The number of former rugby players brought against sports guidelines on allegations they have undergone brain damage during their careers have increased to more than 1,000, a British law firm announced on Monday.
Rylands Garth, based in London, said that more than 520 ex-players of Rugby Union and Rugby League had joined the trial by last week, which was the deadline for new candidates set by a court before a hearing in July and before the case was potentially judged next year.
He takes the total number of players who are part of the trial at around 1,100, Rylands Garth said in a press release.
Former players say, according to Rylands Garth, that “rugby guiding bodies have not taken reasonable measures to protect them from the impacts of concussion and sub-cure during their playing careers, despite knowledge of risks.”
The applicants request compensation from the World Rugby, the Union of English Rugby Football and the Welsh Rugby Union – rugby directors at 15 – and the English Rugby Football League and the British Amateur Rugby League – of the 13 -year -old rugby league – for lost income, medical invoices and injuries, said the firm.
“Rylands Garth also calls for an urgent and substantial reform of the game to better protect the safety of current and future players-including the creation of an independent brain health mediator for sport,” he said.
Among those who have already joined the collective appeal, there was the former English hooker winner of the world Steve Thompson, the former New Zealand accessory Carl Hayman and the former Flanker of Wales Alix Popham.
“This increase in applicants exposes the problems deeply rooted in rugby,” said Rylands Garth, adding: “Players continue to play almost all year round, with many elite players who soon embark on extremely physical summer tours in the world of rugby. We will continue to fight for justice for those who have given the game so much.”
In a joint declaration published by World Rugby, RFU and WRU, the guiding bodies said they “were aware of the last update shared by the legal representatives of the applicants with the final number of applicants”.
“We are now waiting for all the details of their diagnosis and the claims made. Our thoughts concern any former player faced with challenges.
“Throughout the match, we continue to rely on a solid basis of advanced initiatives intended to make rugby as safe as possible.”
This includes “the intelligent technology of the toothpicks in the Elite game, the lower tackle height tests in the community game and the continuous deployment of the brain health services to support the old players”.
Rylands Garth said it also represents around 130 former football players who take similar judicial measures against football directing bodies. The next hearing of the court for the football affair is due on June 26.
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