Player safety and welfare have in recent years justly received more and more attention in rugby. It is in this light that we are extremely happy to announce that MyPlayers has entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement with the world-renowned manufacturer of mouthguards, OPRO.

OPRO are dedicated to bringing leading technology and safety to athletes at all levels and are the official mouthguard partner of more than 85 teams and associations, including England Rugby, Rugby Australia, New Zealand Rugby and the Sharks.

As the world's largest manufacturer of mouthguards, OPRO have twice received the Queen's Award for Innovation, in recognition of their ground-breaking work in improving children’s and athletes’ protection.

OPRO has agreed to supply all of South Africa’s professional rugby players with custom-fit mouthguards, and what makes us especially enthusiastic about this new relationship is OPRO’s commitment to partner with MyPlayers to do continuous research into player safety and product development in our domestic rugby market.

Eugene Henning, CEO of MyPlayers, said: “This agreement has been months in the making, and what convinced us to partner with OPRO is their commitment to strenuous testing and advanced technological betterment of their products. OPRO has developed a product that isn’t only comfortable and lightweight but offers the highest level of protection for you and your teeth.”

“When a player selects a certain brand of mouthguard, fit is often the overriding consideration. Yet, fit is only a minor part of the equation. As the Players’ Organisation, we want to know that we’re making a product available to our members that has been rigorously tested and enhances player safety. The science behind OPRO’s products was a deal clincher. We also look forward to working closely together in doing research on player safety locally – efforts that will ultimately enable OPRO to further enhance their products as well as player safety.”

Daniel Lovat, Sports Marketing Director of OPRO, said: “It’s a huge privilege to be partnering with MyPlayers and supporting all of South Africa’s professional players with our cutting edge mouthguard technology.”

“Having a mouthguard that fits well, is comfortable to wear and offers outstanding protection is essential for all rugby players and something we are passionate about providing. We’re known for being at the forefront of mouthguard innovation and really look forward to working with MyPlayers on product developments that will continue to enhance player safety.”