The BKT 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.
A Move from Feasibility to Full Academic Research
Following an initial feasibility phase across five BKT 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.
Independent, Peer-Reviewed and Transparent
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.
Why It Matters
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.
Commitment to Player Welfare
The BKT 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.
Comments from Dr Michael Dunlop, Head of Medical at Edinburgh Rugby and URC Medical advisor:
“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.”
Editor’s Notes
Background: PolarCap® is a medical cooling treatment device developed by Swedish Med Tech company PolarCool, intended for the acute treatment of concussions. PolarCap is the first and only clinically evaluated acute-stage treatment for concussion and is CE-marked as a Medical Device Class IIA in the EU, UK and Australia.
BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine: COOLHEAD article available at this link https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/11/4/e002915
Clinical Evaluation: PolarCap® has been previously clinically evaluated in a 5-year study conducted in the Swedish Ice Hockey League (SHL). The study results found that long-term concussion absence (3 weeks or more) was greatly reduced among players treated with PolarCap®. Access the study here: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/neu.2022.0248
THE 2ND ROW 