Latest news with #EannaFalvey
The Journal
7 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Women's Rugby World Cup to adopt flashing mouthguards to signal head impact
MOUTHGUARDS THAT LIGHT up to indicate a player has suffered a significant head impact will be used at the Women's Rugby World Cup. Mouthguards will flash red if the impact is severe enough to potentially cause a concussion. The referee will then stop play and the player will leave the field for a head injury assessment. The aim is to introduce the system into all top-flight rugby. Dr Eanna Falvey, the chief medical officer at World Rugby, said every player at the Women's World Cup, which starts on 22 August, will wear the mouthguards, apart from two who wear braces. He added that in the men's game around 85% of players wear so-called 'smart mouthguards', which are not compulsory. The mouthguards measure how much a player's head moves and rotates in a collision. When it registers an acceleration above a set limit, it will flash. World Rugby data indicates that while concussion rates are similar in women's and men's rugby, 'head acceleration' events are significantly less likely for female players. World Rugby brought in the 'instrumented mouthguard' at the women's international tournament in 2023 before introducing it globally the following year. Scotland hooker George Turner was the first elite male player to be taken off for a head injury assessment after his gumshield detected a potentially worrying head impact in a match against France in last year's Six Nations. Advertisement Dr Lindsay Starling, World Rugby's science and medical manager, speaking alongside Falvey at a Twickenham press conference on Monday, said the aim was to help players rather than merely accumulate information. 'The data set that has grown over the last year is huge,' he said. 'So now it's actually making sure that it doesn't just become a data collection exercise but we actually understand what that data means and then start putting things in place for players such that they are actually benefiting from the data that's being collected.' Starling added mouthguards could help identify foul play, although she warned: 'What everybody needs to understand that, in the same way, a player can get concussed from a pretty small head impact, foul play (can take place) without registering anything substantial.' Head injuries have become an issue in rugby union as the game has become increasingly physical in the professional era. A group of nearly 300 former players launched legal action over brain injuries in December 2023. The players allege World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and England's Rugby Football Union failed to establish reasonable measures to protect their health and safety. Injuries from head blows are said to have caused other disorders including motor neurone disease, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. Ireland open their World Cup campaign against Japan in Northampton on 24 August, before games against Spain (31 August) and New Zealand (7 September). – © AFP 2025 Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
Economic Times
7 days ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Women's Rugby World Cup: Players to wear high-tech mouthguards to improve safety
Women's Rugby World Cup in England will use smart mouthguards. These mouthguards flash red after heavy head impacts. This aims to boost safety. It will reduce concussion risks. Match-day doctors will get instant alerts. Referees can stop play if they see red light. The technology may be introduced across top-tier rugby next season. This will help in quicker medical intervention. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads At the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup in England, players will wear high-tech mouthguards that flash red after heavy head impacts, aiming to boost safety and reduce concussion risks, British media reported. The 'smart' gumshields, in use from August 22 to September 27, will instantly alert the match-day doctor when a significant collision is will also be advised to stop play if they see the red light. Following its debut at the tournament, the technology is expected to be introduced across top-tier rugby next development builds on World Rugby 's adoption of instrumented mouthguards into the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process in October 2023. Initially trialed in the WXV women's competition, the devices became a formal part of HIA protocols from January Rugby chief medical officer Dr. Eanna Falvey told The Times that some male players have declined to wear the Bluetooth-enabled mouthguards, citing discomfort, privacy issues, or reluctance to participate in off-field HIAs. In contrast, women's teams have been more receptive."The women's leagues and teams are much more likely to collaborate and are more excited about opportunities in technology," Falvey said. He confirmed full opt-in participation for the World Cup, except for two players who cannot use the devices due to wearing delivering real-time impact data and visible alerts, the mouthguards are designed to enable quicker medical intervention and stronger player protection. World Rugby hopes the innovation will become a transformative tool in managing head injuries and safeguarding athletes at every level of the game.
