Re: 6 Nations: Mandatory connected Mouth Guard
Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 7:30 pm
This has been covered pretty well in the media for a few months and should come as no surprise...
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/ ... ad-impacts
and follows on from some extensive research into the nature of collisions and their impact on player welfare...
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/indep ... ver-before
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/ ... ad-impacts
and follows on from some extensive research into the nature of collisions and their impact on player welfare...
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/indep ... ver-before
There's something of a trend in reporting decisions and strategies surrounding the issue of head injury and its long term effects in rugby circles... that is to minimise the health risks over short term concern about 'the look of the game' or resistance to change from either players, commentators or coaches. My take on that is suck it up princesses, get over it and get on with it. As a sport, we need to take the issue of long term brain injury seriously and accept a need to change some aspects of our game and how we play it. Note the last sentence in that quote from Otago University's study... poor technique is a major issue. Tidy that up before complaining.The Otago Community Head Impact Detection study (ORCHID) a joint project between World Rugby, Prevent Biometrics, New Zealand Rugby, Otago Rugby and the University of Otago, has published the first independent, peer-reviewed findings into community rugby following almost two years of trail-blazing research. The study measures over 17,000 separate head acceleration events across more than 300 players from senior rugby through to U13s level.
This work was followed by the Elite Extension of the ORCHID study in partnership with the Ulster University and Premiership Rugby. Further updates into the women’s community game are currently being prepared for peer review and publication.
Both studies used smart mouthguard technology, supplied by Prevent Biometrics, to understand the forces on the head experienced by players both in matches and training situations. The mouthguards measure g-forces which are experienced for less time than it takes to blink, using technology independently verified both in research laboratories and on the field of play.
The ORCHID paper shows that in the men’s community game:
86 per cent of forces measured are the same as or less than those experienced in other forms of exercise such as running, jumping or skipping
94 per cent of forces are lower than those previously measured on people riding a rollercoaster
The large majority of events resulting in the highest measured forces are as a result of poor technique in the tackle and at the breakdown