LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - 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.
"It is admitted that physical injury, including head and brain injury, is a foreseeable and inherent risk in the sport of rugby union, and that all those who participate in the game voluntarily accept this risk."
World Rugby also denies that it "knew at any material time of any established science supporting an association between non-concussive head acceleration events ... and neurological injury".
Lawyers representing the claimants have previously argued that rugby union's governing bodies owed duties of care to players of the game.
The latest preliminary hearing in the case is due to take place next month. The Rugby Football Union, the Welsh Rugby Union and a lawyer representing the claimants did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The case is one of three similar actions working its way through the courts, with governing bodies for rugby league and soccer also facing litigation from ex-players.
(Reporting by Sam TobinEditing by Toby Davis)
