In February 2019, the former Canadian second line of the ASM Jamie Cudmore filed a complaint against X with the public prosecutor of Clermont-Ferrand on Tuesday for “endangering the lives of others”, following a a series of concussions. The famous “lumberjack”, who evolved between 2005 and 2016 in Auvergne, considers in his complaint to have been exposed “to the risk of second impact syndrome”, during the final lost against Toulon (24-18) on May 2, 2015 .
The complaint is based on the report of the neurologist François Chédru – mandated by the tribunal de grande instance of Clermont-Ferrand in the context of a first civil summons – which considers that the player “was not fit to return play from the 66th minute to the 80th” during this match. The player suffered a first concussion in the 10th minute, just two weeks after a previous concussion in a European Cup semi-final against Saracens.
On this second head trauma suffered in the 56th minute against Toulon, the expert concluded, in his report dated January 17, that the responsibility of the ASM is “engaged in the damage suffered”, a first for a French club. . A responsibility denied as a whole by ASM Clermont-Auvergne, which considers that “no responsibility of the club can be recognized”, “in relation to the state of medical knowledge at the time of the facts and in the absence of prejudice” . Cudmore also filed a complaint in January 2018 before the College of Physicians of Puy-de-Dôme against a neurosurgeon whom he accuses of having played a double game in this case.
“The safety of rugby players cannot be dealt with effectively as long as the clubs do not assume their responsibility”, regretted the Portejoie law firm on Tuesday, which defends the player in a press release. ASM lawyer Charles Friborg had for his part considered that “filing a complaint against X and not specifically against the club shows that we are not sure of his file and that we want to avoid damage and interest for abuse of complaint”, regretting “much ado about nothing”.
The international third line Alexandre Lapandry announced, at the beginning of December 2022, to be forced to stop his career at only 33 years old to give priority to his health, accusing the ASM of not having sufficiently taken into account the consequences of a concussion suffered in October 2020. “I did not choose to retire, the severity of my injury obliges me to do so. I am still recovering and my sequelae will be for life, ”explained the player from Paray-le-Monial (Saône-et-Loire).
The international flanker (13 caps between 2009 and 2018), who had participated in the 2010 Grand Slam, said he was “sorry for (his) silence (…) for two years now”, and a commotion that occurred during a a match against Stade Français Paris. “I never would have thought that October 18, 2020 would be my last match…” Remaining loyal to ASM, with whom he won two Brennus Shields in 2010 and 2017 and played more than 260 matches, Lapandry also had was captain of the France under-20 team.
His lawyer, Jean-Hubert Portejoie, said that four complaints against X had been filed on November 30 by the player. One targets acts of “involuntary violence and endangering the lives of others”, committed “between October and December 2020, between his stroke and the moment when this stroke was detected (…) There is had a tracking error. In the meantime, he had even resumed training. Another complaint, for “psychological violence”, concerns “the period from June 2021 until his dismissal a few days ago”, had detailed the lawyer who underlines Lapandry had “not been supported and helped by his employer” .
In addition, the third line had decided to seize the industrial tribunal. Lapandry, “dismissed for professional incapacity” on November 21, “received his balance of any account which, in our opinion, is not complete”, explained Me Dardat, specifying that “our calculations show that the club does not did not take into account his entire salary for the payment of his severance pay”.
The president of Clermont, Jean-Michel Guillon, had denied having neglected the medical follow-up of the third line Alexandre Lapandry. “We have taken the decision today to provide a series of factual clarifications to vigorously deny unfounded allegations,” he replied. He had notably mentioned “additional medical treatment in a specialized clinic in Lausanne (stay from November 30 to December 4, 2020)”, as well as the fact that the player had “an MRI on December 30, 2020, (revealing) a rare pathology which has been taken care of and treated”.
A third story that again stains. The international second line of Clermont Sébastien Vahaamahina will have to end his career after a new concussion. The former second-line international (31 years old, 46 caps) had not played with Clermont since December 10, 2022 and a match against the South African franchise of the Stormers (24-14), in the Champions Cup. “In six years, this is the tenth (concussion) listed. There were others, but apparently they weren’t recorded in my medical records. I have increasingly strong symptoms after each concussion, with an impact on my life as a professional rugby player but also on my private life”, explained the native of Nouméa in L’Équipe, recounting his “headaches “, his “dizziness”, his “fatigue”…
After two operations, the former player from Brive and Perpignan, who arrived at Marcel-Michelin in 2014, has “resumed an almost normal life”, but continues to live with “a sharp sword above his head”. “Five months have passed and they (the leaders of Clermont) could have made me a decent and clear proposal to properly end my history with the club. If they haven’t, they don’t want to. The club continues to buy time and hope that I give up. I thought I deserved more respect. I am disappointed and hurt,” said the second row. “I understood that the ASM surely had other things to do than take care of its old soldiers,” he added.
During the week, club and player received a letter from the FFR, indicating the withdrawal of Vahaamahina’s license “following a letter from the ASM doctor and a recommendation from the medical commission before which I did not never been summoned”, according to the ASM player who explains that he has not received any prior information. And to sting: “I am ashamed for my club while my dismissal for incapacity is in progress. I have a lot of trouble setting foot in the stadium. I told the leaders that they had ruined everything, as if they had erased everything. I was programmed to play, to give my all and perform.” Vahaamahina has just added his name to the growing list of players who denounce the failings of the authorities, such as former All Blacks pillar Carl Hayman or former Rose XV hooker Steve Thompson.
