The England World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Mark Regan have accused the Rugby Soccer Union of “suppressing their medical data” in a big escalation of their landmark authorized battle over mind accidents.
In a letter despatched to the Info Commissioner’s Workplace they and 42 different former gamers have referred to as for an “pressing investigation” into the failure of the RFU and different rugby our bodies handy over private information that’s pertinent to their case and might be essential to their medical remedy. The letter has additionally been signed by rugby league and beginner gamers, in addition to households of useless former gamers.
The previous England duo have written to the data commissioner as representatives of a wider group of 295 former gamers, who’re taking authorized motion towards World Rugby, the RFU and the Welsh Rugby Union for allegedly failing to guard them towards mind damage.
This greater group contains the previous Wales stars Gavin Henson and Colin Charvis so the WRU can be included within the grievance, as is the Rugby Soccer League as a result of one other group of former rugby league gamers – together with the previous Nice Britain captain Bobbie Goulding – are additionally suing.
The letter claims the RFU and WRU have failed to supply medical data and different paperwork wanted to help the gamers’ medical wants that have been first requested final December, and calls on the data commissioner to research. The gamers acknowledge the RFU has supplied “a small variety of medical data of their possession, though many paperwork are nonetheless to be disclosed”, however declare that “the WRU have did not disclose a single doc referring to our private information”. It’s claimed that the RFL has did not disclose any paperwork.
“We have now all suffered mind accidents because of what we think about having been neglect,” the letter states. “A few of our cohort have committed suicide. We’re suffering from quite a lot of neurological impairments akin to dementia, continual traumatic encephalopathy, motor neurone illness, Parkinson’s illness and epilepsy.
“For the avoidance of doubt: lots of the paperwork we now have requested relate to our medical histories from enjoying sport. As such, they comprise essential info which we urgently require to help our medical doctors in order that they’ll present us with medical help. We consider that the organisations do not make the most effective, or cheap efforts, to find and disclose the paperwork about us which they will need to have. We urgently request that you just examine this matter and are keen to cooperate with any such investigation.
“All signatories to this letter have been identified with a neurological impairment. Many sportsmen and girls have dedicated suicide and/or died younger because of their mind accidents. Many rugby gamers seem to have had their information suppressed by the organisations, however it’s impractical to have all of them signal this letter. We’re subsequently a choose group of signatories who symbolize the broader group.”
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The RFL declined to remark. An RFU spokesperson instructed the Guardian it has complied with all topic entry requests for private information, though that’s disputed by the gamers’ solicitors, Rylands Garth. A WRU spokesperson mentioned: “We reject any suggestion that the Welsh Rugby Union has or is suppressing info.”
The RFU can be understood to be looking for readability from Rylands Garth over the small print of the gamers’ declare, which have but to be obtained. A authorized case has been doubtless since Thompson first revealed he was affected by dementia in an interview with the Guardian 4 years in the past, however a trial is not going to happen till subsequent 12 months on the earliest.
At a pre-trial listening to on the Royal Courts of Justice in Could, Senior Grasp Prepare dinner rejected an utility from Rylands Garth for a gaggle litigation order and admonished each side for the gradual change of knowledge. The rugby authorities have been additionally ordered to supply worldwide medical data referring to the gamers concerned by July, however seem to have missed this deadline.
