I Started Playing Rugby at Eight — A New Study Made Me Rethink Concussions

Ffion Jones began playing rugby at eight and, for years, her focus was simply on contributing to the team — even after taking regular knocks to the head. Now 22, she is one of 30 women taking part in a new Cardiff University study tracking the effects of repeated head impacts in female players.

Study Design and Methods

The season-long project monitored 30 female rugby players with specially designed instrumented mouthguards that recorded both the number and force of head impacts during matches. Some participants also underwent detailed MRI scans at intervals throughout the season to detect any structural or functional changes in the brain over time.

Ffion Jones (right) began playing rugby alongside her sister Celyn when she was eight years old [Ffion Jones]

Lead researcher Peter Theobald described the work as the first study of its kind focused specifically on women, noting that some existing evidence suggests female brains may respond differently to head trauma. The team hopes the data will help shape sex-specific safety guidance, playing protocols and head-injury assessment tools.

Players' Perspectives

Jones, who started playing alongside her sister Celyn in Ammanford after their father — the team coach — put them both on the squad, says the lack of female-focused research made the project especially important. She explained that as a child, head knocks were simply part of the game.

Ffion Jones says several of her teammates have suffered concussions which have "affected their day-to-day lives" [Calum Carpenter]

"When I stepped onto the pitch, my focus was on playing the game and doing my best for the team. If I took a knock to the head, I'd just get up and carry on. I always assumed everything would be fine," Jones said.

Taking part in the study has made her more cautious. "Now, if I take a blow to the head, I stop and think about whether I need to take a step back," she said. As a university student, Jones emphasised the importance of brain health for learning and memory and said awareness of potential long-term effects matters for both sporting and academic futures.

Impact and Urgency

Theobald said previous research on male athletes has linked contact sports with certain long-term brain conditions, but comparable long-term studies have not been carried out on women. "With increasing numbers of women taking part in sport across the UK, there is an urgent need for research focused specifically on women to help inform future policies, safety guidance and sporting protocols," he said.

Myfi (left) and Elin, from Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, say more research focused on women is needed in sport [BBC]

The study also highlighted real-world consequences: several teammates have experienced concussions that affected day-to-day life, and one player was sidelined from rugby for about six months with persistent symptoms.

Community Reaction and Future Hopes

The research was welcomed by young players in Cardiff. Year 8 pupil Myfi, who plays for Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd, said it is "good to have research on girls because boys often get more attention in sport." Another pupil, Elin, added: "Boys' and girls' bodies are very different, so it is important that research looks specifically at how these issues affect women."

The specially-designed mouthguard records the number and force of head impacts during matches [Calum Carpenter]

Jones said she hopes the findings will both improve safety and encourage more girls and women to play rugby by giving parents and players clearer information about risks. "This research is incredibly important," she said. "If I have children in the future, I'd like to know that research like this has been carried out so parents can feel more confident about their daughters playing the game."

What the study aims to do: provide earlier, female-specific evidence on the effects of repeated head impacts so that players, coaches and governing bodies can make more informed decisions about player welfare and safety protocols.