RUGBY UNION AND INJURY

Rugby Union and Injury

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Incidence of Rugby Injuries6

Nature and Site of Injuries8

Severity of Injuries10

Mechanism of Injuries11

Player Position13

External Ankle Support and Ankle Injury Rates14

Effect of External Support on Performance23

How the External Support May Act on the Joint to Prevent Injury26

Degree of Restriction in the End Range of Motion (ROM) Provided by an External Ankle Support32

Effectiveness of External Ankle Support in Restricting End ROM during Exercise33

Effect of External Ankle Support on Strength36

Resistance to Inversion Torque Provided by External Ankle Supports38

Effect of External Ankle Support on Muscle Activation Patterns40

Effect of External Ankle Support on Balance and Proprioception44

Effect of External Ankle Support on Ground Reaction Forces51

Implications of the Laws of Rugby on the Use of External Ankle Support52

Violence ding Sporting Events53

Players' Violence off the Playing Field55

Theories of Violence and Sport56

Conclusions and Recommendations60

References67

Rugby Union and Injury

A Literature Review

Introduction

Rugby union is a collision sport with a high injury rate, which became a professional sport in 1995. Little is known about the level and pattern of injuries in professional rugby.

Rugby league is an international collision sport played at junior, amateur, semi-professional and professional levels. Due to the high numbers of physical collisions and tackles, musculoskeletal injuries are common. A large percentage of injuries result in long-term employment and study limitations, medical costs and loss of income. Review articles addressing the applied physiology of rugby league and common rugby league injuries have been published.

However, both of these review articles have focused on the professional rugby league player. This review addresses the extent of the injury problem in rugby league in all levels of competition (i.e. junior, amateur, semi-professional and professional). The incidence of rugby league injuries typically increases as the playing level is increased. The majority of studies have shown that the head and neck is the most common site of match injuries in senior rugby league players, while knee injuries are the most common site of injury in junior rugby league players.

Muscular injuries are the most common type of injury sustained by senior rugby league players, while junior rugby league players more commonly sustain fractures. Injuries are most commonly sustained in tackles, by the tackled player. Thigh and calf strains are the most common injuries sustained during rugby league training, while overexertion is the most common cause of training injuries. Player fatigue may influence the incidence of injury, with most sub-elite (amateur and semi-professional) rugby league injuries occurring in the second half of matches or the latter stages of training sessions. The majority of training injuries occur in the early stages of the season, while match injuries occur in the latter stages of the season, suggesting that changes in training and playing intensity may influence the incidence of injury in rugby league.

Injury prevention studies are required to reduce the incidence, severity and cost of rugby league injuries. These injury prevention strategies could include coaching on defensive skills, correct tackling technique, correct falling technique and methods to minimise the absorption of impact forces in ...