Research into the incidence of injury in rugby league is very limited with a wide variation in injury rates for the same game even over comparable time periods. This may be explained by differences in the methodology of these studies and the fact that virtually all UK rugby league injury surveillance studies have been conducted pre-2000, whereas studies from the southern hemisphere mostly tend to date from post-2000.
During the 2009 season, data was collected on all injuries incurred during competitive games and rugby training sessions, for a first team squad of a British Championship rugby league club. Data analysis was limited to injury incidence rates and relative sub-category frequencies for injury causation and acuity, contact versus non-contact, nature, location and severity with transient versus time-loss as well as the influence that rugby session type and main playing position may have on these.
This study was the first to trial rugby league injury data collection according to recently published IRB standards and revealed higher than usual overall and overuse training injury rates, a larger proportion of time-loss and contact injuries as well as different relative distribution of injury severities when compared to the existing literature. This may represent new injury trends in rugby league, which need to be further examined. Therefore a multi-team, multi-season rugby league injury surveillance study should be performed, ideally at Super League and Championship level.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
1.2 Literature Review
1.3 Aims and Objectives
2. METHODS
2.1 Study Design
2.2 Data Collection
2.2.1 Injury Classification
2.3 Data Analysis and Presentation
2.4 Statistical Analysis
2.5 Ethical Implications
3. RESULTS
3.1 Injury Summary Data
3.1.1 Injury Causation
3.1.2 Contact versus Non-contact Injuries
3.1.3 Injury Nature
3.1.3 Injury Location
3.1.4 Injury Severity
3.2 Injury Data Sub-analysis for different Session Types
3.2.1 Injury Causation
3.2.2 Contact versus Non-contact Injuries
3.2.3 Injury Nature
3.2.4 Injury Location
3.2.5 Injury Severity
3.2.6 Transient versus Time-loss Injuries
3.3 Injury Data for Main Playing Positions
3.3.1 Injury Causation
3.3.2 Contact versus Non-contact Injuries
3.3.3 Injury Nature
3.3.4 Injury Location
3.3.5 Injury Severity
3.3.6 Transient versus Time-loss Injuries
4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
4.1 Summary of Main Findings
4.2 Study Limitations
4.2.1 Sample Size
4.2.2 Injury Reporting
4.2.3 Methodological Assumptions
4.2.4 Confounding Factors
4.3 Comparison to Previous Research
4.3.1 Injury Recording
4.3.2 Training Injuries
4.3.3 Match Injuries
4.3.4 Injury Severity Scoring
4.4 Conclusions and Recommendations
Research Objective and Scope
This research aims to conduct an up-to-date survey of injuries sustained by professional UK Championship rugby league players during the 2009 competitive season, establishing a valid benchmark for future comparisons.
- Analysis of injury incidence rates in match play versus training sessions.
- Evaluation of injury causation, nature, location, and severity based on IRB standards.
- Investigation into the differences in injury susceptibility between forwards and backs.
- Assessment of the impact of transient versus time-loss injuries on player availability.
- Contribution to the literature by providing recent, standardized injury data for sub-elite UK professional rugby league.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Background
Rugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field (Gaulton 1974). Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union (Collins 1998). Over the decades following the 1895 inception of rugby league, the rules of both forms of rugby were gradually changed, with rugby league's deliberately resulting in a faster, more open spectator sport (Crego 2003).
Subsequently, league and rugby union are distinctly different games. Rugby league is frequently cited as the toughest and most physically demanding of any team sport in the world (Larder 1989; Meares 2003). It requires a combination of muscular strength, stamina, endurance, speed, acceleration, agility, flexibility, and aerobic endurance (Meir 1993a-b; Gibbs 1993). During an 80-minute game, the ball is in play for an average of 50 minutes (Larder 1989) with individual players covering 7,000m to 10,000m (Meir 2000) and being involved in 20 to 40 tackles per game (Larder 1989). Consequently, injuries are common (Gibbs 1993).
By nature, rugby league players do not use heavy protective guarding as do other body contact sports. It has been suggested that the wearing of protective equipment and clothing may have an adverse effects on players’ heat exchange mechanisms (Meir 1994, Savdie 1991; Hodgson Phillips 2001) and may produce heat-induced injuries.
Chapter Summaries
1. INTRODUCTION: Provides the background of rugby league, reviews existing injury literature, and defines the research aims and the central question regarding injury patterns in the UK.
2. METHODS: Describes the study design, data collection procedures based on IRB standards, injury classification, statistical analysis, and ethical considerations.
3. RESULTS: Presents the primary data on injury incidence, causation, nature, location, and severity, with sub-analyses for different session types and playing positions.
4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Compares the findings with previous research, evaluates study limitations such as sample size, and provides recommendations for future multi-team surveillance.
Keywords
Rugby League, Injury Incidence, Sports Medicine, Time-loss Injuries, Injury Surveillance, Professional Sports, Injury Causation, Athletic Performance, IRB Standards, Training Injuries, Match Injuries, Forwards, Backs, Epidemiology, Injury Severity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research provides an up-to-date survey of the incidence, distribution, types, and severities of injuries sustained by professional UK Championship rugby league players during the 2009 competitive season.
What are the central themes of the work?
The study focuses on injury surveillance, comparing match play versus training risks, analyzing injury severity using IRB standards, and examining positional differences between forwards and backs.
What is the central research question?
The research asks: "Within sub-elite professional rugby league football in the UK what are the current rates, distributions, types and severities of injuries?"
Which scientific methodology was applied?
The study applied a pragmatic injury definition and used IRB-endorsed standards for data collection, calculating standardized injury rates per 1000 player exposure hours, followed by Chi-square and Mann-Whitney-U tests for statistical analysis.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers a literature review of rugby injuries, detailed methodology for data gathering, comprehensive results sub-analyzed by session type and position, and a discussion comparing results to established sports science literature.
Which keywords define this study?
Key terms include Rugby League, Injury Incidence, Sports Medicine, Time-loss Injuries, Injury Surveillance, and Epidemiology.
How do training injury rates compare to match injury rates in this study?
The study found match injury rates were significantly higher (170.7/1000 hours) compared to training injury rates (9.4/1000 hours), with tackling being the primary cause of match injuries and overuse being the primary cause for training injuries.
Did the study find significant differences between forwards and backs?
Yes, the findings showed that forwards were statistically more susceptible to injuries than backs during both matches and training sessions (p=0.0431).
How does the IRB standard influence this research?
The research adopted IRB consensus statements on injury definitions and data collection, allowing for a more standardized approach that improves comparability with recent rugby union data.
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- Patrick Daniel Dissmann (Autor:in), 2010, A Current Survey of Injuries Sustained by Professional UK Championship Rugby League Players, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/304279
