World Rugby denies liability in defence to ex-players' UK concussion lawsuit

LONDON, Feb 27 - World Rugby this week filed its defence to lawsuits brought by hundreds of former rugby union players over neurological injuries, denying any liability and arguing injuries are a \"foreseeable and inherent risk\" in playing the sport. Read more at straitstimes.com.

LONDON, Feb 27 - World Rugby this week filed its defence to lawsuits brought by hundreds of former rugby union players over neurological injuries, denying any liability and arguing injuries are a "foreseeable and inherent risk" in playing the sport.

Nearly 800 ex-amateur and professional players are suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union, in a case which began in 2022 and has been beset by delays including over disclosure of the claimants' medical records.

The claimants' lawyers say repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows left them with serious neurological conditions and allege the governing bodies breached their duty of care by failing to protect them from those risks.

The governing bodies have always denied liability and World Rugby filed its written defence to the lawsuits at London's High Court on Thursday, which was made public on Friday.

"World Rugby denies that the claimants – or any of them –suffered any injury as a result of any breach of duty by World Rugby, as alleged or at all," their lawyers said.

The defence states: "It is denied that rugby union carries with it a 'likelihood' of head and brain injury.