Eye-tracking technology will be trialled to assist with the detection of concussions in the sport, World Rugby has announced.
The technology will be used during matches with the existing head injury assessment (HIA) process and also as part of the return-to-play steps.
Studies have found that eye movement or oculomotor function is altered at the time of concussion, or shortly after.
The technology being trialled should pick up any changes in that function.
Two technology providers - EyeGuide and NeuroFlex - will be involved in the trials, with details of the competitions they will be used in yet to be confirmed.
The news comes at a time when the treatment of head injuries in rugby and in all sports is under scrutiny.
World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union are facing a lawsuit from retired players suffering with signs of early-onset dementia.
A separate study, carried out by the University of Birmingham among elite male rugby players in the Premiership and the Championship in England, has identified biomarkers in a player's saliva which were 94% accurate in predicting the outcome of an HIA as to whether a player was concussed or not.
World Rugby chief medical officer Dr Eanna Falvey said: "We believe that oculomotor screening examination in rugby has the potential to boost the identification and management of concussions by objectively identifying potential abnormalities in oculomotor function between a player's baseline and when removed for an HIA assessment, adding to the depth of identification methods available to the sport."
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