Key result
Elite youth rugby match play linked to a ~91-fold higher injury rate versus training.
Why the study?
This study aimed to examine injuries suffered by elite Spanish national under-18 and under-20 rugby players and identify the actions involved in their occurrence.
Observational (n=166)
Absolute Event Rate: 105.3% vs 1.16%
Injuries in elite youth rugby players occur significantly more often during matches than training, particularly with less than 3 days of rest between matches.
Match injuries vastly exceed training rates in elite youth rugby; supports rest-interval caution but remains hypothesis-generating.
This study examines the injuries suffered by players (n=166) of the Spanish national men's under-18 and under-20 rugby teams between 2015 and 2017, and identifies the actions involved in their occurrence. All injuries (total n=78) sustained during matches and training were recorded as recommended by World Rugby, and injury incidence rates per 1000 player-hours (ph) calculated for both types of activity. Injuries occurred more commonly during matches than during training (incidence 105.3 [95% CI: 78.7-131.9] per 1000 [ph] of match play, vs 1.16 [95% CI: 0.69-1.62] per 1000 ph of training), and most days absent per 1000 ph during matches with<3 days rest since the previous match (4209.2 [95% CI: 3516.2-4902.1] per 1000 ph of match play, vs 1947.4 [95% CI: 1511.8-2382.9] per 1000 ph of match play in matches with>3 days rest). These results provide information that may be useful in the development of strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of injuries.
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Solís-Mencía et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Rugby injuries (n=166). Match play vs. Training was evaluated on Injury incidence rate per 1000 player-hours. Match play among elite Spanish youth rugby players resulted in a substantially higher injury incidence rate compared to training (105.3 vs 1.16 per 1000 player-hours).
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