A "shadow trial" of advanced eye-tracking technology will be conducted in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman tournament in Australia and New Zealand as part of World Rugby's bid to tackle head injuries by improving the detection of concussion.
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The virtual reality technology, known as NeuroFlex, is set to be used during matches as part of the head injury assessment (HIA) process under a partnership between Rugby Australia, Rugby New Zealand and World Rugby.
NeuroFlex records horizontal and vertical movement of the eyes and head movements and, within seconds, analyzes that data and generates a report which helps medical personnel diagnose and manage concussions. It will also be used as part of the return-to-play process to monitor players' return from head injuries.
NeuroFlex was developed by Saccade Analytics which is headed by Dr. Mimi Galiana, who has spent almost 30 years at Canada's McGill University researching eye and head movement.
World Rugby described it as a groundbreaking trial aimed at measuring the diagnostic accuracy of the test.
Data gathered in the trial will be used to compare the accuracy of concussion identification based on eye and head movements with the current head injury assessment process. The outcome will influence World Rugby's future moves on player welfare.
