Rugby Science Update 12
Cardiovascular risk and systemic inflammation in male professional rugby: a cross-sectional study
The aim of this study was to characterize cardiovascular risk factors, including markers of inflammation, in professional rugby players based on their position. Furthermore, the study compared inflammatory markers in rugby players to those in healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). All professional rugby players (n=46) were free from injury and illness at the time of data collection. The rugby players were then categorized by position; forwards (n=21) and backs (n=25). All data collections were collected during the pre-season. Markers of inflammation for the healthy controls and RA patients were obtained from a biobank database at Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute. Most rugby players in this study exhibited at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Forwards had higher values for all body composition variables, C-reactive protein (CRP) and glucose compared to backs. The rugby player cohort overall showed increased levels of systemic inflammation. One-third of the cohort displayed similarity in inflammation levels to patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. The authors note that the sample size is too small to generalize findings. However, there is a risk of hypertension and dyslipidaemia that should be screened for in rugby players.
This study is published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.
The purpose of this study was to describe the incidence of concussion in the male rugby league at Super League, Championship, and Academy levels between 2016 and 2022. All rugby league medical teams must complete and submit a concussion report within 24 hours of a concussion to the Rugby Football League in elite senior and academy levels. All data used in this study was extracted from this dataset spanning the seasons 2016 to 2022. The data was extracted from the top tier Super League (n = 12 teams), second tier Championship (n = 14 teams), and RFL Academy (n = 12 teams). A total of 1403 concussions were reported (Super League = 538; Championship = 358; Academy = 507). The overall concussion incidence was significantly higher for Super League (15.5 (14.2–16.9) per 1000 player-match hours) and Academy (14.3 (13.1-15.6) per 1000 player-match hours) compared to the Championship (10.5 (9.5-11.7) per 1000 player match hours). One possible reason for this difference is the increased availability of resources for identifying concussions. Additionally, there has been an emphasis on concussion caution for youth players. Concussion incidence in Academy players was higher in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, potentially influenced by COVID-19 pandemic, which limited training and playing opportunities for these players. Lastly, no difference was found in concussion incidence between months at all the levels.
This study is published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
The purpose of this study is to explore injuries in Canadian high school rugby boys and provide insights for future injury prevention strategies. Data collection took place during the 2018 and 2019 high-school rugby seasons in Calgary, Alberta. Seven schools were recruited for this study and 12 teams were included. Preseason testing was conducted at the start of the season, with weekly visits to the schools during the season to obtain the injury data. The total time loss injury incidence for matches was 48.4 injury per 1000 hours (95% CI: 37.7-62.0) and a concussion injury incidence of 22.0 concussions per 1000 hours (95% CI: 15.9-30.4). For training injury incidence, the overall time-loss injury incidence was 1.9 injuries per 1000 hours (95% CI: 1.2- 2.9) and the training concussion injury incidence was 0.6 injuries per 1000 hours (95% CI: 0.3-1.2). No significant differences were observed between seasons. The head was the most common injury location in both matches and training, with the concussion being the most common injury type. The tackle event accounted for 65% of match injuries, with the ball carrier contributing to 35% of tackle injuries, followed by the tackler (30%). In training, the tackle constituted 58% of injuries, with the tackler having the highest injury proportion (51%) compared to the ball carrier (7%). The most common mechanism for concussions in matches was being tackled (41%), followed by tackling (53%). In training, the predominant concussion mechanism was tackling (45%), followed by being tackled (23%). The authors highlighted the need for implementation of injury and concussion-specific prevention strategies. Due to the significant number of tackle-related injuries, there is a need to focus on tackle specific injury prevention strategies.
This study is published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.
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