• Innovative technology proven player welfare asset at Rugby World Cup 2015
  • CSx technology simplified and standardised the process of recording and assessing head impacts
  • World Rugby committed to collaborating with leading concussion experts across concussion education, prevention, management and research strategies

World Rugby is set to adopt innovative head injury assessment software in 2016, following successful outcomes at Rugby World Cup 2015.

At rugby’s showcase event, leading athlete welfare technology company CSx provided its head injury assessment software and App to teams competing at Rugby World Cup 2015 to standardise and simplify the recording and management of head injuries, assisting team and independent medics.

The benefits to team and independent medics include:

  • Real time data for team doctors pitch-side and in the medical rooms, with player baseline data available for comparison
  • Simplified compliance with World Rugby’s three-point in time concussion diagnostic system that incorporates a standardised follow-up process – immediate, post-game and 36-48 hour post incident. 
  • Centralised data collection for research purposes

Under the deal, CSx will provide its App and software to World Rugby for use by international teams and tournaments accredited by World Rugby to use the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process, which determines suspected concussion.

World Rugby Chief Medical Officer Dr Martin Raftery said: “The CSx software played an important role within World Rugby’s innovative and all-encompassing approach to Rugby World Cup 2015 player welfare standards. Its functionality supported team doctors in the management of head injuries, while reducing the administrative load. 

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“This agreement is logical and reflects our commitment to innovation in this critical areas, ensuring that the technology is available to all World Rugby tournaments and our unions, providing a strong research platform that will inform our approach moving forward.”

Technology played a major role in the advanced Rugby World Cup 2015 player welfare standards programme, and the CSx App combined with Hawk-Eye video replay technology to provide a truly mobile solution for medics working pitch-side in the identification, assessment and management of head injuries.
Hawk-Eye’s multi-angle instant replay overseen by trained head injury ‘spotters’ cut time required to identify head impacts that may have otherwise been missed on the field of play, providing a significant supporting role to thee teams and independent medics.

The technology identified head impacts in 56 per cent of incidents that were referred for medical review, while it proved highly-successful in determining permanent removal or temporary removal criteria with 24.5 per cent of all assessments involving video replay to make a final decision regarding removal.

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