On Halloween night, the cruel effects of his early starting dementia and probable diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) beat Chris Simpson-Daniel.
'My dark days are dark. I had a very, very bad one last year where I tried my own life, “he says Mail sport. 'I tried to finish it.
Simpson-Daniel is only one of the hundreds of former rugby professionals of both rugby codes fighting a series of neurodegenerative diseases in their career after the square.
The brother of former International England James was a winner of the Premier League with Newcastle in 1998 and former teammate of the current national chief coach Steve Borthwick.
Now, he is not only fighting individually, since he suffers with a series of brain health problems, but is also providing a source of hope to the many in the same position as him. Simpson-Daniel is the founder of Tempus Group, a company that aims to provide dedicated support for housing, well-being and mental health to former rugby players who need it most.
It has been allocated to a 39 acres site on the outskirts of York, where England will train this week, as a starting point.
Chris Simpson-Daniel has founded a company with the aim of providing dedicated homes (example above) to former rugby players who need it most
Simpson-Daniel is hope that accommodation is ready and available in September
Simpson-Daniel won the Prime Minister with Newcastle in 1998, but since then he has been diagnosed with early start dementia that led him to try to take his own life
Simpson-Daniel hopes to have the first accommodation in September of this year. The former players will be offered to reside in two beds or four beds. The houses will be based on a central well -being center, where players can obtain specialized support in emotional and mental health.
Simpson-Daniel, now 46, describes the sites as 'almost like a central mini parcs' and believes that the idea can 'change the game' for those in need.
'This project is what is taking me out of bed every day. It is as simple as that. I have seen my six children once in the last five years since they moved abroad, '' he says.
'I have to stay busy and distracted. I know I will reduce the speed one day. But knowing that this project now helps me because I know that when I have a dark day, I will soon be able to get help. I want to lead from the front in this. Being busy is what works for me.
'These former players were in the highest percent of what they did. Now, they feel beaten and mistreated. They need help. I talked to one in Gloudeshire on the weekend and he told me: “I can't believe you are doing this. This project will change my life. “
'That put me chicken skin. I have made mistakes in my life, but at least now I am working on projects that hopefully will make a difference and in which I believe completely.
'I know my children are seeing what I am doing. I want to make them proud and leave a legacy. I have 100 miles per hour at this time. I am working on this 24/7.
“I have had three days off in 18 months for this to happen.”
Tempus's plans are financed by three different investors nationwide and their project also has the interest of the whole world.
It is expected that the first site for former Rugby players is a success, the model can be replicated in another place for those who suffer from mental health disabilities and difficulties, as well as the former military personnel and those of little privileged areas.
Simpson-Daniel was a good player who is now dedicated to helping the most needy
He was a former teammate of the current Rugby chief coach of England Steve Borthwick
“When I obtained my diagnosis of starting dementia early about three years ago, I began to look around to plan the future and when the disease would have a great impact on me,” says Simpson-Daniel. 'The development of things such as depression, suicidal trends, breakdowns and anxiety meant that I went and visited some care houses.
'With due respect for these facilities, there was no way that I could have seen me go there. It is the same for many other former players.
'I couldn't make my children come to see me in a careful home. The average age in a care home is 82. How am I going to enter there at age 50 or 60? It will simply not work.
'I thought why not communicate with some of the boys and try to build our own little town. He went crazy. Everyone said the project had to happen and that they would use it.
'It's about putting former athletes in an environment in which they can still contribute, but surrounded by people who know for what they are happening and can help them.
'The NHS is still up to date with how to deal with problems such as CTE.
'We have lost 29 former athletes or women for suicide in the last three years. At the moment, there is nothing like this project to help them. That is what our sites will provide.
'They will be places for boys to live, but also a central center where they can go for 24 hours to try to stand up when they have a bad day or days.
“At the moment, former Rugby players don't receive much help.”
The houses offered by Simpson-Daniel are modular and ecological, so they can be built in a matter of weeks. He hopes that much of the construction work can be carried out by former players who have specialties in certain areas such as housing and planning.
“I want to create a place where people want to come,” says Simpson-Daniel.
Simpson-Daniel played with Jonny Wilkinson in Newcastle, and describes winning the prime minister as a “great memory”
Simpson-Daniel played during the era of the only triumph of the World Cup in England in 2003, and labeled that group of players 'an infernal generation'
'They have asked me many times if I changed something knowing what I do now. I would probably do it. But I wish I had known that if I had been knocked out, I had to retire for 14 or 21 days and not play again in three. If I had done it, that's what I would have done.
“I was flying when I was at Sedbergh School, but I had an injury to the cross -knee ligament at age 17. The surgeon told me that I couldn't have much time in a professional rugby career. I could have done more, but I enjoyed what I achieved.
'I won the prime minister with Newcastle. That was a great memory. I played with boys like Steve, Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall, Iain Balshaw, David Flatman and Ben Cohen.
'We were all part of the same Squadron of England. It was an infernal generation.