Ex-Munster and Ireland player Tony Buckley to sue rugby governing bodies
Former Munster and Ireland player Tony Buckley of Kanturk. File Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
A former Munster and Ireland rugby player has filed a notice of intended court action against parties including the IRFU and Munster Rugby, in what is believed to be a concussion-related case.
Tony Buckley won 25 caps for Ireland and played just under 100 times for Munster during his career. The Cork native ended his career at Sale Sharks in England in 2014.
Mr Buckley, a former tighthead prop, is being represented by Dublin firm Maguire McClafferty solicitors.
That same firm is also representing three rugby players who initiated proceedings against the IRFU last autumn, in what were believed to be concussion-related cases.
Proceedings were initiated by David Corkery, Declan Fitzpatrick, and Ben Marshall in September.
In 2021, Maguire McClafferty announced it would be handling a number of concussion-related cases in cooperation with UK firm Rylands Legal UK.
“We act for a number of retired professional rugby players, all of whom have played for both Province and Country,” it said at that time.
“Further cases are coming forward on a regular basis.
“It is expected that these proceedings will be opposed by the rugby authorities within this jurisdiction and may therefore take some time to be resolved.
“Needless to say, the identities of the players involved remains completely confidential and will not be disclosed unless and until proceedings are issued.”
The notice of intended action lodged by Buckley on Thursday lists Munster Rugby, Sale, the IRFU, the English equivalent RFU and World Rugby as defendants.
In an interview with The42.ie in 2018, he opened up about his experience with depression for the first time and delved into the scale of the injuries he’d received in his career.
“With the game the way it is now, pain is a constant,” he told that publication. “You can’t take that many hits and not be in pain. I’m still plagued.
“People talking about unfulfilled potential, that’s why I try not to go into the past. People who believe that, they haven’t walked any steps in my shoes. When you have so many injuries and illnesses, pains and aches, and you’re trying to play every week… I loved playing, I’d be buzzing… but those negatives just take from the love of it. You end up being swallowed up by the negativity.”
In a statement, the IRFU said: “People in rugby have been moved by the personal accounts of former players as reported in the media. Player welfare is of paramount importance to the IRFU and we are constantly reviewing safety protocols for all players.
“Our approach, based on scientific evidence, involves a commitment to ongoing education, monitoring and application of safety protocols across the game, including proactively managing elite player game time with a focus on injury prevention and oversight.
“As this is a legal matter it would be inappropriate to comment on these cases directly, which will now be handled by our insurers.”
Maguire McClafferty has been contacted for comment.
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