Arabic version: المحكمة العليا تنظر طلب شطب دعاوى إصابات الدماغ في الرجبي

According to BBC News, the High Court has been told that hundreds of claims in rugby’s multi-million-pound concussion legal action should be thrown out. Former players from rugby union and rugby league allege authorities failed to introduce safeguards against the effects of repeated head impacts.

World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union, Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League deny breaching a duty of care. Lawyers for the governing bodies say documents relating to neurological testing have not been disclosed, arguing this breaches a 2024 court order.

At a hearing on Wednesday, the lawyers said the failure to comply should result in the dismissal of 132 claims against rugby league bodies and 378 claims against rugby union bodies. Michael Kent KC, representing World Rugby, the WRU and RFU, said dismissal was “clearly a measure of last resort” but that “compliance has still not been achieved”.

William Audland KC, for the rugby league bodies, described the alleged non-compliance as “systemic and without good reason”. Representing the players, Susan Rodway KC said the breaches were “neither serious nor significant” in complex litigation involving a large volume of documents, and called dismissal an “extreme response”.

The court also heard that Richard Boardman, who has represented claimants through Rylands Garth, intends to stop acting for the former players. Senior Master Jeremy David Cook said he expected the pace of the litigation to increase. The action, which began in 2020, includes former international players including Steve Thompson, Mark Regan, Phil Vickery, Colin Charvis, Gavin Henson, Ryan Jones, Lee Byrne and Alix Popham. The case continues on Thursday morning.