Saracens Trial Impact-measuring Device
Saracens players wore impact sensors behind their ears in Saturday’s win against London Irish as they launched a new concussion research programme measuring the force and direction of impacts to the head.
The device, produced by a US company, is called the xPatch and follows rising concern over the issue of concussion in the sport.
Edward Griffiths, chief executive of Saracens, said: “We don’t want to meet our players in 20 years’ time to find them suffering from dementia and reflect we suspected something was going on but didn’t really know.
“We want to know – we want answers.”
Saracens players will wear the patches, made by Seattle-based X2 Biosystems, in matches and training sessions. The patches can then be removed and the data uploaded to a computer, where it will be logged.
Griffiths added: “We aspire to be a club that genuinely looks after its players, and nothing is more important than their medium and long term welfare.
“The findings will be reported in due course.”
The has been a 70% increase in concussion cases reported in the sport over the last four years, although the Rugby Football Union says this is down to greater awareness of the issue.
Former England players Shontayne Hape and Michael Lipman are among those who have been forced to retire because of the effects of concussion, with Hape complaining of “depression, constant migraines and memory loss”.
The International Rugby Board introduced an enhanced Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocol in June in an effort to improve player safety, and it has been in use in the Premiership this season.
