section Paloise and in a tackle, the ball carrier’s elbow stunned me, and my head ended up bouncing violently off the ground. There was no doubt that I was concussed, but I carried on playing for another 10 minutes, even when the ref tapped his head three separate times, implying it was a head injury.”
“I had lost my ability to respond in French and I ended up walking off the field of my own volition, because I was very confused.”
At this point, you would expect the utmost care and attention from Pau to make sure that Pierce fully recovered from his injury, but that, sadly, did not materialise.
“The club really didn’t have any plan for me once I was out for more than a month, to the point where I had to look everything up online, including downloading World Rugby’s RTP [Return To play] protocol sheet and just trying to follow it myself.”
“Previously, I had been so keen to return to play and earn a new contract that I had lost sight of my priorities, which should have been my long-term health, so there came a point when I had to draw a line in the sand and walk away from that environment.”
Instead, it was proposed to Pierce that he should sign with one of a few clubs that were interested in giving him quality playing time.
“I just had to focus on living a normal life and getting back to having zero symptoms, and that was impossible when I had the pressures of trying to win a contract and keep coaches happy.”
The symptoms, too, were anything but mild for Pierce, who knew quickly that his rugby career was probably over.
“Not being able to properly read for the first few months was a huge wake-up call. I knew that this was serious and that I’d made the right decision to step away, although that didn’t make accepting it or moving on any easier.”
“Two years on and I still suffer from anxiety, migraines, problems with my balance, insomnia and irritability. It’s been about managing those issues and trying to find medication or other tools that can help, as they vary in severity.”
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Whilst Pierce has had his hands full dealing with the physical symptoms of his injury, the world has continued to spin and he has had to equip himself for a life off of the rugby pitch, an unenviable task considering the issues he was having to deal with.
“I have known Jamie [Cudmore] since 2011, when I moved to Clermont and he was playing with the club. Given the Canada link, the fact we both played lock and that I was just 19 at the time, he became a mentor for me.”
“I quickly got involved with the Rugby Safety Network after Jamie introduced me to it, I helped them set up Instagram and Facebook accounts. It’s been a cathartic exercise for me, as it has allowed me to play an active role in player welfare and highlighting the dangers of concussions.”
“I was coaching in Canada with my home club the Kelowna Crows this spring and there was a better general understanding of concussion risk than in France. I think this is due to the fact that the NHL and NFL have experienced numerous lawsuits and seem to be doing something for the affected players and families. Whether that’s a publicity stunt, I have no idea.”
“Sadly, the priority in France doesn’t seem to revolve around player welfare. I would love nothing more than to make it a full-time job to educate clubs on this all over the world.”
“Sometimes I struggle to watch rugby these days because I’m an ardent believer in that if you suffer a head knock and are removed for a HIA, you should not return to the pitch, regardless of the result of the assessment. It is a well-known fact that concussion symptoms can show up days later, so why risk worsening and prolonging the injury by returning to the pitch? It’s barbaric in my eyes. I’ve taken up voluntary coaching since I left the pitch and I have a strict no risk rule in regard to head injuries.”
That said, it’s clear to see Pierce still embraces the game and has found a new passion in enlightening players within the game about the risks they face.
Since his retirement, he has helped set up an elite 7s team, the Canandian Coos, in the Okanagan region of British Columbia. The team, which boasts an elite senior side and an U20 side, has formed a partnership with BrainTrust Canada and their concussion clinic in Kelowna, and the Coos are able to send any of their players who suffer a concussion to the clinic in order to receive the best possible treatment.
“I’m trying to educate, with my work with Rugby Safety Network, but the issue is that there is no money invested in it at the moment, which ties our hands in terms of how effective we can be with it.”
“I recently took part in a documentary that is set to be shown on French TV in early December, where I talk about the symptoms I faced and continue to face, and also the effectiveness of the concussion protocol that currently exists.”
“I just don’t want people to risk their lives or make the same mistakes that I did. It wasn’t just my eagerness to return to training with Section Paloise, but also pressures I felt to hide my concussion history. In 2013, I had to fill out a questionnaire with the Canadian senior side and one of the questions was ‘how many concussions have you sustained?’”
“I knew that I’d definitely had four at that point in my career and I was panicking over how to answer. I asked a teammate what he thought I should put, and he said, “put zero, they won’t pick you if you have too many” and that’s just what I did, because I would have done anything to try and make the squad, especially with a Rugby World Cup coming up.”
“Now that I have a better knowledge on concussions, I think a more accurate answer back then would have been 10, not four, and I’d say that when I walked away from rugby, I’d probably suffered 15 or more over the course of my life.”
Pierce’s story is not a unique one, either, but hopefully by coming forward and highlighting the struggles he has faced, more players will feel confident about opening up about their own concussion issues.
