ArticleSports health
Injury Trends for School Rugby Union in Ireland: The Need for Position-specific Injury-prevention Programs.
Article in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Shoulder injuries in rugby union: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Differences in Injury Incidence Between Player Positions Across All Rugby Formats-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2025Pooled it
- The Incidence of Sports-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2025Pooled it
- Immediate effect of kinesiology taping on muscle strength, static balance and proprioception after eccentric muscle fatigue on ankle: a randomized cross-over trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Trial
- Epidemiology of Match Injuries in Portuguese Senior Male Rugby Union XV: A Prospective Cohort Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- Epidemiology of rugby injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2026Article
- Contrasting Realities in Injury Management: Strategies Employed by Performance Nutritionists and Dietitians in Ireland (Part A).Current developments in nutrition · 2025Article
- Sports Performance and Injury Epidemiology in Portuguese XV Rugby Union's 2023 World Cup Preparation in a High-Altitude Center: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Radiological Correlates of Head Injuries in School-Level Rugby Union: A 10-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundConcern has been raised over the injury risk to school Rugby union (Rugby) players and the potential long-term health consequences. Despite the increase in studies for this cohort, the influence of playing position on injury incidence and presentation is unclear. PURPOSE: To describe the incidence, nature and severity of match injuries for school Rugby in Ireland overall, and as a function of playing position. STUDY
designProspective cohort study.
methodsData were collected from 15 male (aged 16-19 years) school Senior Cup teams across 2 seasons. In total, 339 players participated in season 1, whereas 326 players participated in season 2. Injury data were recorded onto a bespoke online platform. Match exposure was also recorded.
resultsThe incidence rate of match injuries (24-hour time loss) was 53.6 per 1000 hours. Across both seasons, 6810 days were lost from play due to injury. Forwards (65.4 per 1000 hours) sustained significantly more (
conclusionClear differences in injury presentation and incidence were evident when comparing forwards versus backs. The high rate of head and shoulder injuries in the forwards suggest the need for more targeted injury-prevention strategies and further research on education and laws around the tackle event. The spike of injuries in the third quarter suggests that fatigue or inadequate half-time warm-up may be a contributing factor warranting further exploration. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study demonstrates clear differences in injury presentation according to playing position in school Rugby and highlights the need for a more tailored approach to the design and implementation of injury-prevention strategies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.
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