World Rugby Announces EyeGuide partnership
Published Date : March 30, 2021
World Rugby has announced today at its Player Welfare and Laws Symposium that it is to evaluate the latest eye-tracking technology from EyeGuide to assist with the identification and management of concussions in the sport.
The technology will be used in the in the United Rugby Championship (URC) competition across Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa.
The technology will be used alongside the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocols to gather objective data of healthy baselines, post injury assessments and throughout the six stage graduated return to play process to monitor players returning from injury.
World Rugby Chief Medical Officer Dr Éanna Falvey said: “As a key element of our progressive approach to injury reduction and management in rugby, rugby continually explores and assesses technology developments that could enhance the care of players in our sport at all levels.
Eye-tracking technology as a means of supporting brain health has demonstrated positive potential in various clinical settings with the latest aggregate data suggesting that oculomotor functions are altered at the time of, or shortly after, concussion.
“We believe that oculomotor screening examination in rugby has the potential to boost the identification and management of concussions by objectively identifying potential abnormalities in oculomotor function between a player’s baseline and when removed for an HIA assessment, adding to the depth of identification methods available to the sport.”
The clubs using the technology are;
- Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster in Ireland;
- Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland;
- Scarlets, Dragons, Osprey and Cardiff in Wales;
- Benetton and Zebre in Italy, and;
- Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions in South Africa