Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34854059›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2022

Injuries in Elite Men's Rugby Union: An Updated (2012-2020) Meta-Analysis of 11,620 Match and Training Injuries.

Sean Williams, Charli Robertson, Lindsay Starling, Carly McKay, Stephen West, James Brown, Keith Stokes

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
41citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

41 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Shoulder injuries in rugby union: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery · 2026
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  15. Observational
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  19. Rugby Injury Imaging.Seminars in musculoskeletal radiology · 2025
    Review
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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

7 authors.

Sean WilliamsCentre for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK. S.Williams@bath.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-1460-0085
Charli RobertsonCentre for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
Lindsay StarlingCentre for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1275-6908
Carly McKayCentre for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7664-3211
Stephen WestFaculty of Kinesiology, Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5800-7000
James BrownDivision of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Keith StokesCentre for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5049-2838

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe most recent meta-analytic review of injuries in elite senior men's Rugby Union was published in 2013. The demands of the game at the elite level are continually changing alongside law amendments and developments in player preparation. As such, an updated meta-analysis of injury data in this setting is necessary.

objectiveTo meta-analyse time-loss injury data in elite senior men's Rugby Union between 2012 and 2020.

methodsElectronic databases were searched using the keywords 'rugby' and 'inj*'. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Injury incidence rate data were modelled using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model. Days missed data were modelled using a general linear mixed model.

resultsThe included data encompassed a total of 8819 match injuries and 2801 training injuries. The overall incidence rate of injuries in matches was 91 per 1000 h (95% confidence interval (CI) 77-106). The estimated mean days missed per match injury was 27 days (95% CI 23-32). The overall incidence rate of match concussions was 12 per 1000 h (95% CI 9-15). The overall incidence rate of training injuries was 2.8 per 1000 h (95% CI 1.9-4.0). Playing level was not a significant effect modifier for any outcome.

conclusionsThe injury incidence rate and mean days missed per injury in the present meta-analysis were higher, but statistically equivalent to, the 2013 meta-analysis (81 per 1000 h and 20 days, respectively). The injury incidence rate for match injuries in elite senior men's Rugby Union is high in comparison to most team sports, though the training injury incidence rate compares favourably. The tackle event and concussion injuries should continue to be the focus of future preventative efforts.

Indexed as

Athletic InjuriesBrain ConcussionFootballHumansIncidenceMaleRugbyTeam Sports

Identifiers

PMID34854059
PMCPMC9023408

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.