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High Court Upholds Disclosure Orders in Rugby Brain Injury Case as Strike-Out Risk Grows

The ruling enforces broad disclosure of medical and neurological records to manage the mass concussion litigation.

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Galway , Ireland - 13 April 2019; Shane Delahunt of Connacht holds his head after picking up a blood injury during the Guinness PRO14 Round 20 match between Connacht and Cardiff Blues at The Sportsground in Galway. (Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Thompson, right, and Vickery, who helped guide England to World Cup glory in 2003, are among those who have accused the game’s governing bodies of failure in their duty of care over head injuries
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Overview

  • Justice Dexter Dias dismissed the claimants’ appeals and affirmed orders from February 2024 and July 2025 requiring full medical records and all neurological testing documents.
  • The court found non-compliance and criticized Rylands Garth’s disclosure approach, citing misunderstandings of scope and missing items such as GP records and medical histories.
  • According to the judgment, 180 of 321 rugby league claims and about 20% of 773 rugby union claims now face potential strike-out for disclosure failings.
  • Rylands Garth said it will comply, noted it has already provided hundreds of thousands of pages, and argued defendants have yet to file formal responses to the claims.
  • The decision clears the way for selecting lead cases, with further hearings scheduled for March and with defendants expected to seek strike-outs of affected claims.