Exclusive: Frustration as RFU confirm player welfare mouthguard trial is delayed
This article is an exclusive by Progressive Rugby
A project using cutting-edge technology to gather critical data across the Gallagher Premiership so club’s medical teams can understand how to best manage and protect players has been delayed, the RFU has confirmed.
In July, the RFU announced an action plan aimed at reducing both the exposure to head impacts and concussion risk within men’s and women’s elite rugby matches and training in England.
As part of that plan, launched following a wave of concerning studies linking brain damage and depression with the game, the governing body said a league wide instrumented mouthguard (iMG) project was to take place during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership seasons.
But after being approached by Progressive Rugby, the RFU said that while they remain “fully committed” to the trial, it confirmed that the process has stalled due to issues in the tendering process and won’t be introduced until the 2022/23 season at the very earliest.
Embarrassingly, the news comes just hours after the Times reported that the RFU has for the first time has included “head impact prevention” in its annual report as one of the key issues to be addressed.
Conor O’Shea, RFU Director of Performance Rugby said: “We are still in the tender process for a supplier, and this is taking longer than anticipated. However, it’s vital we understand the value of each system and ensure we have the right mouthguard and the right in-house and analysis support.
“We hope to make a decision on this in early 2022 and will then commence roll out of the research project in Gallagher Premiership Rugby and the Allianz Premier 15s for the 2022/23 season.”
But former England scrum-half and Progressive Rugby member Kyran Bracken has reacted with frustration, saying if player welfare is genuinely a priority the correct technology needed to be identified and rolled out as a matter of urgency.
“This delay is incredibly frustrating because a season’s delay is a long time in the field of research and it appears there is no absolute guarantee in will be in place by next season,” Bracken, a member of England’s 2003 RWC winning squad, said.
“We are repeatedly told that more evidence is needed to address what we fiercely maintain is a return to play protocol, one which allows a player who has suffered a brain injury to return to the field the following weekend, that is not fit for purpose.
“The sooner this data is produced, the sooner this farce can be addressed and a process that takes pressure off the players and medics can be introduced to ensure both players and the long-term future of this great game can be protected.”
Progressive Rugby understands the delays in the tendering process relate to discrepancies between the RFU and World Rugby on which technology to use. While the RFU, PRL and RPA have been advocates of the PROTECHT Solution mouthguard, World Rugby favours and is using the PREVENT Biometrics System for their innovative community rugby impact study with the University of Otago and New Zealand Rugby.
While news of the delay is disappointing, the response from the RFU did highlight that the technology will be introduced into the Allianz Premier 15s at the same time, following on from the franchise being the first domestic league to introduce the HIA protocol.
Former Wales international Nic Evans, who represents Progressive Rugby on World Rugby’s women player welfare steering group, said: “It’s pleasing this technology will be introduced in the Allianz Premier 15s because all stakeholders acknowledge the severe lack of gender-specific data around concussion in the women’s game needs to be urgently addressed.”
Currently only a few clubs in the Premiership have adopted mouthguard technology, including Harlequins and Gloucester who use the PROTECHT Solution to manage their player’s workloads and monitor head injury data.
Many think Quins’ remarkable rise to Premiership Champions last season was underpinned by their radical approach to reducing contract training by around 70% which produced a fresher squad and unparalleled player availability.
And last week, Gloucester Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer Alex Brown, told the club’s fan’s forum that Gloucester continued to invest in the technology so that they could remain “ahead of the curve” when it came to player welfare.
“We definitely take it seriously, hence the cutting-edge mouthguard technology we have invested in for our players. We think it’s the right thing to do for the long-term success of the game,” he said.
Bar further problems, all 13 clubs will next season have the opportunity to benefit part of the instrumented mouthguard (iMG) project.
O’Shea added: “Using science and technology to evolve thinking to optimise player welfare and brain health for prospective, current and past players is a key focus for us.
“The RFU and Premiership Rugby in partnership are both fully committed to conducting the instrumented mouthguard study. The findings will be an important addition to rugby’s developing understanding of head impact exposure.
“In the meantime, we are contributing to World Rugby’s global study with the England Women’s senior team who wore instrumented mouthguards during their recent autumn internationals campaign in matches against New Zealand and also during training.”
Both the RFU and World Rugby have launched a number of significant initiatives in recent months to counter concerns that playing rugby can lead to brain injury and mental health issues later in life.
Most recently World Rugby said its new Brain Health Initiative reflects commitment to educate and support current and former elite players who might be concerned about their wellbeing and brain health, building on its innovative six-point player welfare strategy.
