For anyone unaware, allow me to inform you that the Women’s Rugby World Cup is currently underway in England. It’s one of my dreams to watch a professional rugby game at some point or another in my life, and watching a World Cup game would be something not easily forgotten.
There is no protective equipment worn in rugby, aside from a mouthguard. The mouthguard is intended to prevent concussions, and I know mine has saved me from a few. But, concussions can and do still happen frequently in this game because of the high level of contact, so you might be wondering what else can be done to prevent head injuries.
The players participating in the Women’s Rugby World Cup this year are wearing a new mouthguard, equipped with technology that allows them to light up and flash red when a player has taken a particularly nasty hit. The flashing red light does not automatically mean that the player in question has a concussion; rather, if their mouthguard lights up, the player is removed from the field for a 12-minute concussion assessment. If they’re cleared, they’re able to come back into the game. If they’re not, they are removed from the game for safety reasons.
I’ve never seen this sort of mouthguard technology, and according to this BBC article by Mike Henson, these mouthguards will be available to all professional rugby players playing at the elite level following the conclusion of the Women’s World Cup.
I suppose some people might argue that it’s a waste of time and productivity to remove a player from the game for 12 minutes, only for them to be cleared to come back and play. I do understand this side of the argument, but at the end of the day, head injuries are serious as hell and should be treated as such.
ontheedgeofeverything 