Ella Kay

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of previous season match exposure on injury incidence and burden in elite men's rugby union. DESIGN: A three-season (2016-17 to 2018-19) retrospective cohort design was used to collect and analyse injury and exposure data across English Premiership rugby union teams. METHODS: Generalised linear mixed-effects models were used to model the influence of match exposure (all match involvements, match involvements of ≥20 mins, and full-game equivalents) upon match and training injury incidence and burden in the following season. RESULTS: Involvement in ≥31 matches within a season was associated with substantially increased match and training injury burden in the following season. Match exposure was not clearly associated with injury incidence in the following season. The increased match injury burden associated with higher match involvements appeared to be driven by an increased risk for older (>26 y) Forwards, whilst the increased training injury burden associated with higher match involvements appeared to be driven by an increased risk for older (>26 y) Backs. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that all match involvements, regardless of duration, should be considered when exploring associations between match exposure and injury risk. High match involvements (≥ 31 matches) are associated with elevated injury burden, in both matches and training, in the following season. The physical and psychological load of players with high previous-season match exposure should be carefully managed.

This three-part study aimed to 1) investigate the most common profiling practices in male rugby union; 2) identify factors profiled within youth players; and 3) assess the importance of these factors for player progression and their measurement feasibility. Part one employed a systematic scoping review. For part two, expert practitioners participated in a Nominal Group Technique session to identify factors to profile within youth male rugby union. Part three included practitioners from a Tier One rugby nation and researchers, who ranked their agreement for importance of the identified factors, and their measurement feasibility. The review identified 107 studies profiling 50 factors across five themes: physical (n=67 studies), demographic (n=25), psychological (n=20), technical (n=20), and tactical (n=6). Expert practitioners reported an additional 20 factors that should be profiled. Over 70% of survey participants agreed that 40 factors were important for progression and 28 factors were feasible to measure. Only 15 factors reached 70% agreement for both importance and feasibility, including strength, power, and games played. Factors across all themes were considered important, re-emphasising the need for multi-dimensional profiling within youth male rugby union. Further research is required to enhance the feasibility of measuring these factors and create a multidimensional player profile.