England EPS contracts and World Rugby mouthguards

Two moves in rugby show how the sport blends money, safety and control across clubs and countries.

Farrell overlooked as England EPS contracts announced and World Rugby unveils flashing mouthguards

England has announced its enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts, with 25 players named and Owen Farrell notably missing. The deals, reported to be worth around £150,000, replace match fees with a fixed salary and give England control over players’ medical care. Several established players, including Fin Baxter, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ben Curry, are among those taking up EPS terms, while others such as Henry Arundell and Sam Underhill did not secure renewed terms.

World Rugby will trial flashing LED mouthguards that light up after significant head impacts. A red flash signals a possible concussion, stopping play for a head injury assessment. The system will be tested at the Women's World Cup before a wider rollout. Dr Lindsay Starling said the feature will make big head impacts clearly visible to officials and fans, while Dr Éanna Falvey emphasised that personal autonomy remains important as adoption grows. The tech relies on acceleration data to trigger lights, with thresholds set at 75g for men and 65g for women, plus 4,500 radians per second squared. The current system uses Bluetooth to alert medical staff, which can take seconds to arrive.

The EPS changes show England’s preference for a fixed salary model to stabilize the elite layer and take control of medical care. It also signals how the value of senior players is being renegotiated in a system that rewards consistency and squad depth. Farrell’s omission suggests a broader strategy to balance experience with younger talent in a constantly shifting pipeline. The mouthguard rollout highlights rugby’s push for visible safety signals, yet it also raises questions about privacy and pace of change for players who may resist new gear. As Cheika talks of a revolution in rugby, the tension between bold reform and practical logistics becomes clear: fans want safer play, clubs want predictable costs, and players want autonomy.

Highlights

Rugby keeps evolving as safety and strategy move in step