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Hancock MV, Barden C, Roberts SP, McKay CD, Stokes KA. Match injuries in English schoolboy rugby union. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2024; 10:e001740. [PMID: 38268528 PMCID: PMC10806543 DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective This study describes the incidence, severity and burden of match injuries in schoolboy rugby union in England, across three age groups: under-13 (U13), under-15 (U15) and under-18 (U18). Methods Data regarding 574 24-hour time-loss match injuries and 18 485 player-hours of match exposure were collected from a total of 35 schools (66 teams) in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons. Injury incidence (injuries/1000 hours), severity (mean and median days lost) and burden (days lost/1000 hours) were calculated for each age group, injury region, event, playing position and match period and were compared using Z scores. Results The U18 age group had a significantly higher injury incidence (34.6 injuries/1000 hours, 95% CI 31.5 to 38.1) and burden (941 days/1000 hours, 95% CI 856 to 1035) than both the U13 (incidence=20.7 injuries/1000 hours, 95% CI 14.1 to 30.3, p=0.03; burden=477 days lost/1000 hours, 95% CI 325 to 701, p<0.01) and U15 (incidence=24.6 injuries/1000 hours, 95% CI 20.6 to 29.5, p<0.01; burden=602 days lost/1000 hours, 95% CI 503 to 721, p<0.01) age groups, but no significant differences were found between the U13 and U15 age groups. Contact events accounted for 87% of known injury events, with the tackle responsible for 52% (U13), 48% (U15) and 62% (U18) of all injuries. Concussion was the most common injury type in all age groups (U13=4.8 injuries/1000 hours; U15=6.4 injuries/1000 hours; U18=9.2 injuries/1000 hours), but the incidence was not significantly different between age groups. Conclusion Injury incidence and burden was higher in U18 than U13 and U15 age groups. Concussions and the tackle are priority areas at all age groups and should be the focus of injury prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew V Hancock
- UK Collaborating Centre on Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Craig Barden
- Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- School of Education and Science, University of Gloucestershire, Gloucester, UK
| | - Simon P Roberts
- UK Collaborating Centre on Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Carly D McKay
- UK Collaborating Centre on Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Keith A Stokes
- UK Collaborating Centre on Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Rugby Football Union, Twickenham, UK
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Shill IJ, West SW, Sick S, Schneider KJ, Wiley JP, Hagel BE, Black AM, Emery CA. Differences in injury and concussion rates in a cohort of Canadian female and male youth Rugby Union: a step towards targeted prevention strategies. Br J Sports Med 2023:bjsports-2023-106929. [PMID: 37985003 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine differences in match and training musculoskeletal injury and concussion rates and describe mechanisms of concussion while considering previous playing experience in female and male Canadian high school Rugby Union ('rugby') players. METHODS A 2-year prospective cohort study was completed in a high school league (n=361 females, 421 player-seasons; n=429 males, 481 player-seasons) in Calgary, Canada over the 2018 and 2019 rugby playing seasons. Baseline testing was completed at the start of each season and injury surveillance and individual player participation through session attendance was documented to quantify individual-level player exposure hours. Injury incidence rates (IRs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated using Poisson regression, offset by player exposure hours and clustered by team. RESULTS Overall match IR for females was 62% higher than males (overall IRR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.18) and the overall training IR was twice as high for females (overall IRR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.40 to 3.32). The female match concussion IR was 70% higher than the males (concussion IRR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.69). Females had a 75% greater tackle-related IR compared with males (IRR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.56). Additionally, female tacklers had a twofold greater rate of injury compared with male tacklers (IRR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.14 to 4.14). Previous playing experience was not associated with tackle-related injury or concussion IRs. CONCLUSION The rate of injury and concussion was significantly higher in females within this Canadian high school cohort. These results emphasise the need for development, implementation and evaluation of female-specific injury and concussion prevention strategies to reduce injury and concussion in female youth rugby.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isla J Shill
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Stephen W West
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport, Department of Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- UK Collaborating Centre on Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Stacy Sick
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kathryn J Schneider
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Sport Medicine Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - J Preston Wiley
- Sport Medicine Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Brent E Hagel
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Amanda M Black
- Centre for Healthy Youth Development through Sport, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carolyn A Emery
- Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- O'Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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