Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33655802›Full record

ArticleSports health

Injury Trends in Irish Amateur Rugby: An Epidemiological Comparison of Men and Women.

Caithriona Yeomans, Ian C Kenny, Roisin Cahalan, Giles D Warrington, Andrew J Harrison, Helen Purtill, Mark Lyons, Mark J Campbell, Liam G Glynn, Thomas M Comyns

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

26 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  9. Breast-Related Issues in Community-Based Women's Rugby Union.European journal of sport science · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Caithriona YeomansDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Ian C KennyDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Roisin CahalanHealth Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Giles D WarringtonDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Andrew J HarrisonDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Helen PurtillHealth Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Mark LyonsDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Mark J CampbellDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Liam G GlynnHealth Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Thomas M ComynsDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
University of Limerick · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRugby union is a physically demanding sport that carries an inherent risk of injury. Despite being a popular and widely played team sport, little is known about injuries occurring across the male and female amateur game. PURPOSE: To establish and compare injury incidence, nature, and severity in male and female Irish amateur rugby union. STUDY

designProspective cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

methodsData were collected prospectively from 25 male teams (959 players) and 8 female teams (234 players) over 2 full seasons. Both time-loss (24-hour time-loss injury definition) and non-time-loss match injury reports were collected, alongside match exposure data.

resultsTime-loss match injury incidence rates were 49.1/1000 and 35.6/1000 player-hours for male and female players, respectively. Concussion and ankle ligament sprains were the most common diagnoses for male (5.6/1000 and 4.4/1000 player-hours, respectively) and female players (5.5/1000 and 3.9/1000 player-hours, respectively). Anterior cruciate ligament injuries presented the highest injury burden for male and female players with 200.3 and 307.2 days of absence per 1000 player-hours, respectively. In female players, 83% of noncontact injuries occurred in the fourth quarter of match play.

conclusionWhile female players had a lower overall injury incidence rate compared with male players, concussion and ankle ligament injuries were the most common injuries in both cohorts. In female players, a high rate of noncontact injuries in the second half points to the need for strength and conditioning training programs to reduce fatigue-related injuries. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Establishing the incidence and burden of rugby-related injuries is an essential step in minimizing injury risk. This epidemiological information will aid the development of future reduction strategies, including education and coaching strategies and strength and conditioning programs, informed by the most common injuries observed and the mechanism of injury.

Indexed as

Athletic InjuriesBrain ConcussionFootballSprains and StrainsFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleProspective Studiesepidemiologyinjury preventioninjury riskinjury surveillanceRugby union

Identifiers

PMID33655802
PMCPMC8558996
OpenAlexW3135461795

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.