Dementia-stricken All Blacks star, 43, is flown to hospital by helicopter after being ‘seriously injured and confused’ by a cycling accident
Former All Blacks star Carl Hayman has been ‘seriously injured’ in a cycling accident in New Zealand.
The 43-year-old man fell off his bicycle in Mangawhai Heads in New Zealand’s Northland region on Tuesday morning and was taken to Whangārei Hospital, where he arrived in a ‘serious condition’.
The rescue helicopter pilot who flew Hayman to hospital told New Zealand news website Stuff that he found the former All Blacks “confused after he fell off his bike.”
A family member confirmed to the news that Hayman broke his collarbone after falling off his bike, but was “recovering well.”
In 2021, Hayman was diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), joining a list of hundreds of former players who have been diagnosed with the same.
Carl Hayman suffered a broken collarbone in a cycling accident in New Zealand
The 43-year-old won 45 caps for the All Blacks between 2001 and 2007 and was diagnosed with dementia in 2021.
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A powerful mainstay, Hayman represented the All Blacks 45 times between 2001 and 2007, making 68 appearances for Otago and 81 for the Highlanders over nine seasons.
In 2007 he moved to England where he spent three years with Newcastle before joining a stellar cast of players at Toulon three years later.
In five seasons in France, Hayman made 156 appearances for the Top 14 giants and won three consecutive European Cups between 2013 and 2015, the latter triumph serving as his swan song from professional rugby.
Speaking to Mail Sport in January, the former All Blacks revealed the fallout from his debilitating condition.
“The scary thing for me is that when I look back over the past few years, I can feel it [dementia] getting a grip and hitting me more and more,” he said.
“We just don’t know what the future will look like, so we try to stay in the now and not worry too much. Some days it turns into custard and it kinda sucks.”
When asked about the problems he faces on a daily basis, he said, “It’s sleep deprivation, sleep disturbances and constant headaches – my head is full of pressure. […]
“I go to the kitchen and I don’t know why I went in there.
‘Sometimes I drive places, I go straight through the exit and then I have to retrace my steps.
“Anxiety and depression have been other issues. I have never been an anxious person. I’ve always been pretty cool and lucky.
Hayman (center) won three consecutive European Cups with Toulon between 2013 and 2015
Hayman told Mail Sport in January that his condition was taking a heavy toll on his daily life
“I’ve now found myself struggling with mental illness and unable to stay focused on tasks.”
Hayman is far from an isolated case when it comes to former rugby players suffering from dementia and CTE, but he admitted he struggled to accept the diagnosis.
“I haven’t really accepted it yet. I’m a bit of a stubborn bastard and that probably stems from my rugby career,” he explained.
“Now it’s about accepting what is a successful day for me.
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