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Nick Draper, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Canterbury

Flashing mouthguards that signal a head injury will soon hit the rugby field – are they a game changer?

Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

When the Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off this weekend, spectators will witness more than the usual thrills, skills and physical brilliance the code delivers – they’ll also see something completely novel: flashing mouthguards.

Designed to help keep professional players safer, these smart mouthguards flash when a player experiences a collision big enough to potentially result in a concussion. This is an advance on existing instrumented mouthguards, used in the professional game since the 2023 men’s Rugby World Cup.

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