World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin has hit out at the use of the media for tactical recruitment and he says the game’s governing body believes the number of former players involved in the concussion lawsuit is fewer than has been reported.
In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Gilpin provided World Rugby’s first public response to the legal action taken against the governing body by former players over an alleged failure to protect them from the risks of early-onset dementia during their playing careers.
Rylands Law – acting on behalf of a group of players including England’s 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, ex-All Blacks prop Carl Hayman and former Wales captain Ryan Jones – last month submitted legal documentation to World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union.
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Thompson, Hayman and Jones have all recently opened up on their struggles with early-onset dementia and believe World Rugby could have done more to protect them from concussion risks.
It had been reported that closer to 200 players were part of the legal action.
However, speaking to The Telegraph on behalf of World Rugby, Gilpin questioned how the figure of 200 players had emerged and said the governing body was concerned that the media was being used to attract more players to the lawsuit.
“When the original action was issued to us some time ago it was involving nine players, more recently they have started to claim that number has grown significantly,” Gilpin said. “It’s not, as far as we can see, in the documentation provided to us quite at the number which is being suggested in some parts of the media.
“One concern is the approach being taken by some parties in that claim to apparently use the media effectively to recruit more players into that action.
“What we would say to those players who aren’t currently part of the action is; can we have a dialogue about how we can all provide better support. It’s important that we find a way for players to have that dialogue without feeling the need to resort to legal action.”
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Gilpin emphasised that World Rugby was committed to making the game safer when it comes to head injuries and concussions.
“Our message to [those players involved in the case] is very much: we absolutely care, we are listening, we are part of the debate and we want to make the right type of progress.”
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