PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J P Best
AU  - A S McIntosh
AU  - T N Savage
TI  - Rugby World Cup 2003 injury surveillance project
AID  - 10.1136/bjsm.2004.016402
DP  - 2005 Nov 01
TA  - British Journal of Sports Medicine
PG  - 812--817
VI  - 39
IP  - 11
4099  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/39/11/812.short
4100  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/39/11/812.full
SO  - Br J Sports Med2005 Nov 01; 39
AB  - Objectives: To study match injury patterns and incidence during the Rugby World Cup 2003 (RWC 2003); to compare these patterns and rates with comparative rugby injury data; and to assess differences between teams playing at different levels (eight finalists v 12 non-finalists).Methods: Data were collected prospectively during the tournament. All injuries were recorded by the 20 participating team physicians. These were submitted to the tournament medical officer. An injury was defined as an event which forced a player either to leave the field or to miss a subsequent game or both.Results: 189 injuries were recorded over 48 matches. This corresponds to 97.9 injuries per 1000 player-hours. Pool matches yielded a higher injury rate than non-pool matches. The 12 non-finalist teams sustained significantly higher injury rates than the eight finalist teams. The player positions open side flanker, inside centre, and number 8 were the most frequently injured positions. There was a low concussion rate, which may reflect under-reporting. The non-finalist teams had a higher rate of recurrent injury.Conclusions: The injury rate was higher than comparative data. Mismatches in the areas of skill, fitness, and the availability of resources for medical care of players may explain these differences.