Going high-tech to curb concussion

World Rugby, the international controlling body, will trial a new Hawk-Eye system to protect player welfare and aid decision making.

The trial, which comes in the wake of the recent concussion controversies surrounding international stars George North and Jonathan Sexton, may be adopted at the 2015 World Cup in England and Wales.

"The objective of the trial is to determine how new technology can enhance player welfare, while strengthening the accuracy and efficiency of the television match official [TMO] decision-making process," World Rugby said in a statement.

While the protocol will be unchanged relating to the questions that the referee asks of the TMO, the technology that the TMO will have access to is being enhanced with access to simultaneous multiple angle replays in real-time and slow motion delivered by Hawk-Eye's 'SMART Replay' technology.

The trial will debut on 21 February in partnership with the Pro12 tournament, which has agreed to participate in a live test of the technology.

Further trials will take place at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Italy, as the countdown to Rugby World Cup 2015 gathers momentum.

"Technology is an important component of the performance and fan engagement environments in the game and World Cup 2015 is set to showcase innovation and performance to a record global audience," World Rugby Chief Executive Brett Gosper said.

"Central to our sport is the integrity of player welfare and the match official decision making process, as we strive to determine how we can enhance speed and accuracy in these critical areas.

"While this is not a fait accompli, we are excited by the proposed system developed by Hawk-Eye that has clear benefits for the match official team, the medical team and fans around the world and these live trials will help us determine a technology approach for Rugby World Cup."

The World Cup, won by New Zealand in 2011, runs from September 18 to October 31.