LEDs will flash red for potentially concussive impacts
‘It will create awareness,’ World Rugby says
Rugby union is to introduce flashing LED mouthguards that light up when a player suffers a significant head impact during a match. The mouthguard will flash red if the impact is severe enough to potentially cause a concussion. The referee will then stop play and the player will go off for a head injury assessment.
Dr Lindsay Starling, a science and medical manager at World Rugby, said the new system would debut at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which begins next week, before being rolled out across the men’s and women’s elite game. “Match officials and players will be able to see that this player has sustained a big head impact because their mouth guard is flashing red,” she said. “And it will create awareness about head injuries and concussions in the stands and for fans at home, being able to see it on TV.”
Dr Eanna Falvey, the chief medical officer at World Rugby, said every player at the Women’s World Cup would be wearing the new mouthguards, apart from two who wear braces. He said that was significantly higher than for the men’s game, in which around 85% of players wear smart mouthguards.
