Key result
Over 52 weeks of training and competition, female rugby union student-athletes demonstrated large improvements in lower extremity power, upper body strength, and anaerobic endurance despite fluctuations in body weight.
Why the study?
Does a 31-week competitive season and 52-week training program improve physical and performance variables in female Rugby Union student-athletes?
Observational (n=3)
No
Does a 31-week competitive season and 52-week training program improve physical and performance variables in female Rugby Union student-athletes?
Effect estimate: d = 1.49
Absolute Event Rate: 40.7% vs 36%
Physical and performance enhancement in female Rugby Union student-athletes is possible over a 31-week competitive season and 52-week training period.
Supports year-round training for performance gains in female rugby athletes; leaves open causality and generalizability from this cohort design.
Only two papers have been published on physical and/or performance characteristics for women Rugby Union (RU) players and no data is available for Academy/ developing women RU student-athletes. The objective of this paper was to investigate, using descriptive statistics, the potential enhancement of physical and performance variables of New Zealand Women RU Academy student-athletes (NZWRUSA) over a 31-weekpremier league season and over 52-weeks, and compare this data with previous publications. Players trained 25hours per week, with an additional 12 to 15hours being scheduled for team practices and game play. Data collection was scheduled for set intervals. Over the Otago Rugby Football Union premier league season (weeks 1-31) mean data illustrated an increase in body weight(trivial Cohn's effect size (ES/d)) with concurrent performance enhancement in all but one performance variable, ES ranging between trivial (d = 0.08) and large (d = 2.44). Over 52-weeks of training, body weight increase was again accompanied with improvements in all performance parameters except the two sprints, with large ES difference in lower extremity power (d = 1.49), upper body strength-bench press (d = 1.44), and anaerobic endurance effort (d = 2.37).Physical and performance enhancement, over a 31-week competitive-season and over 52-weeks, is possible even with an increase in body weight.
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Rishiraj et al. (2018) conducted an observational in Healthy female rugby union student-athletes (n=3). Rugby union training and competitive season vs. Baseline was evaluated on Vertical Jump (cm) at 52 weeks (d = 1.49). Over 52 weeks of training and competition, female rugby union student-athletes demonstrated large improvements in lower extremity power, upper body strength, and anaerobic endurance despite fluctuations in body weight.
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