Overview

• World Rugby confirmed that every player except two with braces will wear the flashing smart mouthguards at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on August 22.
• The clear mouthguards are programmed to register linear and rotational accelerations above thresholds—65G for women, 75G for men, and 4,500 rad/s²—to trigger an instant red LED flash.
• By eliminating Bluetooth delays, the LED signal enables referees to stop play immediately and send players off for a head injury assessment at the exact moment of impact.
• World Rugby classifies the mouthguard’s G-force measurements as private medical data and has declined broadcaster requests to display raw force readings during matches.
• Following the Women’s World Cup, the flashing mouthguard technology will roll out across elite men’s competitions and the Rugby Championship, though uptake may be tempered by player comfort and privacy concerns.