Next month’s Nick Tooth Memorial Rugby Tens will trial the blue card system as the Australian Rugby Union prepares to introduce the concussion card across junior and senior competitions nationally next year.
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The proposed roll-out follows recent blue card trials in Newcastle, the Hunter, the ACT and Sydney.
Designed to help protect players from head injury, the blue card gives referees the power to remove players from the field who they feel may be showing symptoms of concussion.
Players have to follow a set of medical guidelines before they can return to the field.
Tooth tragically died of a head injury sustained while playing for his beloved Quirindi Lions in 2015.
Established in 2016 by his family and friends to raise funds and awareness for sports related brain injuries, the Nick Tooth Foundation has been one of the driving forces behind the research and education associated with the blue card.
Nick's sister, Alex, said her brother's death was a devastating blow for the family, which is why they have worked tirelessly to support such initiatives as the blue card as well as the overall research of concussion.
"People shouldn't die playing sport and the fact my brother died playing rugby union is unthinkable and it's not fair," she said.
"We don't want anyone to have to go through this again. We're not trying to scare people, we're not trying to make it hard for people to play rugby, we just want people to know that we're just trying to make it as safe as possible."
Organised in memory of Tooth, the ‘Toothy Tens’ as it is colloquially known, will also raise money for a world-first sport concussion management program and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
"We really want to promote player welfare and my brother's legacy," Alex said.
This years tournament will be held at Quirindi on October 7 and involve 16 teams from right across NSW and even Victoria.
