Use of safety device by Saracens’ players ‘welcome initiative’

Saracens players participating in Saturday’s 22-6 victory over London Irish wore sensors to measure the force and direction of impacts to the head.

The gadgets, used for the first time in England having been introduced into the National Football League in the United States, are taped behind the ear and will help determine the effects of concussion.

“We’re collecting data because we want answers,” Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths said. “We don’t want to meet our players in 20 or 25 years’ time and find them suffering from dementia or any similar condition and reflect that we suspected something was going on but didn’t really know. We want to know. The findings will be reported in due course.”