2025 Rugby World Cup Innovation: Bright Mouthguard Technology for Concussion Prevention
In a groundbreaking move, World Rugby has introduced connected mouthguards for women's rugby, marking a significant advancement in concussion detection and player welfare. These smart mouthguards, primarily used during the Women's Rugby World Cup and other major events, can detect large head impacts in real time and alert medical staff via Bluetooth.
The smart mouthguards, which became prominent around 2021, are equipped with flashing red LEDs. If the LED in a player's connected mouthguard goes off, the referee must stop the game for immediate medical examination. The mouthguards also provide valuable data on accumulated head impacts, which research suggests could influence long-term brain health.
While the smart mouthguards effectively enhance concussion monitoring and awareness, their primary role is detection rather than prevention. Mouthguards, in general, are known to reduce the risk of dental and orofacial injuries and have been associated with decreased concussion incidence in other sports like ice hockey. However, the direct effectiveness of connected mouthguards in preventing concussions in women's rugby specifically is less explicitly quantified in the available research.
World Rugby complements this technology with guidelines to reduce contact in training to lower injury risks overall, suggesting a holistic approach beyond just mouthguard use.
Prior to the 2023 Rugby World Cup for women's teams, Bluetooth-connected mouthguards without light were also introduced. These mouthguards, while not subject to the rule that if the light goes off, the game must be stopped for immediate medical examination initially, were globally rolled out the following year. Notably, they were used during the men's Six Nations, but they were not a part of the connected mouthguards during the 2023 Rugby World Cup for women's teams.
All participating players in the Rugby World Cup will wear connected mouthguards, ensuring a safer environment for all players. The immediate examination of a player whose LED goes off will be conducted by a doctor.
Concussions are a well-known issue in rugby and many other contact sports. The use of connected mouthguards is a preventive measure against concussions in rugby and contact sports. The 2023 Rugby World Cup for women's teams will take place in England from August 22 to September 7.
References: 1. World Rugby Press Release 2. BBC News Article 3. The Guardian Article
- The introduction of Bluetooth-connected mouthguards in 2021, as observed in the Women's Rugby World Cup and other major events, signifies an advancement in the field of health-and-wellness, specifically focusing on therapies-and-treatments for concussions in sports.
- These mouthguards, while primary for concussion detection, also have potential benefits in sports like football, where research suggests that mouthguards could reduce the risk of dental and orofacial injuries, and possibly decrease the incidence of concussions.
- In an effort to further enhance health-and-wellness and player welfare, World Rugby has complemented the use of connected mouthguards with guidelines for reducing contact in training, illustrating a holistic approach encompassing science and sports.
