Here are the latest rugby headlines for Thursday, May 18.
Dan Biggar starts in Challenge Cup final
Wales fly-half Dan Biggar will start for Toulon in their Challenge Cup final against Glasgow Warriors on Friday night. The former Heineken Cup champions pair the British and Irish Lions fly-half with Baptiste Serin at half-back in Dublin as they look for a first Challenge Cup crown, while South Africa's Cheslin Kolbe starts at full-back.
Their star-studded back row consists of Cornell du Preez, former France captain Charles Ollivon and Italy legend Sergio Parisse, while former France centre Mathieu Bastareaud is among the replacements.
Glasgow are also able to name a strong side, with 18 of their matchday 23 being internationals.
"This week's training has been highly competitive, with every player putting their hand up for selection and pushing each other forward," said Glasgow head coach Franco Smith. "Toulon will provide a stern test and they are a team that know how to play in finals rugby. We're excited for the challenge that lies in wait and we know we need to be at our best in Dublin."
Glasgow: Ollie Smith; Sebastian Cancelliere, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Kyle Steyn; Domingo Miotti, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson; JP du Preez, Scott Cummings; Matt Fagerson; Sione Vailanu, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Nathan McBeth, Simon Berghan, Richie Gray, Lewis Bean, Rory Darge, Ali Price, Stafford McDowall.
Toulon: Cheslin Kolbe; Jiuta Naqoli Wainiqolo, Waisea Vuidravuwalu, Duncan Paia'aua, Gabin Villiere; Dan Biggar, Baptiste Serin; Dany Priso, Teddy Baubigny, Beka Gigashvili; Mathieu Tanguy, Brian Alainu'uese; Cornell Du Preez, Charles Ollivon. Sergio Parisse.
Replacements: Christopher Tolofua, Jean Baptiste Gros, Kieran Brookes, Facundo Isa, Mathieu Bastareaud, Benoit Paillaugue, Ihaia West, Jeremy Sinzelle.
Tuipulotu only Welsh player to make team of the tournament
Prop Sisilia Tuipulotu is the only Welsh representation in the Women's Six Nations official team of the tournament, also making the shortlist for player of the tournament. Wales enjoyed an impressive campaign this year, winning three of their five matches to finish third, secure a place in the top tier of the new WXV competition and reach a new highest world ranking of sixth.
Tuipulotu, who is 19, had switched to tighthead prop from second-row and alongside her front-row teammates Kelsey Jones and Gwenllian Pyrs stole headlines throughout the tournament.
However, despite a number of stellar performances by those in red, the team of the tournament was predictably dominated by English players after they claimed a Grand Slam. There's nine Red Roses stars in the XV, with three French and two Scottish players completing the side. The team was decided by a fan vote, with the four players who earned the most votes being shortlisted for player of the tournament.
Tuipulotu, who enjoyed a breakout campaign, was one of those four, alongside French centre Gabrielle Vernier and English duo Marlie Packer and Hollie Aitchinson. In the end, it was Vernier who picked up the award, gathering nearly 40% of the vote.
Women's Six Nations official team of the tournament: 15. Rollie (Scotland), 14. Breach (England), 13. Menager (France), 12. Vernier (France), 11. Dow (England), 10. Aitchison (England), 9. Bourdon (France), 1. Botterman (England), 2. Skeldon (Scotland), 3. Tuipulotu (Wales), 4. Aldcroft (England), 5. Beckett (England), 6. Kabeya (England), 7. Packer (England), 8. Matthews (England).
England flanker set to miss World Cup
England flanker Ben Curry is set to miss the World Cup in France later this year after being ruled out for at least four months with a hamstring injury.
The 24-year-old was stretchered off in Sale's Premiership semi-final win over Leicester last weekend, with his club confirming he will need surgery. The injury is expected to keep him out for four to six months, with the World Cup starting at the beginning of September.
"Gutted that my season is over like this but looking forward to supporting the lads over the next two weeks," Curry said on Instagram.
It is a blow for Curry, having forced his way into the reckoning for a place in Steve Borthwick's side this season. Curry has won five caps since making his debut in 2021, with four of those coming in this year's Six Nations. As such, it felt like he was finally set to enjoy the same international recognition as his twin brother Tom, who has won 45 caps for England.
The news is also a blow for Sale ahead of their first Premiership final since 2006. They head into the clash with Saracens on May 27 also without Dan du Preez, who misses out due to a dislocated shoulder.
Scientists hopeful of cracking concussion code for female athletes
By Jamie Gardner, PA Chief Sports Reporter
Scientists are hoping to move a step closer to cracking the concussion code for female athletes before the end of the year.
Marker Diagnostics has developed a tool which can identify the "unique signature" for concussion in a male player's saliva.
In 2021, a University of Birmingham study found the tool was able to accurately predict the outcome of 94 per cent of head injury assessments (HIAs) conducted on elite male rugby players.
Marker researchers are now working to establish whether the same test can also accurately and objectively diagnose concussion in female players, or if a female-specific test is required.
Testing has been going on in the English women's top flight since 2018, at the Women's World Cup and the Farah Palmer Cup in New Zealand last year and at the TikTok Six Nations last year and this year.
The study, jointly funded by World Rugby and Marker, is set to continue in the English elite game and in this summer's Farah Palmer Cup, and potentially in other women's competitions where HIAs are conducted.
All players who consent to participate are given a 'baseline' saliva swab and fill out a health questionnaire prior to competing. They are then retested if they undergo an HIA at any point during competition.
These tests are taken at each stage of the HIA - immediately after an impact during a match, immediately after the match and between 36 and 48 hours after the match.
Patrick O'Halloran, a senior medical adviser at Marker, told the PA news agency: "We've seen differences between men and women at baseline, the thing we should be able to uncover by the end of this year will be whether concussion expression is different in women or is it just diagnosed differently, and what happens after that concussion.
"It could be 'OK, men and women look a bit different on the basis of these markers, but actually those differences are proportional and after a concussion, the test is still positive when we expect it to be.
"Or actually it could be that you need a different panel of biomarkers in women altogether."
Asked why this study is so important, O'Halloran added: "This is a group of athletes playing at a unique time, when women's sport is really exploding in terms of its popularity.
"The opportunities for women's sports at the moment are really, really huge. Unfortunately, at the same time, there isn't the same resource in women's sport as there is in men's. But women still get concussed.
"Medics in women's sports still have that challenge of trying to objectively diagnose concussion in female athletes. So putting something in place that can bridge that gap in resource is going to be really powerful as women's sport continues to expand and develop.
"This is providing additional information, unique information that wasn't available before to make players safer.
"That's what everyone wants - players, players' representatives, coaches want more clarity and objectivity, and what leagues want is a more consistent standard of care and a consistency and objectivity to that too.
"What we're looking for is that signature that is unique to concussion to enable medically informed treatment."
Published research suggests female athletes suffer a higher rate of concussion, which may be accompanied by a wider range of more severe and prolonged symptoms compared to their male counterparts.
Dr Valentina Di Pietro, from the University of Birmingham, said: "Concussion can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in settings such as grassroots sports where evaluation by a specialist clinician is not possible.
"Consequently, some concussions may go undiagnosed. A non-invasive and accurate diagnostic test using saliva is a real game-changer and will provide an invaluable tool to help doctors diagnose concussions more consistently and accurately."
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