Former Rugby Players Allege Governing Bodies Failed to Protect Them

Former players take legal action

Rugby union faces growing concerns over brain injuries as former players take legal action against governing bodies, alleging negligence and failure to protect players.

The Women's Rugby World Cup will feature innovative flashing mouthguards designed to detect potential concussions. These smart mouthguards, supplied by Prevent Biometrics, will alert medical staff if a player experiences a significant head impact, indicated by a red flash. This technology aims to enhance player safety by identifying potential concussions that may not be immediately apparent.

How it Works:

Real-time Alerts: The mouthguard sends real-time alerts to the independent matchday doctor if a high acceleration event is detected.

Head Injury Assessment: If an alert is triggered, the player will be removed from the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) to determine if they can continue playing.

Data Collection: The technology collects data on head impacts, providing valuable insights for coaches, players, and medical staff to improve player welfare.

This technology has been developed in partnership with World Rugby, who has invested €2 million to support the adoption of smart mouthguards. The system is expected to enhance the existing Head Injury Assessment process, which currently has a 90% success rate in diagnosing concussions.

World Rugby is set to revolutionize player safety with the introduction of smart mouthguard technology in top-flight rugby. The innovative mouthguards, equipped with sensors to measure collision impacts, will be worn by all players at the Women's World Cup, starting August 22, except for two players with braces. This technology aims to detect potential concussions and enhance the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process.

How Smart Mouthguards Work

Real-time Alerts: The mouthguards send real-time alerts to independent match-day doctors if a player experiences a high-level head acceleration event, potentially indicating a concussion.

Data Collection: The technology collects data on head impacts, providing valuable insights for coaches, players, and medical staff to improve player welfare.

Improved Player Safety: By identifying potential concussions early, smart mouthguards can help reduce the risk of long-term brain damage and promote a safer playing environment.

World Rugby has invested €2 million in this technology, supplied by Prevent Biometrics, to support unions, competitions, and clubs in adopting smart mouthguards. The governing body aims to extend this technology to all levels of the game, emphasizing player safety and welfare.

Dr. Eanna Falvey noted that in men's rugby, around 85% of players wear smart mouthguards, which are not mandatory. These mouthguards measure head movement and rotation during collisions, flashing when acceleration exceeds a set limit. According to World Rugby data, while concussion rates are similar between men's and women's rugby, female players experience significantly fewer “head acceleration” events.

Key Findings:

Concussion Rates: Similar in both men's and women's rugby

Head Acceleration Events: Less frequent in women's rugby compared to men's

Smart Mouthguard Use: Around 85% of male players wear smart mouthguards, which are not compulsory

The introduction of mandatory smart mouthguards at the Women's World Cup aims to enhance player safety and provide valuable insights into head impacts in women's rugby.

Nearly 300 former rugby players, including England World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery, have launched a legal battle against World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union, and England's Rugby Football Union. The players claim the governing bodies failed to protect their health and safety, leading to irreversible neurological impairments from repetitive concussive and sub-concussive injuries sustained during their careers.

Allegations Against Governing Bodies:

Failure to protect health and safety: The players allege that World Rugby, the RFU, and WRU were negligent in their duty to prevent permanent injury from head impacts.

Lack of immediate action: The claimants argue that the governing bodies did not take reasonable measures to mitigate the risks associated with concussions and sub-concussions.

The legal action, which seeks damages for the players and their families, highlights the growing concern over head injuries in rugby. The claimants' lawyers emphasize the need for urgent changes to prioritize player welfare and safety.

Potential Implications:

Compensation: The players are seeking damages for their injuries, which could exceed £300 million.

Reforms: The outcome of this case may lead to significant changes in how rugby governing bodies approach player safety and welfare

Dr. Lindsay Starling, World Rugby's Science and Medical Manager, emphasized that the primary goal of introducing smart mouthguards in rugby is to enhance player welfare, not just collect data. Starling highlighted the technology's potential to revolutionize the game by providing real-time insights into head impacts, enabling medical staff to make swift and informed decisions about player safety.

Advancements in Rugby Safety

Dr. Eanna Falvey highlighted the significant growth in data collected over the past year, thanks to the implementation of instrumented mouthguard technology. This data will help World Rugby better understand head impacts and improve player safety protocols, ultimately informing decisions on foul play and concussion prevention.

“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 that mouthguards could help identify foul play, although she warned: “What everybody needs to understand (is) 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.”

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.

Thompson and ex-Wales star Alix Popham have both revealed they suffer from early-onset dementia.

Injuries from head blows are said to have caused other disorders, including motor neurone disease, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.