Cardiff University researchers are conducting the first head impact assessment study designed specifically for female rugby players, after finding that concussion affects women differently to men. Former Wales internationals including Elinor Snowsill and Caryl James have backed the research, arguing that current concussion guidelines are based largely on the men's game and fail to account for these differences, despite evidence that female athletes are more susceptible to concussion and report longer recovery times.

The study monitored 30 players from Cardiff University's women's rugby team using specialised mouthguards, cognitive tests and MRI imaging, with researchers aiming to gather enough data by the end of the year to establish whether new safety thresholds are needed. Symptoms also differ by sex, with men more commonly reporting amnesia while women describe prolonged headaches, mental fatigue and concentration difficulties. Lead researcher Peter Theobald said existing safety thresholds, based on men's data, may be inconsistent with current evidence, while PhD researcher Freya Butcher noted only 6% of sports science research focuses solely on female athletes.