World Rugby and UK Bodies Face Ongoing Concussion Lawsuits
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UK Court Allows Rugby Concussion Lawsuits to Proceed Against Governing Bodies
High Court Ruling on Rugby Concussion Lawsuits
Background of the Lawsuits
LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters) – More than 500 ex-rugby union and league players’ lawsuits over neurological injuries can continue, London’s High Court ruled on Friday, despite their former lawyers’ failure to disclose key medical evidence to governing bodies.
Arguments from Governing Bodies
Disclosure Issues and Legal Requests
World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union, plus the Rugby Football League and the British Amateur Rugby League Association, argued the claimants’ lawyers had repeatedly failed to provide records.
They asked for a ruling which would end the cases of more than 500 former professional and amateur players over both codes.
Claimants’ Position and Wider Impact
Response from Claimants’ Lawyers
But lawyers representing the claimants argued they had provided the vast majority of the documents required and stressed the litigation’s wider importance for contact sports in the UK.
Judge’s Decision
Judge Jeremy Cook said in a written ruling that the cases could continue subject to the production of the missing documents, adding that the “individual claimants are blameless”.
Details of the Case and Ongoing Actions
Timeline and Parallel Actions
The case began in 2022 but has been dogged by delays over disclosure, as has a parallel action by ex-rugby league players.
Scope of the Lawsuits
Almost 800 former rugby union players – including Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery, members of England’s 2003 World Cup-winning team – are suing World Rugby, the RFU and the WRU. More than 300 former rugby league players are also taking legal action.
Allegations and Defenses
Claims by Ex-Players
The ex-players say repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows left them with serious neurological conditions and allege the governing bodies breached their duty of care by failing to protect them from those risks.
Governing Bodies’ Defense
Denial of Duty of Care
The governing bodies, however, dispute that there is, or was, any such duty of care that extended to include the long-term risk of serious neurological conditions and World Rugby argued in its written defence that injuries are an “inherent risk” in rugby.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin and William James; editing by Sam Tabahriti and Toby Davis)
