LONDON: A major legal challenge involving rugby concussion lawsuits will continue after London’s High Court rejected an attempt by World Rugby and four British governing bodies to have hundreds of claims dismissed.
The legal action involves former rugby union and rugby league players who allege that repeated head impacts during their careers contributed to serious neurological problems later in life.
Nearly 800 former rugby union players are involved in the wider case, including former England World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery. More than 300 former rugby league players have also brought separate claims.
The governing bodies had sought to end the claims involving more than 500 professional and amateur players. They argued that the former players’ previous legal representatives had failed to provide required medical records on several occasions.
The players’ new legal team disputed this, saying the vast majority of the requested documents had already been supplied and arguing that the case has significant implications for player welfare across contact sports.
Judge Jeremy Cook ruled that the claims could proceed, provided the outstanding documentation is produced. He also stated that the individual players involved were not responsible for the problems surrounding the missing documents.
The former players claim that years of concussions and repeated sub-concussive blows caused lasting neurological damage. They argue that rugby authorities failed to take adequate measures to protect them from the potential long-term consequences of head injuries.
The governing bodies reject the allegations and dispute the extent of any legal duty they owed to players concerning long-term neurological conditions.
World Rugby has argued that injuries are an inherent risk associated with playing rugby, while the former players maintain that governing organisations should have done more to identify and reduce the risks associated with repeated head impacts.
The case was initially launched in 2022, but proceedings have been slowed by disputes over the disclosure of medical and other records. A separate legal action involving former rugby league players has experienced similar delays.
Following the High Court decision, World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union said they hoped the proceedings could now move forward in the interests of both players and the sport.
The players’ new lawyers, KP Law, welcomed the judgment as an important development and said they remained committed to pursuing accountability for their clients.
The latest ruling does not establish whether the rugby governing bodies are legally responsible for the players’ injuries. Instead, it means the rugby concussion lawsuits can proceed, potentially setting the stage for further examination of player safety, head injuries and the responsibilities of sporting authorities.
