Rugby World Cup 2025: Players to wear glowing mouthguards to signal violent head impacts

The mouthguard will light up red if a player receives an impact severe enough to potentially cause a concussion.

A high-tech innovation. Players competing in the Rugby World Cup in England , from August 22 to September 27, will wear connected mouthguards that will light up in the event of a significant impact to the head, World Rugby announced on Monday, August 11.

The mouthguard will illuminate red if a player sustains an impact severe enough to potentially cause a concussion. The flashing light will allow players, the refereeing body, and spectators to detect violent impacts to the head. The referee will then have to stop the match, and the affected player will leave the field to undergo a medical examination as part of the concussion protocol.

The goal is to introduce this system in all top-level rugby competitions, World Rugby representatives explained at a press conference in London. All players in the Women's World Cup will wear these mouthguards, with the exception of two who wear braces, World Rugby Chief Medical Officer Eanna Falvey said.

According to World Rugby statistics, in men's rugby, approximately 85% of players wear smart mouthguards, which are not currently mandatory. The international body introduced the smart mouthguard at the WXV Women's International Tournament in 2023, before rolling it out worldwide the following year.