Key result
Over a single season, elite rugby union participation resulted in 72 time-loss injuries (12.7 per 1000 athlete-hours) and an average athlete availability of 76.4%.
Why the study?
No studies have reported injury incidence or examined athlete availability due to injuries for an elite rugby union team in Japan during an entire season.
Observational (n=57)
No
In an elite Japanese rugby union team, injury incidence was high during field training and lower during official matches compared to foreign leagues, with muscle strains and concussions being most frequent.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
First injury data from elite Japanese rugby; leaves open targeted prevention research before practice change.
Context: No studies report injury incidence for an elite rugby union team in Japan during the entire season. Also, no studies examine how athlete availability is affected because of injuries. Objective: This investigation reported the injury incidence and athlete availability of the elite rugby union team in Japan and identified the injury characteristics. Design: Descriptive Epidemiology Study. Setting: Elite rugby union team in Japan. Patients or Other Participants: Fifty-seven players from one elite rugby union team participated in this study. The team participated in Japan’s first elite rugby union league division. These consisted of 41 Japanese players, 8 South African players, 5 Tongan players, 2 New Zealand players, and 1 Australian player. Data Collection and Analysis: Injuries were recorded prospectively over 1 season. Athlete-exposure (AE), athlete-hour (AH), injury burden, and availability was analyzed. Results: As a result of this study, 72 time-loss injuries were identified throughout the single-season. Injury incidence in Japan’s elite rugby union team is indicated as high in the field training and low during the official match compared to foreign leagues. Type of injury, muscle strain injuries in the lower leg and thigh, and concussion occurred most frequently. Athlete availability during the in-season phase was high throughout but tended to decline toward the latter half of the season. Conclusions: This investigation revealed the characteristics and incidence of injury and athlete availability of Japan’s elite rugby union team. These data reveal focus points for injury prevention and provide beneficial information for strength and conditioning coaches and athletic trainers.
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A 2023 study conducted an observational in Sports Injuries (n=57). Elite rugby union participation was evaluated on Injury incidence (time-loss injuries per 1000 athlete-hours). Over a single season, elite rugby union participation resulted in 72 time-loss injuries (12.7 per 1000 athlete-hours) and an average athlete availability of 76.4%.
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