Key facts
- Hundreds of former rugby players are suing governing bodies for alleged brain injuries.
- Governing bodies argue that the players have failed to comply with court orders for document disclosure.
- Lawyers for the governing bodies requested the dismissal of 132 rugby league and 378 rugby union claims.
- The High Court judge reserved judgment on whether to strike out the cases.
- The claimants' previous legal representation, Rylands Garth, is no longer involved.
- The players are in the process of finding new legal representation.
Hundreds of former rugby players are seeking to continue their lawsuits against governing bodies, alleging they suffered brain injuries due to repeated head impacts. The cases remain in the balance after a High Court hearing where the judge reserved judgment on whether the claimants had complied with an order to provide documents related to their neurological testing.
Lawyers for World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union, the Rugby Football Union, and the Rugby Football League are seeking to have cases involving 337 players in rugby union and 153 in rugby league struck out. They argue that the claimants have failed to provide required documents, leading to delays and a "serious erosion of the confidence the court could safely place in the way the disclosure process had been conducted."
During the hearing, it was revealed that the claimants' legal representatives, Rylands Garth, will no longer be acting on their behalf. This change in representation has raised concerns about further delays, with the judge noting that the situation presented "more questions than answers." Lawyers for the players stated that it would be a "significant injustice" if some claims were struck out while others were not, emphasizing the societal importance of the litigation for contact sports.
The players claim that the governing bodies breached a duty of care by failing to protect them from the consequences of repeated head impacts and by not informing them of the risks of neurological damage. The governing bodies deny wrongdoing and are defending the claims, which include allegations of early onset dementia, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and motor neurone disease.