If a rugby match injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
Rugby match injuries can include concussions, fractures, or muscular injuries from the high-impact and physically demanding nature of the sport.
If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a sporting injury, we can help. If your injuries were caused by someone else's actions or negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
You can make a No Win, No Fee sports injury compensation claim with the help and support of a solicitor.
Rugby injuries are common - you are not alone
Professional rugby union players are more likely than not to sustain a concussion after 25 matches. Although figures aren't available for amateur and school rugby, injuries are anecdotally high when compared with football and other sports (bmj.com).
The majority of sporting injuries are consequences of playing within the rules of the game. Claims for such injuries are usually not possible.
Where a player's conduct falls outside that expected of players, however, or an umpire or other official fails to protect players from injury, and a participant is injured as a result, it may be possible to make a sports injury claim.
If you decide to make a rugby match injury claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.
How much compensation can I claim for an injury in a rugby match?
Compensation for a injury inflicted playing rugby will vary depending on:
- how serious the injury is,
- how your injury impacts both your daily life and your ability to work,
- any direct financial losses or expenses resulting from your injury.
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General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
Special damages will be awarded for any lost earnings, loss of commission or bonuses, and loss of pension contributions. It may also be possible to claim for loss of future earnings, if the medical prognosis establishes that you won't be able to work for any period in the future.
These damages will also cover the cost of any medical procedures you might need to treat or recover from your rugby match injury such as pain medication, physical therapy and psychological support.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average rugby match injury general damages compensation table
The following rugby match injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
| Very severe | Severe ongoing symptoms that are likely to worsen in the future | £55,540 to £77,340 |
Back injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | A back sprain, disc prolapse, soft tissue injury or minor fracture that fully recovers without surgery | £2,720 to £13,870 |
| Moderate | A disc lesion, prolapse, fracture or soft tissue injury leading to chronic conditions, including pain, mobility issues, impaired sexual function, psychological effects, a risk of arthritis, spondylolisthesis, and nerve root irritation | £13,870 to £30,800 |
| Severe | Severe spinal cord damage, nerve root damage, disc lesions, fractures and soft tissues leading to serious chronic conditions | £43,020 to £178,590 |
Head & brain injuries
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minimal brain damage with headaches and/or ongoing symptoms | £2,450 to £14,160 |
| Moderate - level 1 | Good recovery, but with ongoing symptoms (e.g. poor concentration and memory) | £17,000 to £47,770 |
| Moderate - level 2 | Your ability to work is reduced, and ongoing symptoms include poor concentration and memory, and a risk of epilepsy | £47,770 to £100,650 |
| Moderate - level 3 | Your ability to work is greatly reduced, and you have ongoing care needs | £100,650 to £166,540 |
| Moderate - level 4 | Ongoing symptoms include a moderate to severe intellectual deficit, personality change, damage to sight, speech and/or senses, and a risk of epilepsy | £166,540 to £243,040 |
Knee injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | E.g. dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus, that could cause future symptoms or weakness, or that exacerbated an existing injury | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | More serious knee injuries with a greater risk of future symptoms, pain and weakness | £16,460 to £29,050 |
| Serious | E.g. a leg fracture that extends to the knee joint, or injuries that cause constant pain and restricted movement, and/or a risk of osteoarthritis or future knee surgery | £29,050 to £48,210 |
Leg injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Simple tibia or fibula fracture | Simple fracture with full recovery | Up to £13,140 |
| Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| More serious fractures | Incomplete fracture recovery with ongoing symptoms | £19,930 to £30,800 |
Neck injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Soft tissue injury | £2,720 to £8,750 |
| Moderate | Fracture or dislocation injuries, or worsening of existing conditions, including wrenching, disc lesions and cervical spondylosis | £27,730 to £42,700 |
| Serious | Severe fractures, dislocation, soft tissue damage, ruptured tendons, and/or chronic disability | £50,450 to £62,120 |
| Severe | Serious fractures or damage to discs, with disability and substantial loss of neck movement, including loss of function in one or more limbs | £72,950 to £145,250 |
| Very Severe | Incomplete paraplegia, spastic quadriparesis, and/or very restricted neck movement | Around £164,560 |
Paralysis
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Paraplegia | £243,040 to £315,350 | |
| Tetraplegia & quadriplegia | £360,130 to £448,180 |
Claiming compensation for psychological injuries
If you have experienced psychological issues in addition to physical symptoms, you are not alone.
Our 2024 Personal Injury Claimant Survey found that 29.03% of claimants reported a psychological injury, with 70.97% of these relating to a physical injury.
