Brain injury lawsuit in jeopardy
A High Court judge is considering striking out 95% of the first wave of claims in the landmark legal action over brain injuries in rugby. Senior Master Cook is weighing whether the bulk of 561 claimants should have their cases dismissed after failing to comply with a court order requiring the disclosure of neurological testing documents.
The case, brought against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union, the Welsh Rugby Union, the Rugby Football League, and the British Amateur Rugby League Association, has been described by the judge as entering 'uncharted territory'.
Cook stressed that the blame lay with the claimants' former solicitor, Richard Boardman, rather than the former players themselves. 'The only complaint in this case is against the way Mr Boardman has handled the material,' he said. 'No claimant in this case can be said in any way, shape or form to be responsible for the deficiencies in the way this case has been presented.'
Among the former players suing rugby bosses are Wales internationals Ryan Jones, Gavin Henson and Lee Byrne.
Judge compares situation to bus passengers
Explaining the conundrum over whether to strike out hundreds of claims, Cook compared the situation to passengers whose driver had taken them off the road. 'You have three buses full of passengers all going to the same destination,' he said. 'The first bus, the driver takes them off the edge of a cliff, with the result they do not get to their destination. The other two buses get to the destination. What of those onboard bus one?'
Boardman has since stepped away from the case after the claimants unanimously ended their relationship with his firm, Rylands Garth. The group is now seeking new legal representation, with Leigh Day among the firms considering taking over the litigation.
The judge said there was no clear legal precedent for the situation and has reserved judgment while he considers whether the first tranche of cases should be allowed to continue. The litigation, which has been running for six years, centres on claims from former players who allege rugby's governing bodies failed to protect them from the long-term effects of repeated head injuries. The governing bodies deny liability.
Shane Hogan faces repossession case
Former Ireland, Leinster and British and Irish Lions star Shane Horgan is being sued by Pepper Finance Corporation in a bid to repossess a Dublin property worth €675,000 (£576,000).
According to the Irish Examiner, the 48-year-old failed to appear at Dublin District Court on Thursday, where the finance company sought possession of the property over alleged mortgage arrears. The court heard that attempts to serve the proceedings by registered post were unsuccessful after the letter was returned marked 'not called for'.
Pepper Finance claims it took over a €675,000 mortgage originally granted by Irish Life and Permanent TSB in 2006 and is now seeking either possession of the property or repayment of an outstanding debt of €684,664. The lender alleges Horgan fell into arrears of €8,889 (£7,590), with those arrears included in the overall debt.
When the case was called, neither Horgan nor a legal representative attended court. County registrar Patricia Hickey ordered that he be called both inside the courtroom and over the tannoy system before adjourning the proceedings for three months to allow attempts at personal service.
According to court documents, solicitors acting for the lender wrote to Horgan in January 2025 demanding he vacate the property within seven days, warning that possession proceedings would follow if he failed to do so. Horgan won 65 caps for Ireland between 2000 and 2011, toured twice with the British and Irish Lions and later became a prominent rugby pundit and television analyst. The repossession proceedings have now been adjourned.
Saracens appoint new CEO
Saracens have appointed former South African prop Ed Coetzee as the club's new chief executive officer. The Premiership club confirmed the 46-year-old will replace Charlie Beall, who stepped down at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Coetzee enjoyed a professional playing career spanning more than 300 appearances, representing the Sharks in South Africa before spending six years in France with Bayonne and Biarritz. Following his retirement, he moved into rugby administration, serving as commercial and marketing director at the Sharks before becoming chief operating officer and later chief executive in 2019. He joins Saracens from French side Brive, where he has been CEO since 2024.
Speaking after his appointment, Coetzee said: 'My focus is to build on the strong foundations already in place, fostering a culture where high performance, accountability and continuous improvement underpin everything we do. Our goal is not only to achieve sustained success on the field, but to establish Saracens as one of the most admired and respected sporting organisations in the world of rugby.'
