Injury
Playing conditions, player preparation and rugby injury: a case-control study

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1440-2440(05)80008-8Get rights and content

This paper investigates the effect of player preparation, ground conditions and weather conditions upon the injury risk for Rugby Union players. A population-based case-control study was performed using a sample (n=1043) of New Zealand Rugby Union players aged 16 y and above. Details concerning game preparation (warm-up and usual position), and ground and weather conditions (precipitation, wind and temperature) were obtained from the players. If players were injured during the season (n=624) they were asked to provide details about the game in which they were last injured. Uninjured players (n=419) provided details about the last game in which they played. Injuries were more likely to occur when games were played on hard grounds or in calm or warm conditions. Playing out of position and the duration of warming up did not significantly alter the risk of injury. When player preparation, ground and weather conditions, grade, age, playing position and rugby experience were simultaneously controlled for, hard ground and the absence of wind were associated with increased risk. The influence of these factors may be indirect, through adaptation to the conditions in which a game is played.

References (20)

  • AlsopJC et al.

    Temporal Patterns of Injury During a Rugby Season

    J Sci Med Sport

    (2000)
  • SimpsonJ et al.

    The New Zealand Rugby injury and Performance Project. Evaluating “Tackling Rugby Injury”: the pilot phase for monitoring injury

    Aust NZ J Public Health

    (1999)
  • BirdYN et al.

    The New Zealand Rugby Injury and Performance Project: V. Epidemiology of a season of rugby injury

    Br J Sports Med

    (1998)
  • QuarrieKL et al.

    The New Zealand rugby injury and performance project: VI A prospective cohort study of risk factors for injury in rugby union football

    Br J Sports Med

    (2001)
  • GarrawayWM et al.

    Factors influencing tackle injuries in rugby union football

    Br J Sports Med

    (1999)
  • LeeAJ et al.

    The influence of environmental factors on rugby football injuries

    J Sports Sci

    (2000)
  • OrchardJ

    Is there a relationship between ground and climatic conditions and injuries in football?

    Sports Med

    (2002)
  • LeeAJ et al.

    Influence of players' physique on rugby football injuries

    Br J Sports Med

    (1997)
  • TaylorTK et al.

    Spinal-cord injuries in Australian footballers, 1960–1985

    Med J Aust

    (1987)
  • DaviesJE et al.

    Injuries in rugby union football

    BMJ

    (1978)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (11)

  • The relationship between ground conditions and injury: What level of evidence do we have?

    2013, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
    Citation Excerpt :

    Consistent with Orchard,5 ground hardness decreased significantly throughout the rugby season, however, there was no significant relationship between ground hardness and community-level rugby union injuries. While an association between ground conditions and rugby injuries were identified in most of the studies that assessed ground conditions subjectively,7,12,29,30,42 findings from this study using an objective measure of ground hardness demonstrated a non-significant association between these two factors.11 The validity of a penetrometer to determine ground hardness on natural turf playing fields is questionable due to the depth of penetration of the device, therefore, a greater evidence-base using valid and objective measures is required to relate ground conditions to injury risk in rugby.

  • Recent Trends in Rugby Union Injuries

    2008, Clinics in Sports Medicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    In 1991 Meeuwisse [93] emphasized the importance of identifying causal relationships between risk factors and injuries in epidemiological studies, and some recent studies have been successful in identifying specific intrinsic and extrinsic injury risk factors in rugby union players. Ligament laxity [94], lumbopelvic stability [95], ground and weather conditions [96,97], time of the season [18,98], previous injury experience [89,98], physical fitness or level of activity [89,98], training volume [91], age or experience [89,98], and physique [89,98] have all been reported risk factors in rugby union players. The rugby union epidemiology to date has provided a good level of data on which to base both preventative and therapeutic interventions (the first two stages of the van Mechelen cycle of injury prevention [35]).

  • Anthropometrics of Italian senior male rugby union players: From elite to second division

    2015, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text