The number of former rugby players taking legal action against sports governing bodies on claims they suffered brain injuries during their careers has grown to more than 1,000, a British law firm said on Monday.
Rylands Garth, based in London, said more than 520 ex-players from rugby union and rugby league joined the lawsuit by Friday last week, which was the deadline for new applicants set by a court ahead of a hearing in July and before the case potentially goes to trial next year.
It takes the total number of players who are part of the lawsuit to approximately 1,100, Rylands Garth said in a statement.
The former players contend, according to Rylands Garth, that “rugby governing bodies failed to take reasonable action to protect them from the impacts of concussive and sub-concussive blows during their playing careers, despite knowing of the risks.”
Claimants are seeking compensation from World Rugby, the English Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union—governing bodies in 15-a-side rugby—and the English Rugby Football League and British Amateur Rugby League Association—from 13-a-side rugby league—for lost earnings, medical bills and care costs associated with their injuries, the firm said.
“Rylands Garth is also calling for urgent and substantive reform of the game to better protect the safety of current and future players—including the creation of an independent brain health ombudsman for the sport,” it said.
Among those to have previously joined the class action was World Cup-winning former England hooker Steve Thompson, former New Zealand prop Carl Hayman and former Wales flanker Alix Popham.
“This surge in claimants exposes the deep-rooted issues in rugby,” Rylands Garth said, adding: “Players continue to play almost all-year round, with many elite players soon to embark on extremely physical summer tours across the rugby world. We will continue to fight for justice for those who gave so much to the game.”
In a joint statement issued by World Rugby, the RFU and the WRU, the governing bodies said they “are aware of the latest update shared by the claimants’ legal representatives with the final number of claimants.”
“We now await full details of their diagnosis and the claims being made. Our thoughts are with any former player facing challenges.
“Across the game, we continue to build on a strong foundation of world-leading initiatives designed to make rugby union as safe as possible.”
That includes “smart mouthguard technology in the elite game, trials of lower tackle height in the community game, and the continued rollout of brain health services to support former players.”
Rylands Garth said it also represents approximately 130 former soccer players who are taking similar legal action against soccer governing bodies. The next court hearing for the soccer case is due on June 26.
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