Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
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Contact Confident: A safer future for rugby, inspired by women
Dr Anna Stodter, Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching within the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University, shares insight into her pioneering work on rugby safety and performance.
With research interests in sport coaches' learning and education, Anna’s expertise informs both her teaching and her applied practice as a coach and coach developer. In this piece, Anna delves into the Contact Confident programme, which utilises Judo principles to revolutionise tackle safety in rugby, based on evidence from women’s rugby. Supported by the Carnegie School of Sport, this research is set to reshape how contact is approached in the game, improving safety, performance, and player confidence.
As a former player and current coach and researcher, I’ve spent years watching athletes, particularly women, confront the unique challenges posed by contact sports like rugby. These challenges extend far beyond performance - at the heart of the issue is safety. That’s why I’m incredibly proud to introduce Contact Confident, a programme developed to not only improve performance but to safeguard the welfare of players by incorporating judo principles into rugby training strategies.
A collaborative approach to rugby safety
Judo might seem an unusual partner to rugby, but it’s a natural fit. At its core, judo teaches balance, body awareness, and, most importantly, how to fall safely. Historically, rugby has borrowed aspects of judo for performance benefits, but in recent years, we’ve re-envisioned its potential to address the alarming rise of injuries, particularly concussions. Women’s rugby faces unique biomechanical and contextual challenges that differ from men’s rugby, so we asked ourselves: How can we make the game safer for everyone?
Our answer came from judo. By training rugby players, starting with women, to fall more effectively and tackle with greater control, we’re helping them develop not only the confidence to engage in contact but also the tools to reduce the risk of burdensome injuries.
The initial feedback from our trials has been encouraging. Players feel more confident, knowing that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle contact situations more safely. Coaches are also empowered with practical techniques they can easily integrate into their training. This isn't just about making rugby safer - it's about creating a rugby culture where safety and performance are intertwined.
We’re starting with women’s rugby, where we’ve already seen improvements in players’ and coaches’ awareness. But the vision extends far beyond that. We see Contact Confident as a starting point that could transform how rugby training looks, from grassroots to elite levels, for all genders, in rugby union and rugby league alike.
The data driven approach
One of the most exciting aspects of the Contact Confident programme is the evidence-informed approach we’ve taken to develop and explore its impact. Alongside judo principles, we’ve incorporated the use of instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) during training and matches. These mouthguards are equipped with technology that tracks head impacts in real time, providing invaluable insights into the force players experience during tackles and when falling and landing on the ground.
Research has highlighted that women’s rugby players experience head impacts differently from their male counterparts, emphasising the critical need for focused training on safe tackling and falling techniques. Data from these studies is deepening our understanding of gender-specific impact experiences, underscoring the importance of a tailored approach to contact safety.
Preliminary findings have shown a reduction in the frequency and severity of head impacts when this tackle technique intervention using judo principles is implemented. The mouthguard data provides evidence to support what we’ve observed on the field, and we are hoping going forward that players using the Contact Confident techniques will sustain fewer high-risk impacts, contributing to a safer playing environment.
The success of the Contact Confident programme wouldn’t be possible without the invaluable support from the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University. Their commitment to advancing rugby and sport-related research has been instrumental in funding and facilitating this project.
Through grants provided by the school, we’ve been able to gather detailed data by filming matches, analysing head impacts with instrumented mouthguards (iMGs), and pairing this with video evidence to study player movements in real time.
Connecting with key sports injury and epidemiology researchers such as Dr Katrina McDonald, Dr Danielle Salmon, and Profession Carolyn Emery has also helped us expand our understanding of injury prevention and collaborate with experts globally. These partnerships have been pivotal in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in sports safety, allowing us to translate cutting-edge research into practical solutions that can be implemented on the field.
The road ahead
This kind of evidence-based approach is crucial for the future of rugby. We’re not just making assumptions about what could work - we’re backing it up with real data that helps us fine-tune the techniques and maximise player safety. As this research progresses, the combination of performance analysis, mouthguard data, and coaches’ input will allow us to refine the programme even further, ensuring that every player can benefit from the safest and most effective techniques available.
At the heart of this initiative is the desire to protect the long-term health of athletes. Implementing research-driven techniques like judo’s safe falling can reduce the risk of injuries such as concussions.
This project is just the beginning. With the support of Leeds Beckett University, we’re expanding the Contact Confident programme, and it’s already freely available to the global rugby community. I truly believe this work will help reshape rugby’s approach to contact - creating a safer, more sustainable future for the sport.
Dr Anna Stodter
Anna is a senior lecturer in sport coaching within the Carnegie School of Sport. Her research interests in sport coaches' learning and education inform both her teaching and applied practice as a coach and coach developer.
