THE BEST OF APRIL FOOLS - BMW develops Mouth Guard for Rugby Players - oh dear.

RUGBY stars will be chomping at the bit to get their mouth around the latest innovation in protection from BMW who has developed the ultimate rugby mouthguard which will be rolled out in the lead up to the biggest event in rugby.

England rugby player, Chris Robshaw, has been key in trialing the brand new RU Series which brings BMW’s car safety technology to the rugby field - essential for someone who has made on average 18 impressive tackles a game during the RBS Six Nations.

These specially modified mouthguards are made entirely from ethylene-propylen-dien rubber, the standard protection in the door seals of all BMW models. This development uses tyre tread technology for extra grip as well as BMW’s signature “kidney grille” between the front incisors acting as an elegant respiration vent.

Dr Uwe Gotobekidin, Head of Product Fabrication, said: “We wanted to develop something that could genuinely improve performance and help the face of rugby and we’ve loved getting our teeth into this unique opportunity to collaborate with the sport.

“We understand the importance of marginal gains in improving performance on the pitch and we have employed all our automotive design and engineering skills in delivering this project. We have every confidence it will get the rugby world’s tongues wagging.”

Chris Robshaw, rugby player and chief product tester, said: “When BMW asked if they could help improve our performance by developing a new mouthguard, we bit their hand off at the opportunity.

“It’s been great to be part of the process to develop something that will contribute to the success of players across the country. Not only will it give us added protection during a match, it will also help protect our smiles for the post-match press conference photos.”