Rugby stars take legal action over concussion injuries

David Corkery, Declan Fitzpatrick and Ben Marshall brought proceedings in the High Court in Dublin yesterday, Independent.ie reports.

All three men are being represented by Dublin law firm Maguire McClafferty.

Mr Corkery, 49, played for Ireland 27 times between 1994 and 1999. He is taking legal action against the IRFU, Munster Rugby and World Rugby.

Earlier this year, he said: “I got so many concussions, I lost count. I’ve suffered from depression for years.”

Mr Fitzpatrick, 39, played for Ireland seven times in 2012 and 2013. He is suing the IRFU, Ulster Rugby and World Rugby.

Mr Marshall, 32, who played for Leinster and Connacht between 2010 and 2017, retired early due to concussion. His case is against Leinster Rugby, Connacht Rugby, the IRFU and World Rugby.

In a statement, the IRFU said: “As this is a legal matter it would be inappropriate to comment on these cases directly, which will now be handled by our insurers.”

The statement added: “People in rugby have been moved by the personal accounts of former players as reported in the media. Player welfare is of paramount importance to the IRFU and we are constantly reviewing safety protocols for all players.

“Our approach, based on scientific evidence, involves a commitment to ongoing education, monitoring and application of safety protocols across the game, including proactively managing elite player game time with a focus on injury prevention and oversight.”