Observational studyBMJ open2014
Tackle-related injury rates and nature of injuries in South African Youth Week tournament rugby union players (under-13 to under-18): an observational cohort study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Biomechanics of Rugby Tackle Techniques in Youth and Adult Players: A Systematic Review of Age-Specific Injury Risk and Performance Implications.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Pooled it
- Injury Rates, Mechanisms, Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies in Youth Rugby Union: What's All the Ruck-Us About? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Pooled it
- Exercise-Based Interventions for Injury Prevention in Tackle Collision Ball Sports: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2017Pooled it
- Impact Absorption Behaviour of 3D-Printed Lattice Structures for Sportswear Applications.Polymers · 2025Article
- High school rugby coaches' knowledge and opinions of concussion in Kwa-Zulu Natal province in South Africa: an ecological cross-sectional study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2024Article
- How to harness and improve on video analysis for youth rugby player safety: a narrative review.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2023Review
- Lay of the land: narrative synthesis of tackle research in rugby union and rugby sevens.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2020Review
- Coaches' perceptions on qualities defining good adolescent rugby players and are important for player recruitment in talent identification programs: the SCRuM project.BMC research notes · 2019Article
- Epidemiology of Injury in Elite English Schoolboy Rugby Union: A 3-Year Study Comparing Different Competitions.Journal of athletic training · 2018Article
- Article
- A Review of the Anthropometric Characteristics, Grading and Dispensation of Junior and Youth Rugby Union Players in Australia.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2016Review
- The efficacy of a movement control exercise programme to reduce injuries in youth rugby: a cluster randomised controlled trial.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2016Article
- The relationships between rugby players' tackle training attitudes and behaviour and their match tackle attitudes and behaviour.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2015Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe tackle situation is most often associated with the high injury rates in rugby union. Tackle injury epidemiology in rugby union has previously been focused on senior cohorts but less is known about younger cohorts. The aim of this study was to report on the nature and rates of tackle-related injuries in South African youth rugby union players representing their provinces at national tournaments.
designObservational cohort study.
settingFour South African Youth Week tournaments (under-13 Craven Week, under-16 Grant Khomo Week, under-18 Academy Week, under-18 Craven Week).
participantsInjury data were collected from 3652 youth rugby union players (population at risk) in 2011 and 2012. OUTCOME MEASURES: Tackle-related injury severity ('time-loss' and 'medical attention'), type and location, injury rate per 1000 h (including 95% CIs). Injury rate ratios (IRR) were calculated and modelled using a Poisson regression. A χ(2) analysis was used to detect linear trends between injuries and increasing match quarters.
resultsThe 2012 under-13 Craven Week had a significantly greater 'time-loss' injury rate when compared with the 2012 under-18 Academy Week (IRR=4.43; 95% CI 2.13 to 9.21, p<0.05) and under-18 Craven Week (IRR=3.52; 95% CI 1.54 to 8.00, p<0.05). The Poisson regression also revealed a higher probability of 'overall' ('time-loss' and 'medical attention' combined) and 'time-loss' tackle-related injuries occurring at the under-13 Craven Week. The proportion of 'overall' and 'time-loss' injuries increased significantly with each quarter of the match when all four tournaments were combined (p<0.05).
conclusionsThere was a difference in the tackle-related injury rate between the under-13 tournament and the two under-18 tournaments, and the tackle-related injury rate was higher in the final quarter of matches. Ongoing injury surveillance is required to better interpret these findings. Injury prevention strategies targeting the tackle may only be effective once the rate and nature of injuries have been accurately determined.
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