The topic of brain injuries in sports has become extremely prevalent in recent years, and most of the conversation has been centered around American football. We've seen several former players have their brains studied after early death, with CTE -Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy - as the main culprit.
Football is at the forefront of the conversation here in America, but several athletes from another sport overseas are bringing awareness to the issue.
British law firm Rylands Garth says that over 1,000 rugby players have joined a lawsuit against various governing bodies within the sports of rugby and rugby union.
The lawsuit alleges that "rugby governing bodies failed to take reasonable action to protect them from the impacts of concussive and sub-concussive blows during their playing careers, despite knowing of the risks."
World Rugby, the English Rugby Football Union, Welsh Rugby Union, the English Rugby Football League and British Amateur Rugby League Association are all being sued for lost earnings and the players are seeking reimbursements for medical care and other expenses associated with their injuries and trauma.
The law firm also noted that it is seeking sweeping reform within rugby as a result of the lawsuit, in an effort "to better protect the safety of current and future players."
One of the main additions that players would like to see added is an independent ombudsman for the sport who could assess brain injuries as a non-biased observer.
"This surge in claimants exposes the deep-rooted issues in rugby," the firm said.
"Players continue to play almost all-year round, with many elite players soon to embark on extremely physical summer tours across the rugby world. We will continue to fight for justice for those who gave so much to the game."
A joint statement from three of the affected rugby governing bodies says that they will await further findings, but that they stand with former players who are facing monetary or physical challenges associated with their playing careers.
"Across the game, we continue to build on a strong foundation of world-leading initiatives designed to make rugby union as safe as possible," World Rugby, Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union said in a statement.
We'll see what happens as other sports and athletes around the world address the dangers and risks associated with the games they play.
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This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 3:14 PM.