The parents of tragic Stirling County and Scotland rugby player Siobhan Cattigan are launching legal action against rugby authorities after accusing them of failing to follow head injury guidelines.
The 26-year-old forward passed away suddenly in November, with the cause of her death never fully explained. However, parents Neil and Morven have claimed in an interview published over the weekend that the death was related to brain trauma.
They have now begun a lawsuit against Scottish Rugby and World Rugby after claiming concerns had been raised over Siobhan’s health following head injuries in February 2020 and April 2021.
The handling of head injuries in the sport has been a hot topic, with several former players initiating legal action after detailing their own issues with concussion and dementia.
The Cattigans’ lawyer - Robert Holland of Balfour and Manson LLP - 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. It is hoped matters can be resolved so Siobhan’s family can finally get some closure and lessons can be learnt by rugby union’s governing bodies.”
The news of Siobhan’s death came as a massive shock in the Stirling rugby community, with the club hosting a special friendly match at Bridgehaugh to honour the popular back-row forward, who won 19 caps for her country.
Siobhan was also a student at Stirling University alongside her rugby career and received a Masters degree in sports psychology from her studies.
In a statement, the Scottish Rugby Union said: “The account of Siobhan Cattigan’s life and sad passing reported in the media today, as told by her parents, made for challenging reading.
"Neil and Morven Cattigan have shown enormous courage in sharing so openly details of their relationship with their daughter and the thoughts of everyone at Scottish Rugby continue to be with the family.
"In the letter of condolence sent to Neil and 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.
“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.”
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