World Rugby chief Bill Beaumont has welcomed the largest ever study of the impact of collisions on the heads of players as proof that the game is serious about becoming a global leader in athlete welfare.
The study used smart mouthguard technology, which will be obligatory in training and matches in elite rugby from next year, to measure 17,000 head acceleration events in 328 male players from under 12s to top grade community rugby.
The peer-reviewed report showed that 94% of the G-forces experienced by players were lower than those measured on people jumping on trampolines.