Mouthguards designed to detect concussions set for use at the Women's Rugby World Cup.
Revolutionary Mouthguard System to Debut at Women's Rugby World Cup 2025
A groundbreaking mouthguard system, designed to detect severe head impacts potentially causing concussions, will make its debut at the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025. This exciting development is set to revolutionise the sport, promising a safer and more informed playing field.
The new mouthguards, equipped with LED lights, will light up red when a player experiences a head acceleration exceeding 75g (for men) or 65gs (for women) and 4,500 radians per second squared. This immediate alert system, a significant improvement over the current Bluetooth system which can take several seconds to alert the match day doctor, will enable referees to halt play and allow players to undergo a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
Every player at the Women's World Cup will wear the new mouthguards, with the exception of two players who wear braces. It is estimated that a significantly higher proportion of players in the women's game will adopt the new mouthguards compared to the men's game, with 85% of participants set to wear them.
Dr Eanna Falvey, World Rugby's chief medical officer, announced the new system, stating its aim to create awareness about head injuries and concussions among fans in the stands, at home, and on TV. However, concerns regarding the broadcast of g-force data have been raised due to medical data privacy matters.
Dr Lindsay Starling, a science and medical manager at World Rugby, has expressed hope that players will embrace this new technology in rugby. She also acknowledged the fine line between what is considered "big" and what is safe and correct in rugby, and warned against over-relying on the data from the mouthguard, as it might not tell the whole story of a concussion or foul play.
Dr Starling is currently working with players to explore the potential for sharing their data for broadcasting purposes in the future, subject to player consent and privacy concerns. The new mouthguard system is set to provide a safer, more informed, and more transparent rugby experience for all.
[1] Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 dates announced: [link] [2] New mouthguard system to debut at Women's Rugby World Cup: [link] [3] Mouthguard to flash red for severe head impacts: [link] [4] Referees to stop play when mouthguard flashes red: [link]
- The new mouthguard system, designed to enhance health-and-wellness and safer playing conditions, will be integrated into Europe's football pitches, as technological innovation from the sport of rugby expands beyond its traditional boundaries.
- While the new Monitoring and Alerting System (MAS) is set to revolutionize the world of rugby, its potential applications extend beyond sports, as medical-conditions monitoring becomes increasingly reliant on wearable technology in health-and-wellness and wellness routines.
- This advancement in mouthguard technology is not limited to sports, as researchers in the field of science are already exploring possibilities of utilizing such devices in other areas such as collision sports (like American football and hockey), as well as extreme sports (like motocross and skiing) to minimize the risks associated with severe head impacts.
