7 Things to Check Before Buying a Rugby Headguard

Conventional rugby headguards are designed to protect the scalp from superficial injury, cuts and abrasions. They were not designed specifically around the biomechanics of rotational forces, concussion and sub-concussive brain injury ^{[1, 10, 13]}.

Rezon Halos® was developed for a different protective purpose. Its patented Rotection® technology is designed to reduce the rotational and linear forces transmitted to the brain during both concussive and sub-concussive impacts.

In Virginia Tech Helmet Lab testing, Rezon Halos® achieved the highest possible 5-star safety rating and was shown to reduce concussion risk by 74% ^[2].

Parents and players should understand whether a rugby headguard is scalp protection or meaningful brain protection.

Head impacts in rugby cause the brain to rotate inside the skull.

This rotational motion creates shear strain within brain tissue. This is associated with tearing of tiny blood vessels and brain cells resulting, over time, in the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier and the creation of damaging neuro-inflammation ^[4].

Rotational brain injury is the most significant brain injury risk in rugby. Any rugby headguard should be assessed by how effectively it reduces the rotational forces transmitted during impact ^[12].

Most padded rugby headguards have a very limited ability, if any, to reduce rotational force transmission. N-Pro reduces rotational impact energy by an average of 34% in its published testing ^[4].

Rezon Halos® uses patented Rotection® technology that contains nine protective layers designed to move and deform during impact, helping to dissipate energy and reduce the rotational forces transmitted to the brain.

Independent testing of Rezon Halos® has demonstrated rotational force reduction of up to 61% ^[3].

At every test speed and impact location, Rezon Halos® achieves a lower rotational acceleration than N-Pro ^[4].

Parents and players should look beyond the brand and the padding and look for genuine safety certification when purchasing a rugby headguard.

The two most important standards for rugby headguards are the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab Rating and the CE/UKCA PPE certification.

Virginia Tech Helmet Lab is the global leader in head protection testing. They test for both rotational and linear acceleration, giving each product a rating out of 5. Virginia Tech only recommends products with a 4- or 5- star rating as protective. Rezon Halos® holds the highest 5-star rating ^[2].

CE and UKCA Category II PPE certification is the legal standard for head protection beyond superficial cuts in the UK and Europe. Rezon Halos® is CE and UKCA Category II PPE certified ^{[5, 6]}.

Comfort is not simply a matter of convenience. Rugby players experience head impacts from an early age in training as well as in matches. While most impacts will not result in concussion, they still expose the brain to sub-concussions.

Sub-concussion results from an impact of lower force than required to cause a concussion. Sub-concussive impacts are 500 times more frequent than impacts which result in concussion. A sub-concussion causes damage to the brain without any symptoms. Multiple sub-concussions can adversely affect memory, the ability to focus, learn and think as well as behaviour ^[8]. It is the cumulative exposure to repetitive sub-concussive head impacts that is associated with the presence and severity of CTE pathology ^[7].

Rezon Halos® is unique in being designed to protect the brain during both concussive and sub-concussive impacts. By reducing rotational-force exposure across repeated impacts, Halos® is designed to address the cumulative burden associated with long-term brain injury risk.

Rezon Halos® is also crafted for comfort:

• Thin and low-profile
• Lightweight and flexible
• Worn above or over the ears to personal preference
• Breathable
• Hypoallergenic
• Water and tear resistant
• Machine washable
• Optional removable chin strap

Rugby is a fast paced sport where both clear communication and vision play a critical role.

Players need to see and hear:

• Defensive and attacking calls and moves
• Scrum instructions
• Lineout communication
• Teammates and opponents approaching from outside their field of vision
• Coaches during training
• Referee instructions and whistles

Conventional rugby headguards cover the ears with padding and can obstruct peripheral vision. The design of Rezon Halos® covers the areas of highest rotational brain injury risk, back, sides and front. These areas of the head are at the highest probability of incurring head injuries in sport. Halos® covers 53% of an adult head surface area without impairing either hearing or sight ^[2].

This matters for performance, awareness and safety. A protective product should not create a new distraction or interfere with how a player communicates during contact phases.

A headguard can only perform as designed when it is the correct size and remains in the intended position. Parents choosing a kids rugby headguard should pay particular attention to sizing, secure fit and whether the product remains comfortable throughout training and matches.

Rezon Halos® comes in eight sizes, covering head circumferences from 50 cm to 66 cm. This provides full junior and senior sizing, from younger children and toddlers through to adults with larger head sizes ^[11].

The secure-fit system includes:

• A textured silicone grip integrated into the inner surface of the headband
• A close, flexible fit around the head
• An optional removable Halos® Grip Band for additional grip
• An optional removable soft chin strap
• A fit guarantee to help customers select the correct size

Rezon Halos® has been extensively user-tested across sports, including in rugby scrums, to optimise its grip and ergonomics.

When considering fit, players should also avoid head-worn protection that ties with laces at the back of the head. Laced closures at the back of a conventional scrum cap interrupt the continuity of the protective material across the posterior and occipital regions of the head ^[13]. Players and parents should look for protection that provides consistent, low-profile coverage without prominent seams, ties, raised edges or gaps in the protective structure to reduce rotational force “catch points”.

The lifespan of protective equipment matters because rugby involves repeated rotational force and sub-concussive exposure throughout training and competition. Rugby headguards should clearly state how long they are intended to be worn for, and how to assess their continued performance over time.

To evaluate product durability, a Rezon Halos® rugby headguard used for a full rugby season was submitted for independent CE PPE Category II safety retesting. The product had been exposed to approximately 1,500 sub-concussive impacts and regular washing before being retested against its original CE certification criteria. It continued to pass the testing requirements ^[3]. A second sample that had been laundered 40 times was also retested with the same result.

This durability matters because brain injury risk is not limited to one-off collisions. Research increasingly points to cumulative sub-concussive head-impact exposure and cumulative rotational force/acceleration as the leading factor in long-term neurological risk ^{[7, 9]}.