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Medical

Medical

Welcome to the Medical section of the World Rugby website, designed for all the rugby family, players, coaches, officials, medical staff and the general public alike.

Welcome to the Medical section of the World Rugby website, designed for all the rugby family, players, coaches, officials, medical staff and the general public alike. We work to make the game as enjoyable, safe and beneficial as possible for all stakeholders. 

Our concussion section contains guidance, education and management information. There are also education modules available for the general population, medical staff and elite match-day medical staff.

Our injury-management section provides information on injury prevention measures (including player load) and injury surveillance. The Mindset module is a resource for doctors and medical staff to identify and direct treatment for those struggling with mental health issues.

We also include all of World Rugby’s published research and COVID guidelines.

Player Welfare News
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Player Welfare

World Rugby Player Welfare Symposium hears how new data could form the basis of updated contact training load guidelines

World Rugby’s 2023 Player Welfare Symposium has heard how the international federation is planning on using new data to start to re-examine rugby’s contact training load guidelines. A World Rugby funded study involving elite players in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa using both smart mouthguards and saliva biomarker technology is being used for the first time to look closely at forces on the head which do not directly lead to concussions.
Read now on World Rugby
Wed 24 May, 2023
· 2 min read
Australia v New Zealand - O'Reilly Cup

Player Welfare

Rugby World Cup 2021 to set new benchmark for player welfare

Rugby World Cup 2021 will kick off this week, with the best rugby players in the world, supported by the most advanced player welfare standards ever delivered at a rugby event.  Player welfare is World Rugby’s number one priority and the international federation is using the tournament to help improve the level of rugby specific, academic research on head impacts in the women.
Read now on RWC 2021
Thu 6 October, 2022
· 2 min read
New Zealand v Namibia - Rugby World Cup 2019: Group B

Player Welfare

World Rugby moves to aid the flow of the game by trialling limits on non-playing personnel

The World Rugby Council has approved a global trial limiting the opportunity for non-playing personnel to enter the field of play during a match. Operational for all competitions and stand-alone matches starting after 1 July 2022, the trial aims to improve the flow of matches by reducing unnecessary stoppages without compromising welfare.
Read now on World Rugby
Tue 17 May, 2022
· 3 min read
PLAYER WELFARE VIDEOS
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Tue 21 June, 2022
Return to play after a concussion in elite rugby