URC takes next step in concussion innovation with independent COOLHEAD study

The United Rugby Championship has advanced its player-welfare collaboration with med-tech company PolarCool into a fully ratified academic research project led by Leeds Beckett University.

The new COOLHEAD study, published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, will independently examine whether the PolarCap® - a head-and-neck cooling device - can improve recovery outcomes for players following a diagnosed concussion.

Following an initial feasibility phase across five URC teams, the league has entered the next stage of evaluation in partnership with Premiership Rugby (The PREM) and World Rugby. Over the next two seasons, URC teams will form the intervention group using PolarCap®, while PREM sides will act as the standard-care group. All players across both competitions will continue to follow World Rugby’s Graduated Return-to-Play (GRTP) protocols.

The study protocol, led by Dr James Brown of Leeds Beckett University and Dr Michael Dunlop, Medical Advisor to the URC, has undergone full academic peer review and received ethical approval. Although funded by PolarCool AB, the research design, data collection and analysis are conducted independently to ensure scientific integrity and transparency. This marks the first peer-reviewed, multi-league study exploring an acute concussion treatment method in professional rugby.

Sports-related concussions often occur when the brain is at an elevated temperature (hyperthermia) due to exertion. Cooling the head and neck immediately after injury may aims to address the excercise induced hyperthermia, lower brain temperature, reduce metabolic strain, and support recovery. The COOLHEAD study will gather both clinical data - such as return-to-play times and cognitive assessments - and feedback from players and medical teams to evaluate the effect of and the practical use of PolarCap® in elite rugby settings.

The URC’s participation reflects its ongoing commitment to innovation, scientific and medical collaboration and player safety - highlighted by past trials of saliva testing, EyeGuide and instrumented mouthguards. By contributing to one of the first acute concussion treatment trials in world sport, the league continues to demonstrate leadership in advancing evidence-based welfare standards for players across all participating nations.

Dunlop, Head of Medical at Edinburgh Rugby and URC Medical advisor said: “I hope the study is perceived by others for what it is - an example of international collaborative working among very relevant parties in this space URC, PREM, World Rugby, Leeds Beckett University and PolarCool. The aim of which is to independently robustly assess if acute cooling after a concussive injury, delivered in a controlled manner, pitch-side, via PolarCap, has a benefit in addition to the established return to play protocols in elite rugby union.

“The benefit will be assessed in a quantitative as well as qualitative manner. The publication of a study protocol in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine is crucial for research involving commercial medical devices. Beyond this, it is important to underline that advancement around prevention of head injuries and early recognition continue to be a key goal for our sport.”