Former Wales internationals including Elinor Snowsill (76 caps), Caryl James and Alecs Donovan are backing ground-breaking research at Cardiff University into concussion in women's rugby. Studies show female athletes are more susceptible to concussion, experience longer recovery times and report different symptoms — such as prolonged headaches and mental fatigue — compared to men, yet rugby's safety guidelines remain based on the men's game.

Led by Peter Theobald, the study tracked 30 university players using instrumented mouthguards, cognitive tests and MRI imaging. Researchers aim to establish female-specific head impact thresholds by year-end. "We are not just mini versions of men," said Snowsill. PhD student Freya Butcher noted only 6% of sports science research focuses solely on female athletes, a gap James says means "women have definitely been let down."

Current mouthguards — similar to those used by World Rugby — alert medics when impacts exceed set thresholds, triggering head injury assessments. The Cardiff team is testing whether those thresholds should be refined for women. Player Cleo Pallister-Turley said the study has made the squad "more wary about head health" after years where concussions were hidden to stay on the pitch.

The research comes amid high-profile legal action by former men's players including Steve Thompson, Ryan Jones and Gavin Henson over neurological damage. Pallister-Turley stressed the goal is not to deter participation but to "invest in more research that allows you to make an educated and informed decision about your head health."