Rugby Science Update 22
By Lara Paul
“Women shouldn’t play rugby” – the gendered and embodied experiences of women players in rugby union
The aim of this study to understand the attitudes, experiences and behaviours of women rugby players concerning tackle performance and safety. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-one senior women rugby players. A constructivist grounded theory approach guided the recruitment of participants, data collection and data analysis. The results were divided into two categories: 1) The position of women’s rugby and 2) how women shape the field of rugby. Participants discussed how their bodies felt ‘out of place’ within the rugby community due to their personal experiences and restrictive gender norms. This included deeply embedded gender norms within social and organisational structures, playing conditions and societal perceptions of women’s rugby, which limited their opportunities to safely participate and thrive in the sport. Despite these challenges, players did not change themselves to fit in, rather, they embraced the diversity of women’s embodiment and capabilities. They continued to participate in this sport, actively re-shaping the future of women’s rugby. The authors mentioned that participants expressed optimism about the future public profile of women’s rugby, and this positive attitude could serve as a catalyst for changing attitudes and increasing support. The authors recommend that researchers continue to build on this research by investigating the why and how certain knowledges and practices become normative, as well as when and why they may be resisted.
This study is published in the Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health.
The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to describe the incidence, severity and burden of knee injuries over 20 English Premiership rugby seasons in matches and training, and (2) to assess changes in injury rates over time and compare these rates across different playing surfaces and between types of playing events. Data on injuries and match and training exposure were collected from first team male rugby players of Premiership Rugby Clubs from 2002/2003 season to the 2022/2023 season. All injury definitions were aligned with the 2020 IOC injury consensus document. Over the 20 seasons, a total of 2128 knee injuries reported, with 71% occurring during matches and 29% during training. Annually, knee injuries accounted for an average of 11.6% of all match injuries and 9.5% of all training injuries. The mean knee severity in matches was 50 days, with an injury incidence of 9.8 injuries per 1000 player hours. MCL injuries were the most common during matches; however, ACL injuries had the highest severity (241 days) and injury burden (112 days per 1000 hours). In training, the mean severity of knee injuries were 51 days, and the injury incidence was 0.2 injuries per 1000 player hours. MCL, chondral/meniscal, and ‘other’ knee injuries were the most common in training, though ACL injuries had the highest severity (243 days). While the overall knee injury count did not change over time, counts of PCL and complex knee injuries have significantly increased. Average knee injury severity also showed a significant increase over time. Knee injury rates during matches were 44% higher on artificial grass pitches than on natural grass surfaces. The tackle event was the leading cause of knee injuries in matches, with ball carrier at a higher risk than tacklers. For ACL injuries, running accounted for 33% of cases, followed by the tackle event with 31%. Given the evolving nature of the game, prioritising knee injury prevention strategies is recommended.
This study is published in British Journal of Sports Medicine.
This study aims to examine performance across the menstrual cycle and compare athletes using hormonal contraption with those having a “natural” cycle. Twenty-four national Australian National Rugby League’s Indigenous Women’s Academy athletes participated in this study while attending a 5 week training camp. The players were divided into two groups: those using hormonal contraception and those reporting naturally menstrual cycles. After two familiarization sessions, participants completed performance tests on three separate occasions, aligned with each participant’s individualized menstrual (MC) or hormonal contraceptive cycle. Menstrual status was tracked for all athletes by recording the onset of bleeding, conducting 11 weeks of MC or hormonal contraceptive tracking, using dual hormone urinary ovulation kits, and analysing retrospective serum 17‐β‐estradiol and progesterone concentration. Performance tests were administered at MC phase one, two and four for natural menstruating athletes and three equally spaced out intervals for athletes using hormonal contraceptive athletes. Blood samples were collected from each athlete before each performance testing session. Performance tests included the countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), and isometric mid‐thigh pull, conducted on a dual force plate system, followed by the power pass, 20m sprint and the Stroop Colour and Word Test. No differences or changes were observed in CMJ, SJ, and isometric mid‐thigh pull force, power pass distance, 20m sprint times or Stroop effect across MC phases, test sessions, or between groups. However, small variations in kinetic and kinematic outputs were noted in the CMJ and SJ: a 16.8% greater mean concentric power were observed in the CMJ, and a 4.7% reduction in impulse at 50 ms in the SJ during MC phase four compared to MC phase one. This study suggests that while the menstrual cycle or hormonal contraceptive use does not significantly impact physical and cognitive performance outcomes, certain kinetic or kinematic outputs during the CMJ and SJ may experience minor alterations.
This study is published in European Journal of Sport Science – Open Access.
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