Introducing Light Caps for Detecting Head Injuries in Rugby

• Light caps are being introduced at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
• The caps will detect serious head impacts, stopping the game for medical assessments.
• All players, except for two, will wear these caps during matches.

At the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which will take place from September 22 to September 27, 2025, in England, new light caps will be introduced. These caps will light up red in the event that a player sustains a serious head impact.

As noted by Dr. Linda Starling, a medical manager at World Rugby, the new system will allow referees and players to identify when a player has sustained a significant impact that could lead to a concussion. In such a case, the referee will stop the game, and the player will undergo a medical examination.

All participants in the World Cup will wear these caps, except for two, who will have traditional headgear. According to Dr. Eanna Falvey, the chief medical officer of World Rugby, this is significant as more than 85% of rugby players use traditional caps.

The light caps work by measuring the movements of the player’s head during impact. If a cap registers a force exceeding 75g for men and 65g for women, it will begin to light up. This is an improvement over the existing system, which uses Bluetooth for communication with medical staff.

Starling also mentioned that these caps could help identify rule violations, as they need to be secure to avoid falling off during play.

Broadcasters inquired if they could show G-forces during matches, but they declined due to the confidentiality of the players' medical data.

Tags: Sport