Injury incidence and athlete availability through a single-season in an elite rugby union team in Japanhttps://escipub.com/ijsmr-2023-01-0506hy/

Abstract

Context: No studies report injury incidence for an elite rugby union team in Japan during the entire season. Also, no studies examine how athlete availability is affected because of injuries. Objective: This investigation reported the injury incidence and athlete availability of the elite rugby union team in Japan and identified the injury characteristics. Design: Descriptive Epidemiology Study. Setting: Elite rugby union team in Japan. Patients or Other Participants: Fifty-seven players from one elite rugby union team participated in this study. The team participated in Japan’s first elite rugby union league division. These consisted of 41 Japanese players, 8 South African players, 5 Tongan players, 2 New Zealand players, and 1 Australian player. Data Collection and Analysis: Injuries were recorded prospectively over 1 season. Athlete-exposure (AE), athlete-hour (AH), injury burden, and availability was analyzed. Results: As a result of this study, 72 time-loss injuries were identified throughout the single-season. Injury incidence in Japan’s elite rugby union team is indicated as high in the field training and low during the official match compared to foreign leagues. Type of injury, muscle strain injuries in the lower leg and thigh, and concussion occurred most frequently. Athlete availability during the in-season phase was high throughout but tended to decline toward the latter half of the season. Conclusions: This investigation revealed the characteristics and incidence of injury and athlete availability of Japan’s elite rugby union team. These data reveal focus points for injury prevention and provide beneficial information for strength and conditioning coaches and athletic trainers.