Whilst his story is a sad one, Pierce’s mindset is a positive and it’s clear he still has a lot to offer the game, even if that is away from the pitch.
The former lock has also co-founded a fundraiser called ’80 minutes to ruck cancer’, where local rugby players in Okanagan have been raising money for their local cancer clinic. The fundraiser was set up in honour to Pierce’s mother, who survived cancer, with the organisation raising over $14,000 in its first year, including a number of donations from Pierce’s former teammates in France and the UK.
“Thanks to my Canadian doctor, Gavin Smart, I’ve learned how to manage my symptoms. As annoying as the migraines are, they’re a reminder for me of why I no longer play and that there are more important things in life than rugby.”
“I’ve rarely taken criticism by speaking out, but when people disagree, I just tell myself that I can’t please everybody. As long as I have good friends playing this sport, I will continue to be a pain in the ass and do whatever I can to make sure they’re safe!”
“I still love the game, but player welfare is a far more important force in my life, now. We need to protect the players because if we don’t, then we won’t have the game that we all enjoy so much.”
In other news: Ali Williams talks about the All Blacks‘ ethos and the lessons learned by the team from the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Comments on RugbyPass
Just such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
2 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
4 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to commentsI had not considered this topic like this at all, brilliant read. I had been looking at his record at the Waratahs and thought it odd the Crusaders appointed him, then couple that with all that experience and talent departing and boom. They’ve got some great talent developing though, and in all honesty I don’t think anyone would be over confident taking them on in a playoff match, no matter how poor the first half of their season was. I think they can pull a game out of their ass when it counts.
2 Go to commentsNot a bad list but not Porecki and not Donaldson. Not because they are Tahs, or Ex Tahs, they are just not good enough. Edmed should be ahead. Far more potential. Wilson should be 8 and Valentini 6. Wilson needs to be told by his father and his coach, stop bloody running in to brick wall defence. You’re not playing under the genius Thorn any more. He’s a fantastic angle runner. The young new 8 from the Brumbies looks really good too. The Lonegrans are just too small for international rugby as is Paisami, as is Hamish Stewart at 12. Both great at Super Rugby level. Stewart could have been a great 10 if not for Brad Thorn. Uru should be there and so should Tupou. Tupou just needs good Australian coaching which he hasn’t been getting. I don’t think Schmidt will excite him.
3 Go to commentsIf he wants to come back then he should. He will be a major asset to the younger locks and could easily be played as an impact player off the bench coming on in the last 30. He is fit, strong and capable and has all the experience to make up for any loss in physical prowess. He could also be brought back with a view to coaching within the structures one day. Duane Vermeulen played until he was 37 or 38. He is now a roaming coach within the South African coaching structures. He was valuable in the last world cup and has been a major influence on Jasper Wiese and other young players which has helped and accelerated their development and growth. Whitelock could do the exact same thing for NZ
10 Go to commentsBrett Excellent words… finally someone (other than DC) has noted that Hanigan is very hard and very good at doing what Backrow should do… his performance via the Drua sauna was quite daunting for those on the other side… very high tackle count… carries with good end result… constant threat to make a good 20-25 meters with those long legs… providing his mass effectively to crunching the Drua pack… Finally he is returning to quality form… way to much injury time over the last 2 years… smart-strong-competent in his skills… caught every lineout throw aimed at him and delivered clean pass to whoever was down below… and he worked hard for the whole 80 minutes… Ned has to be in the top 5 for backrow honors… He knows what is required as he has been there before…
20 Go to commentsI think Sam Whitelock should not touch a return with a bargepole. He went out on a high, playing in the RWC Final. He would be coming back into a team that will be weaker than last years, and might even be struggling to win games, especially against the Boks. Stay in France, enjoy another year with Pau, playing alongside his brother.
10 Go to commentsRyan Coxon has been very impressive considering he was signed by WF as injury cover whilst Uru has been a standout for QR, surprised neither of those mentioned
3 Go to commentsIt’s the massive value he brings with regard team culture/values, preparation, etc. Can’t buy that. I’m hoping to see the young locks get their chance in the big games though.
10 Go to commentsAll good, Gregor, except that you neglected to mention Sam Darry amongst that talented pool of locks. In fact, given Hannah’s inexperience and the fact that Holland won’t be eligible until next year, Lord and Darry might be the frontrunners this year, to join Barrett, Tuipoluto, Va’ii and possibly Whitelock. In fact there might be room for all of them if Barrett played 6 (like Ollie Chessum).
10 Go to commentsHis value is stabilizing the ship 20 - 40 minutes out from the final whistle plus his valuable experience to the underlings coming through.
10 Go to commentsWhat is criminal is she acts like it's no problem her actions have have cause the Italian player to lose her playing career, lose salary, if she did this in day to day life she would be in jail, she is a complete thug!!!
4 Go to comments