Rugby injuries can trigger anxiety about playing sport in the future, affecting confidence on the field. depression, tension, anger and low self-esteem, particularly in competitive, seriously injured athletes, are also at risk.
Although psychiatric injuries are less obvious than physical injuries and illness, mental health conditions can be no less debilitating.
Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.
Do I qualify for rugby match injury compensation?
Yes, you are entitled to make a claim for an injury in a rugby match, if:
- you were injured within the last 3 years, and;
- another party was responsible, and;
- that party owed you a duty of care.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
Am I still eligible to claim if I was partially responsible?
Determining legal responsibility for a claimant's injuries can involve myriad factors.
In our recent 2024 Public Liability Injury Claimant Survey, 17.45% of respondents believed they may have been partly (or wholly) responsible for their injuries.
The legal term for cases where an injured person was (to some extent) responsible for their injuries is 'contributory negligence'. If there is fault on both sides of a claim, it is possible to pay reduced compensation on a split liability agreement.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
How long after a rugby match injury do I have to claim compensation?
For most injury claims, you have up to 3 years from the date of your injury to start the claims process.
The 3 year limitation period does not apply to minors (under 18s). A parent, guardian or litigation friend can start a claim on a child's behalf up to their 18th birthday and the child has until their 21st birthday to claim for themselves.
Common rugby injuries
Rugby injuries may occur as isolated incidents or as a result of continuous playing of the game and include:
- Overuse injuries caused by running; including tendinitis in the knee or ankle, bursitis and medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints).
- Traumatic injuries fractures, dislocations, sprains, strains and deep muscle bruises.
- Head injuries and concussion.
See also:
Ankle injury compensation claims
Knee injury compensation claims
Head injury compensation claims
Rugby safety guidelines and injury prevention
As rugby is such a physical contact sport, player safety is of paramount importance to the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The RFU has specific regulations to ensure those involved in the game consider their own safety and the safety of others at all times, see: RugbySafe (englandrugby.com).
Although the game involves players tackling, rucking and mauling opponents in a bid to win the match, the guiding principles state that a player must not wilfully or maliciously inflict injury on an opponent.
The RFU also states that players have a duty of care to consider their own fitness before participating in any rugby activity; with the parents and guardians of players under the age of 18 checking the fitness of those for whom they have responsibility.
Those who seek to return to the game after injury should seek medical advice before doing so.
In certain competitions additional medical and player safety regulations may be applicable. Teams involved in such competitions are responsible for checking specific competition regulations to ensure that these are complied with.
These rules set boundaries within which players and officials must individually and collectively operate; therefore any player sustaining injury as a result of another's deviation from this code of conduct may be able to claim compensation.
When can you claim for a rugby injury?
Because of the inherent danger of the sport, the ethics of rugby oblige everyone to take reasonable care for the physical safety of others where they are expected to foresee the outcome.
Something more than an error of judgement must have occurred to establish a claim for negligence.
An offending player must have shown a wilful disregard for the consequences of his actions. This might include a deliberate intention to knock the player out of the air when contesting for a kicked ball, or carrying out an illegal spear tackle (upturning a player past the horizontal).
Can a rugby club be liable for an injury?
In the case of the professional game, contracted players have a number of obligations that they are required to observe arising from their contract of employment. Due to this contractual arrangement, a club may be liable for the negligent actions of a player who causes serious injury to another whilst they are acting in the course of their employment.
Known as vicarious liability, it allows a player to claim for personal injury because the harm was done during the playing of the game and, therefore, in the course of the second player's employment. Although this may include a deliberate stamp to a player, it does not extend to acts beyond the duration of a match.
Employers may also be liable where they subject a player to devastating and long-term health consequences by failing to warn them of the risks and consequences of preventable injury.
Amateur clubs
An amateur club is unlikely to be liable for an amateur player's conduct in the same sense. The player is not an employee and so vicarious liability is unlikely to apply.
However, it may still be possible to make a claim against the player directly. If the players actions amount to a criminal act, a claim may be made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
What was the cause of your rugby match injury?
Your solicitor will consider where and how your rugby injury occurred, as this can affect the type of claim you can make. Click on the icons below for more information.
Can I make a no win, no fee rugby match injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim rugby match injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
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On average, a professional rugby union player is more likely than not to sustain a concussion after 25 matches | British Journal of Sports Medicine (reviewed: 27/07/2024)
RFU (reviewed: 28/07/2024)
Author:
Gaynor Haliday, Legal researcher
About the author
Gaynor Haliday is an experienced legal researcher and published author. She has had numerous articles published in the press and is a legal industry commentator.