Rugby league legend Garry Schofield diagnosed with brain damage

Garry Schofield has revealed that he has been diagnosed with brain damage. Schofield, who previously played for Hull FC & Leeds Rhinos as well as Great Britain, says he is stepping away from rugby league for good.

Schofield confirmed that he received his diagnosis last March, which came after years of eye issues which resulted in his eye being removed in 2021.

Capped 46 times by Great Britain, Schofield won the Golden Boot and Man of Steel during his career that saw him also represent Balmain Tigers, Western Suburbs and Huddersfield Giants among others.

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"I was diagnosed with brain damage in March 2023 and have kept it a closely guarded secret until now," he wrote in his final League Express column, Pulling No Punches.

"The symptoms, which I will share with you, are horrendous. I've been told I will end up with dementia, so the time has come for me to walk away from the game and concentrate on my health.

"I can trace my problems back to December 2019 when I had an operation to fix a detached retina in my left eye. But it wasn't successful. Five or six days later, it felt like my head was going to explode. I needed seven more operations and three laser procedures.

"Eye pressure should be between five and 23 mmHg (millimetres of mercury), yet my recordings were 82, 79, 78, 68, 67, 58, 44 and 40 which were quite literally off the chart. The hospital told me I should be on the floor, crying out in pain with those readings.

"At times, it felt like my head was going to explode and my eye was going to pop out, so in September 2021 I approached the consultant to ask them to remove the eye because I couldn’t go on living like this I'd already had 56 hospital visits."

He added: "The plastic surgeon agreed the eye was knackered – his words! Removal was the only answer to stop the retina continually detaching and to sort out the pressure. Life with only one eye is difficult, but I've adjusted pretty well, I think.

"Subsequent health problems have included headaches, migraines, forgetfulness, anxiety and lack of concentration, all of which led to my brain-damage diagnosis in March ‘23. Those symptoms are now part of my day-to-day life. My partner, Alison, is now my carer.

"I used to think a migraine was just a strong headache. Now I know what they’re really like, and they are horrendous. When one comes on, it’s the end of the day for me. I have to go to bed and be in complete darkness. They are intolerable."

Schofield also took a parting shot at the sport, claiming it didn't excite him anymore.

"The on-field product isn’t anywhere near as entertaining as it should be. And off the field, everything is so sanitised that if you’re not permanently ‘on message’ and 100 per cent ‘positive’ about everything, then there’s no room for you.

"Balanced critical analysis has been driven out of English Rugby League by a governing body and clubs simply for the selfish reason that they don't appreciate scrutiny."

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