Could study into head injuries change women's rugby?
Cardiff University research on concussion in women's rugby shows female athletes are more susceptible and take longer to recover. Former players demand separate safety standards, as current guidelines are based on men's game.
A groundbreaking study by Cardiff University's medical engineering team aims to create the first head impact assessment protocol designed specifically for female athletes. The research found that repeated blows to the head affect women differently, with female athletes more susceptible to concussion and reporting longer recovery times. Symptoms also vary: men often experience amnesia, while women report prolonged headaches, mental fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.
Despite these findings, rugby's concussion guidelines remain largely based on the men's game. Former Wales internationals Elinor Snowsill, Caryl James, and Alecs Donovan support the study and stress the need for tailored rules. "We are not just mini versions of men," said Snowsill, who earned 76 caps. "There is no game more important than your brain."
The study involves 30 players from the university's women's rugby team, using specialized mouthguards that record force, speed, and direction of head impacts, along with cognitive tests and MRI scans. Researchers hope to gather enough data by year's end to determine if new guidelines can be set.
PhD student Freya Butcher noted that only 6% of sports science research focuses solely on female athletes. "Women have definitely been let down over the years," said Caryl James. Players acknowledge the study has raised awareness about head health – previously, many hid concussion symptoms for fear of being sidelined.
The research aims not to scare people away from rugby but to enable informed decisions about head health, said player Cleo Pallister-Turley. Meanwhile, hundreds of former players, including English World Cup winners, have filed legal action against rugby authorities over failure to protect from neurological consequences of repeated head impacts.
