World Rugby vows not to ‘stand still’ on issue of player welfare

World Rugby has vowed they “do not stand still” on the issue of player welfare amid claims that playing the sport has caused brain damage.

Lawyers for more than 185 players are suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union for allegedly failing to “protect players from permanent injury”.

The claimants include former Wales captain Ryan Jones and England’s 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, with many of the former players diagnosed with early-onset dementia and other irreversible neurological impairments.

Speaking exclusively to the PA news agency, World Rugby chief executive officer Alan Gilpin said: “We have heard these stories and testimonies and we have huge sympathy with the players involved and their families.

“The first thing is heartfelt sympathy and our commitment is to listen as much as we can to those players’ testimonies.

“For those who are engaged in legal action we can’t engage them directly. That is really unfortunate, but our commitment to them is we don’t stand still on this stuff.

“We’ve put a huge amount of work in on player welfare and will continue to follow an evidence-based approach.”

Lobby group Progressive Rugby says it is “finalising a comprehensive list of player welfare critical requirements” that will be submitted to the sport’s world governing body.

World Rugby unveiled a six-point plan in July 2021 to advance player welfare in the sport.

Among the initiatives – which placed a sharp focus on former players, women and the community game – were independent concussion consultants to support the elite game’s graduated return to play protocols.

Over the last 18 months the ORCHID study has been run by New Zealand’s University of Otago to consider head impacts in