Probably the last time the NRL talked about testicles was 12 years ago when former Souths forward Sam Burgess copped a two-match ban for a “squirrel grip” tackle on a Melbourne Storm player.
But this weekend, as the rugby league fans gather for Magic Round in Brisbane, medical researcher and entrepreneur Saara Jamieson from Cool Beans Underwear, will have a different take on ball movement and control when she asks more than 100 NRL execs and club heads about if they’ve had a conversation about testicles, sperm, or fertility.
Jamieson’s startup has been part of NRL Magic Round Tech Sprint, a 10-week accelerator led by Advance Queensland and Australian Sports Technology Network (ASTN). The sprint gave her the chance to spotlight a critical health issue that’s rarely mentioned since 2013’s the NRL match review committee hearing.
“We need to break down the stigma and start normalising conversations about men’s health, hormone decline, and athlete wellbeing beyond the game,” Jamieson said.
“I feel like this is a great opportunity for the NRL to show their audience and players that their health — on and beyond the field — is a priority. It’s not just about what happens during a match. It’s about long-term performance, wellbeing, and fertility.”
The Cool Beans underwear explained
Jamieson’s inspiration for Cool Beans was her worn 3.5-year ordeal of infertility and multiple miscarriages, which reignited her scientific curiosity.
“I discovered testicular heat was shutting down testosterone and sperm production — and no one was talking about it, nor was there a solution,” she said.
“We developed our first testicular cooling prototype. Four months later, I conceived again – and for the first time, I gave birth. That prototype became Cool Beans Underwear.”
She says athletes are particularly vulnerable because testicular heat accumulates both on and off the field and the compounding effect disrupts testosterone production and broader hormonal health, undermining both performance and recovery.
“If you’re looking for that no-effort, extra edge for your athletes, reducing compounding testicular heat is the answer,” Jamieson said.
“We’ve designed Cool Beans to deliver a clinically grounded health advantage — with no drugs, no downtime, and total discretion.”
Jamieson argues men’s health needs to be reframed as a performance issue, rather than just fertility or general health.
“Testosterone supports energy, mood, sleep, focus, and long-term wellbeing,” she said
“This isn’t just about sperm. It’s about who you are — on and off the field.”
Cool Beans was one of eight startups in the ASTN program, receiving $25,000 each alongside the accelerator as they collaborate with the NRL to validate, test and/or integrate their ideas and products with the sport.
The others are:
- Crowd Canvas: A real-time customer engagement platform for event-based industries.
- Myriad Studios: Specialising in LiDAR, Cyber Scanning, Texturing, Photogrammetry, and Drone Capture for VFX, film, and game applications.
- Talk All Sport: Bringing innovation and technology to the world of sport through a speech command device, and foldaway trailer mounted LED scoreboards.
- WearOptimo: Next-gen wearables, improving the future of personal health.
- Imagine Realities: Innovating through AR, VR, and game development solutions for enterprise.
- Fempro Armour: Protection gear for injury prevention for impact sports, high-risk frontline and healthcare.
- Cérge: A set of companion technologies delivering societal change ensuring we are all more welcoming and inclusive of disability.
They’re also showcasing their products this Friday, before attention turns to men doing other things with balls.
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