More than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rugby league players received free, custom-fitted mouthguards at this year’s NSW Koori Knockout in Tamworth, thanks to a Sydney Dental School initiative focused on injury prevention, education and community engagement.
The NSW Koori Knockout, held from 3-6 October this year, is an annual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rugby league tournament that doubles as a cultural celebration, bringing together families and communities from across Australia.
From a pop-up tent set up beside the playing fields, a team of 40 student volunteers worked across the four-day weekend to take impressions, mould custom mouthguards and fit them for players of all ages.
“We’re here to prevent injuries, support young players and make sure everyone has access to quality protection,” said Erin Taylor, lecturer at Sydney Dental School who led the initiative, which was supported by the NSW Ministry of Health’s Centre – Oral Health Strategy, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service, as well as industry partners Henry Schein and Colgate.
The program prioritised young players and is backed by Taylor’s research, which investigates whether custom mouthguards offer stronger protection against head trauma than standard ‘boil and bite’ options, and what stops young players from wearing them.
“Despite being proven to prevent serious head injuries, mouthguards aren’t compulsory at the Knockout,” Taylor said.
“We want to understand not just the injuries, but the barriers to wearing them and how to change that.”
The team doubled the number of mouthguards made compared to last year, with lines throughout the weekend.
“The community feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People came to our tent just to thank us,” Taylor said.
“It’s great to see such strong engagement with an initiative that’s teaching young players how to stay safe in contact sport.”
