A Sports Law Rugby Blog
Head contact in rugby union has come under heightened scrutiny in recent years, owing to increased concern about brain injuries in the sport. However, this “zero tolerance” approach has not been without controversy. January 2017 saw the start of World…
1. Introduction This article is the third in a series of articles on the ongoing concussion litigation in rugby union, which was instigated in December 2020 by a group of former professional players against the Rugby Football Union (“RFU”), the…
1. Introduction This article is the (long overdue) second part of a series of articles on the concussion litigation in rugby union, which was instigated in December 2020 by a group of former professional players against the Rugby Football Union…
1. Introduction In December 2020, legal action was instigated by a group of former professional rugby players against the Rugby Football Union (“RFU”), the Welsh Rugby Union (“WRU”) and World Rugby, the sport’s International Federation. A pre-action letter of claim…
Today is the first day of On the Ball: The Rugby Union Conference! I am very excited to be co-hosting this virtual, free event along with Steven Flynn of Kings Chambers. For full details of the event, including the schedule…
In May 2019, World Rugby published its Decision-Making Framework for High Tackles (the “Framework”). It was intended as a “systematic tool” to guide decision-making by referees, citing commissioners and disciplinary panels as to the appropriate sanction for potential acts of…
Rugby’s disciplinary process has come in for a lot of criticism this week; much of it undeserved. The controversies of Owen Farrell’s high tackle and the punch-up between Siale Piutau and Andrew Kitchener in the Gallagher Premiership have dominated the…
For the second time this season, Saracens Rugby Club (“Saracens”) is defending legal proceedings. First it was for breaches of the Premiership Rugby Salary Cap Regulations in front of an independent disciplinary panel (discussed here); now it is in the High…
On Tuesday 20 August, World Rugby announced that France second-row Paul Gabrillagues (the “Player”) had been handed a six-week suspension for foul play in the France vs Scotland match on Saturday 17 August. The player appeared before an independent World…
Scott Barrett’s red card in the first Bledisloe Cup test of 2019 has provoked outrage and controversy across the rugby world. The decision by referee Jerome Garces to send off the All Blacks’ second row for a shoulder charge on…
