Comparative data for the players' anthropometric data and the incidence, severity and nature of match injuries sustained by backs and forwards during the 2007, 2011 and 2015 RWCs6 7
| 2007 | 2011 | 2015 | Regression (2007–2015 results) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backs | Forwards | Backs | Forwards | Backs | Forwards | Backs | Forwards | |||
| Slope | p Value | Slope | p Value | |||||||
| Players' anthropometric data | ||||||||||
| Age (years) | 26.9 | 28.1 | 26.7 | 27.9 | 26.5 | 28.2 | −0.06 | 0.040 | +0.01 | 0.810 |
| Stature (cm) | 182.3 | 189.0 | 182.7 | 189.2 | 182.6 | 188.5 | +0.03 | 0.546 | −0.07 | 0.505 |
| Body mass (kg) | 91.9 | 110.8 | 92.8 | 111.5 | 93.0 | 112.6 | +0.10 | 0.214 | +0.23 | 0.082 |
| Injury data | ||||||||||
| Incidence (no. of injuries/1000 player-hours) | 83.7 | 84.0 | 93.8 | 85.0 | 100.4 | 81.1 | +2.09 | 0.075 | −0.37 | 0.490 |
| Severity (days) | ||||||||||
| Mean | 15.5 | 14.0 | 26.2 | 21.2 | 30.4 | 29.1 | +1.86 | 0.157 | +1.89 | 0.017 |
| Median | 8 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 7 | +0.13 | 0.333 | +0.13 | 0.333 |
| Location (no. of injuries/1000 player-hours) | ||||||||||
| Head/neck | 5.6 | 11.7 | 13.4 | 18.6 | 23.4 | 17.6 | +2.23 | 0.045 | +0.74 | 0.419 |
| Upper limb | 16.7 | 16.6 | 25.7 | 8.8 | 11.1 | 10.8 | −0.70 | 0.752 | −0.73 | 0.492 |
| Trunk | 7.8 | 13.7 | 7.8 | 11.7 | 13.4 | 4.9 | +0.70 | 0.333 | −1.10 | 0.194 |
| Lower limb | 51.3 | 41.0 | 42.4 | 40.0 | 52.4 | 47.8 | +0.14 | 0.936 | +0.85 | 0.409 |
| Type (no. of injuries/1000 player-hours) | ||||||||||
| Bone | 4.5 | 9.8 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 7.8 | +0.14 | 0.333 | −0.25 | 0.734 |
| Central/peripheral nervous system | 3.3 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 9.8 | 16.8 | 9.7 | +1.69 | 0.178 | +0.36 | 0.352 |
| Joint (non-bone)/ligament | 31.3 | 30.3 | 25.7 | 24.4 | 34.5 | 25.4 | +0.40 | 0.766 | −0.61 | 0.435 |
| Muscle/tendon | 41.3 | 34.2 | 43.5 | 34.2 | 39.1 | 34.2 | −0.28 | 0.667 | 0.00 | 1.000 |
| Skin | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.9 | +0.14 | 0.667 | +0.24 | 0.019 |
| Other injuries | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 1.9 | +0.28 | 0.333 | −0.01 | 0.981 |