The family of Siobhan Cattigan have opened legal proceedings against rugby's lawmakers, following her sudden death last year.
Cattigan died unexpectedly at the age of 26 in November 2021, and her family believe protocols weren't implemented properly on brain injuries, and that she was not given the appropriate aftercare to treat her repeated injuries, which caused deterioration in her mental health - which they said ultimately led to her death. She had won 19 caps for Scotland in the three-and-a-half years leading up to her death.
Parents Neil and Morven Cattigan are part of a new lawsuit against World Rugby and Scottish Rugby. They told The Sunday Times more should have been done to safeguard their daughter from the dangers of head trauma.
“It had got to the point where she could no longer live with the pain in her head and Siobhan succumbed to an irrational thought and impulsive action,” said Siobhan’s father, Neil. “They fixed her broken bones but turned their backs on Siobhan’s broken brain.”
“As time went by, I likened it to dementia, because I couldn’t think of anything that would change a personality so massively, something that completely alters you as a person," added mother Morven. “Siobhan was crumbling before our eyes and something catastrophic had happened in her brain.”
These proceedings are the latest in a rising number of legal cases against rugby's governing bodies. A group of almost 200 professional and semi-pro players recently filed against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) amid an increase in early-onset dementia diagnoses.
Scottish Rugby responded to the new litigation and said the Cattigans' account of their daughter's death "made for challenging reading." However, the union added it had extended an offer of support to the family following the tragedy.
A spokesperson said: “In the letter of condolence sent to Neil & Morven last December from our chairman, CEO and president of Scottish Rugby, we offered any support we could to the family, and that offer remains open."
They added: “We recognise this has been a very upsetting time for the Cattigan family and Siobhan’s close friends, and if any of Scottish Rugby’s actions following Siobhan’s passing have made that more difficult, then we do, of course, apologise sincerely.
“The published interview covers a significant number of topics which we are now considering carefully. We will be working through it with colleagues and advisors to learn, from their perspective, more about the issues mentioned.
“We fully acknowledge the seriousness of what the family have shared, however there are details and assertions about how our people are said to have acted that we do not recognise, or accept.
“Respecting medical confidentiality, and with reference in the interview to a potential legal claim, we are not in a position to communicate further on any details of Siobhan’s care at this time.
“We will continue to work closely with the many people connected to Scottish Rugby who knew and played with Siobhan to ensure they are supported at this very difficult time.”
Lawyer Robert Holland of Balfour+Manson, who is representing the Cattigans, said: “The central issue is whether this tragedy was avoidable if the head injury protocols brought in to protect players had been followed. Claims have been served on both World Rugby and the Scottish Rugby Union, and we await a response."
