Former Wales skipper Ryan Jones diagnosed with early onset dementia

Former Wales skipper Ryan Jones has been diagnosed with early onset dementia at the age of 41.

Jones was also diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in December last year with the specialists telling him he was one of the worst cases they had seen.

He now joins the group of ex players, who are fighting a legal case against World Rugby and other governing bodies for alleging to not protect them from the early onset of demetia.

"I feel like my world is falling apart. And I am really scared," Jones told the Sunday Times.

"I lived 15 years of my life like a superhero and I'm not. I don't know what the future holds.

"I am a product of an environment that is all about process and human performance. I'm not able to perform like I could. And I just want to lead a happy, healthy, normal life.

"I feel that's been taken away and there's nothing I can do...

"[Rugby] is walking headlong with its eyes closed into a catastrophic situation".

Jones has played 75 Tests for Wales between 2004 and 2013 and captained them to a Grand Slam in 2008. He was also part of the British and Irish Lions squad that toured New Zealand in 2005 where he featured in three Tests.