The Government’s response to sport’s brain injury crisis has been labelled “a sick joke” by World Cup winning rugby union player Steve Thompson.

Campaigners, medics and sportspeople gave often harrowing parliamentary evidence earlier this year but, after a damning report accused sport of “marking its own homework” and the Health and Safety Executive of “a dereliction of duty”, there is deep disappointment at the Government’s official response.

Instead of acknowledging the dementia crisis that is affecting numerous former participants in contact sports or identifying the risks of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a type of dementia associated with repeated head impacts – the report focussed on concussion protocols, possible future research and potential technological solutions to help identify and treat concussions.

Thompson, who has himself been diagnosed with early onset dementia and has no memory of winning the 2003 World Cup, wanted to see steps that would mitigate the risk of long-term brain damage from repetitive subconcussive impacts and also a proper care structure to support those families in desperate need.

“This is a kick in the face by the Government to completely ignore the real issue of early-onset dementia and CTE,” he said. “Concussion protocols are important. Research is important. But there is nothing in this response that will prevent CTE from happening or that will help families manage with the years of care and support they will need to give. It’s a sick joke”.

His concerns were echoed by an alliance of campaigners, including The Jeff Astle Foundation and the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

Dawn Astle, whose father Jeff Astle died from what a coroner ruled was industrial disease as a result of repeated heading, also believes that the Government overlooked the cumulative issue of subconcussive injuries. “It’s so very disappointing to see that this document does nothing to address the implications of the long term damage caused by repeated head impacts,” said Astle. 

“For me, it shows a complete lack of respect to all those who have died, completely stripped of all dignity and human nature, and to all those who are living with the consequences of CTE and dementia now. It’s unforgivable. I assumed this would be a real opportunity for the Government to push football to look after and support all those who are suffering and dying just because they played the game.”

Rachel Walden, whose father Rod Taylor was also diagnosed with CTE, said that the Government had failed to properly hear the families of former players.

“How can a report not even mention the crisis in football and the fact that footballers are dying from a preventable dementia,” she said. “This is an industrial disease, the numbers affected is horrifying, and the sporting stakeholders are complicit in stonewalling the families.”

Dr Adam White, the executive director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation UK, said that the Government response had “missed the mark completely on addressing the long-term issues associated with repetitive head impacts in sport”.

As part of their action plan, the Government wants to commission a baseline set of shared concussion protocols to recognise head injuries and will convene a round-table with tech companies. “Player safety must be absolutely paramount,” said sports minister Nigel Huddleston.