When Natalia John suffered a concussion while playing for Wales in 2021, it was a different time.

Last year, she and her teammates finally started getting paid to play for an NFL team.

Also before the team had the funding and focus it could now benefit from analyzing the specific health needs of female athletes.

So after that game against Canada three years ago, John wasn’t sure if the hit to the head caused the concussion or if the fatigue was due to menstruation.

But the Welsh Rugby Union has now introduced technology for the current Six Nations championship that it believes is leading the way in the sport, tracking players’ concussion symptoms and menstrual cycles.

John told Sky News: “I’ve had concussions in the past and we didn’t have the technology back then and I thought it would be really beneficial to understand that what I was feeling was probably normal.”

“I’m not sure – is this how I’m supposed to feel? Is this where I am in the cycle?

“So I think it’s important to know that because I know in my heart I’m just having an off day.

“It doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world and I can take better care of myself.”

Players can access up-to-date information on their overall fitness, which is fed into a platform developed in partnership with Vodafone for assessment by team medical staff and fitness experts.

“Sometimes, if I’m feeling tired or low on energy, it kind of makes sense where I am in the cycle,” John said.

“And I knew I was going to make it easier on myself.

“But on the other hand, I felt great the other weeks and I knew I could really push it. Having that insight and knowledge is so important.”

Knowledge remains limited, with less than 10% of exercise science research said to focus on women.

Weaker lower neck strength may make female athletes more susceptible to concussions than male athletes, with symptoms lasting longer and more severe.

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This is increasing, but only involving male athletes – reflecting the long-standing dominance of men’s sports.

Welsh female athletes have seen mitigation measures put in place to better protect their brains, specifically minimizing contact during training and daily analysis of head impact data.

Wales flanker Alyssa Butchers told Sky News: “[Concussion] It’s concerning because it’s a brain injury.

“We have all the necessary steps and procedures that we need to follow to make sure that when we get back on site, we are 100 percent. I think that’s very important.

“We know exactly what this sport is, it’s a contact sport and there are risks.

“But to have more understanding within the team about what a concussion is, how it affects you, the different symptoms… it’s been really, really good.”

Butcher started tracking her menstrual cycle when she was asked to log into a new team app.

“We’ve had a few stories in the team where girls weren’t getting their period, or there was some underlying issue, and the app has been able to identify that,” she said.

“I believe we’re the only team in the world using it right now, which is pretty cool.”

What once seemed taboo is now the talk of the entire team – helping to deliver a perfect performance at next year’s World Cup.

Butchers continued: “You might be at a point in your menstrual cycle where you might be feeling a little dissatisfied, a little moody, and you might put that information into an app.

“However, you may get a concussion and then you will be able to determine if you are feeling that way naturally due to your menstrual cycle or if it is due to the concussion.”