More than 500 former rugby union and league players are fighting a bid by the sports’ governing bodies to have their High Court claims over brain injuries struck out due to repeated failures to disclose medical evidence.Legal action is being brought by more than 1,100 ex-amateur and professional players against World Rugby, Welsh Rugby Union, the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the Rugby Football League and the British Amateur Rugby League Association.The former players claim they have been left with serious neurological conditions, depression and anxiety as a result of repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows.Their lawyers allege the governing bodies breached their duty of care, but World Rugby has argued in its defence that it had no such duty and that injuries are an “inherent risk” in the sport. All the organisations are rigorously defending the claims.Lawyers for the governing bodies argued at a hearing in London on Wednesday that around 380 claims in rugby union and a further 132 in league should be thrown out, saying there have been repeated failures by their legal representatives to comply with court orders over disclosure of key medical evidence.But lawyers representing the former players told the court the case is of “significant public interest and societal importance for the continuance of contact/collision sports in the UK” and argue the claims should be allowed to proceed.