Cardiff University has launched a groundbreaking study to assess the risks of repeated head impacts in women's rugby, aiming to produce the first evidence-based head impact assessment protocol for the sport. The research, titled 'Towards precise brain health guidelines for women's rugby', follows concerns that female brains are softer and more vulnerable to concussion than male brains, yet most existing research focuses on men's sports.
The study involves monitoring players from the university's women's rugby team during training and matches using instrumented mouth guards, cognitive tests, MRI scans, and computer modelling. This is the first time all four methods have been used on the same group. Lead researcher Dr Peter Theobald noted that women's sports research is historically underrepresented, and the lack of historical data on women's rugby makes the study particularly important.
Players Cleo Pallister-Turley and Ffion James, who participated in hours-long MRI scans, expressed enthusiasm for the research despite the demands on their time. 'I do feel safer knowing there's going to be more research,' said James. Pallister-Turley added, 'Any injury would be worth the game for me. The reason I play is for my teammates.'
The study is expected to be published by the end of 2026. While the findings may not be comforting—previous studies have linked long careers in male rugby to increased risks of CTE and dementia—the goal is not to discourage participation but to inform players of the risks so they can make educated decisions.
