Following proceedings in the High Court, Senior Master Cook has handed down judgement, granting relief from sanctions.

Players from both rugby union and rugby league had claimed that the respective governing bodies had failed to put safeguards in place to protect them from the consequences of repeated head impacts. The governing bodies - World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Rugby Football League (RFL) - denied any breach of duty of care to protect the players from injury.

Counsel acting for these organisations sought cases involving a total of 490 players to be struck out, citing failure to produce the requisite documentation detailing the neurological testing process, in order to prevent more delays ahead of trial.

Senior Master Cook previously expressed his sympathy for the claimants that were at risk of having their cases struck out, citing that the case had reached "uncharted legal territory".

England rugby union World Cup winners Steve Thompson, Mark Regan and Phil Vickery, and former Wales internationals Colin Charvis, Gavin Henson, Ryan Jones, Lee Byrne and Alix Popham are among the high-profile former players involved in the case, that has now spanned over six years.

John Platts-Mills, led by Susan Rodway KC, successfully represented the players in obtaining relief.