In a significant setback for the former rugby players pursuing legal action over alleged brain injuries, the High Court's rejection of their appeals on 22 December 2025, against case management orders, means many players risk having their claims dismissed if they do not comply with orders to provide full medical records.
The case involves a mix of professional and amateur players who allege that they sustained long-term neurological damage during their careers. The lawsuits name World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union, England's Rugby Football Union, the Rugby Football League, and the British Amateur Rugby League Association.
Over 1,100 former players allege that the governing bodies failed in their duty of care to protect them from head impacts, resulting in conditions such as early-onset dementia and Parkinson's disease.
The governing bodies deny any wrongdoing and state that player welfare is a primary concern, informed by current scientific understanding.
Justice Dexter Dias dismissed two appeals by the players' law firm, Rylands Garth, in separate but similar cases for rugby union and rugby league players.
The court ruled that previous orders, which require claimants to provide all their medical records and neurological testing documents to the defendants, were reasonable and necessary.
The judge noted "a serious erosion of the confidence the court could safely place" in how the players' legal team had conducted the disclosure process so far.
Failure to comply with these disclosure orders could lead to many of the individual claims being dismissed before the case goes to trial.
The case is expected to be reviewed again in March 2026.