The Star
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Women's Rugby World Cup players to wear mouthguards that light up on heavy impact
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Women's World Cup - Final - England v New Zealand - Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand - November 12, 2022 New Zealand celebrate winning the Women's World Cup with the trophy REUTERS/David Rowland/File Photo (Reuters) -Players at the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup will sport high-tech mouthguards that light up red when they suffer heavy head impacts, in a move aimed at improving player safety and reducing concussion, British media reported. The smart gumshields will send an alert to the match-day doctor warning of possible concussions during the August 22 to September 27 tournament in England, while referees will be advised to stop play upon seeing the red flash. The LED mouthguards are set to be implemented in top-flight rugby next season following the Women's Rugby World Cup, British media reported. The technology builds on World Rugby's introduction of smart mouthguards as part of the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process in October 2023, which debuted in the WXV women's competition that year before being integrated into the HIA from January 2024. "If you want to be involved in the off-field assessment, you need to be wearing the mouthguard, so there are male players who opt out of getting an off-field HIA because they don't want to wear an instrumented mouthguard," Dr Eanna Falvey, chief medical officer at World Rugby, was quoted as saying by The Times. "We've had players who decided that they don't like the fact that it's a Bluetooth device, we've had players that feel it's uncomfortable, we've had players who don't want to know. "The women's leagues and teams and competitions, I don't know the reason for it, but they're much more likely to collaborate, they're much more accepting and excited about opportunities in technology. "We have full opt-in for the World Cup now. There are two people wearing braces so they physically can't wear it, but other than that we're full opt-in." Reuters has contacted World Rugby for comment. (Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast,)
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Women's Rugby World Cup players to wear mouthguards that light up on heavy impact
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Women's World Cup - Final - England v New Zealand - Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand - November 12, 2022 New Zealand celebrate winning the Women's World Cup with the trophy REUTERS/David Rowland/File Photo Players at the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup will sport high-tech mouthguards that light up red when they suffer heavy head impacts, in a move aimed at improving player safety and reducing concussion, British media reported. The smart gumshields will send an alert to the match-day doctor warning of possible concussions during the August 22 to September 27 tournament in England, while referees will be advised to stop play upon seeing the red flash. The LED mouthguards are set to be implemented in top-flight rugby next season following the Women's Rugby World Cup, British media reported. The technology builds on World Rugby's introduction of smart mouthguards as part of the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process in October 2023, which debuted in the WXV women's competition that year before being integrated into the HIA from January 2024. "If you want to be involved in the off-field assessment, you need to be wearing the mouthguard, so there are male players who opt out of getting an off-field HIA because they don't want to wear an instrumented mouthguard," Dr Eanna Falvey, chief medical officer at World Rugby, was quoted as saying by The Times. "We've had players who decided that they don't like the fact that it's a Bluetooth device, we've had players that feel it's uncomfortable, we've had players who don't want to know. "The women's leagues and teams and competitions, I don't know the reason for it, but they're much more likely to collaborate, they're much more accepting and excited about opportunities in technology. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Power fault downs MRT service on stretch of North East Line; recovery may take 2-3 hours Singapore Live: NEL MRT disruption Business Singapore raises 2025 economic growth forecast but warns of uncertainty from US tariffs Singapore Circle Line to close early most Fridays and Saturdays, start late most weekends from Sept 5-Dec 28 Business Goh Cheng Liang, Nippon Paint billionaire and richest Singaporean, dies aged 98 Business StarHub buys rest of MyRepublic's broadband business in $105m deal; comes after Simba buys M1 World After tariff truce extended, a Trump-Xi summit in China? Asia Death of student in Sabah raises hurdle for Malaysian PM Anwar as he faces tough state polls soon "We have full opt-in for the World Cup now. There are two people wearing braces so they physically can't wear it, but other than that we're full opt-in." Reuters has contacted World Rugby for comment. REUTERS
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Rugby-Women's Rugby World Cup players to wear mouthguards that light up on heavy impact
Aug 12 - Players at the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup will sport high-tech mouthguards that light up red when they suffer heavy head impacts, in a move aimed at improving player safety and reducing concussion, British media reported. Rugby-Women's Rugby World Cup players to wear mouthguards that light up on heavy impact The smart gumshields will send an alert to the match-day doctor warning of possible concussions during the August 22 to September 27 tournament in England, while referees will be advised to stop play upon seeing the red flash. The LED mouthguards are set to be implemented in top-flight rugby next season following the Women's Rugby World Cup, British media reported. The technology builds on World Rugby's introduction of smart mouthguards as part of the Head Injury Assessment process in October 2023, which debuted in the WXV women's competition that year before being integrated into the HIA from January 2024. "If you want to be involved in the off-field assessment, you need to be wearing the mouthguard, so there are male players who opt out of getting an off-field HIA because they don't want to wear an instrumented mouthguard," Dr Eanna Falvey, chief medical officer at World Rugby, was quoted as saying by The Times. "We've had players who decided that they don't like the fact that it's a Bluetooth device, we've had players that feel it's uncomfortable, we've had players who don't want to know. "The women's leagues and teams and competitions, I don't know the reason for it, but they're much more likely to collaborate, they're much more accepting and excited about opportunities in technology. "We have full opt-in for the World Cup now. There are two people wearing braces so they physically can't wear it, but other than that we're full opt-in." Reuters has contacted World Rugby for comment. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
