High Court to Hear Group Action Lawsuit from Former Athletes Over Concussion Claims

The lawsuit alleges that the governing bodies of Rugby Union, Rugby League, and football failed in their duty of care, leading to neurological disorders in players.

• London High Court to hear plea to combine claims from 475 former sportspeople into a group action lawsuit against the governing bodies of their sports.
• Claims are from 450 rugby players and 25 soccer players against global and British governing bodies in Rugby Union, Rugby League and football.
• Players allege the governing bodies failed in their duty of care, exposing them to concussion and non-concussion injuries leading to disorders such as motor neurone disease, early onset dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
• Symptoms reported by players include chronic depression, aggression, significant memory loss, incontinence, drug and alcohol addiction and in some cases, suicide attempts.
• World Rugby, England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) express sadness over the struggles of former players, affirming their commitment to player welfare.

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