Smart mouthguards to help head injury detection in Six Nations

Players at this year's Six Nations will use instrumented mouthguards to help doctors detect incidents requiring assessment of head injuries off the field, Six Nations Rugby announced on Friday.

Players will receive custom-made mouthguards that will transmit in-game alerts to the medical team to let them know if a pitchside assessment is necessary.

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“Six Nations Rugby, its Unions and Federations are focused on the game-wide commitment to prioritizing and innovating in this area for player welfare,” said Julie Paterson, director of rugby at the Six Nations. Six Nations Rugby.

“[It is] to ensure we use the latest technology and improve our processes where necessary, to protect players.

Mouthguards will be worn during practices as well as matches throughout their trial introduction.

The Six Nations runs from February 2 to March 16.