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PLAYER MONITORING DEVICES • Performance specification in Law and Regulation from January 2017 • Three testing protocols • Impact attenuation• Compression resistance• Size and shape requirements • Only devices tested and carrying the World Rugby approved logo will be permitted from 1 July, 2017The number of currently compliant pitches stands at 266, with 150 fields successfully tested during the year. Asia Rugby had the highest growth in pitches in 2016 with an increase of just over 33 per cent.Regulation 22 is built on a commitment to player welfare. A key target for World Rugby is the growth of the sport through increased participation. World Rugby, FIFA and the International Hockey Federation have combined to provide a consensus called the One Turf Concept for best practice in the delivery of multi-sport artificial turf surfaces which are suitable from a player welfare perspective as well as enabling participation in all sports. World Rugby Preferred Turf Producers Act Global, Edel Grass, FieldTurf Tarkett, Greenfields, Limonta, Polytan and SIS now have 72 per cent of the rugby turf installations collectively. Many of these pitches are also used for other sports outside of rugby, including rugby league, association football, Gaelic football and hurling, American Football and Australian Rules football.ARTIFICIAL TURFARTIFICIAL TURF IN 2016266compliant pitches150fields successfully tested 33%growth in pitches in Asia PADDED CLOTHING IN NUMBERS223 headgear products 44 brands271 shoulder padding products12 breast padding products3 test houses YEAR IN REVIEW 2016 WORLD RUGBY 69RESEARCH CORNER | EDUCATE