Injury Risk and Reduction Strategies in Young Rugby Players

Abstract

Injury risk and reduction in youth rugby have emerged as topics of public and academic interest. This chapter begins with a review of descriptive epidemiological studies of injury in youth rugby union and rugby league. In particular, the review references injury patterns and injury risk factors, and the nature of concussion in youth rugby before summarising known injury reduction strategies applicable to youth rugby players. The chapter will subsequently detail a practical application of the process adopted in designing and developing a pre-activity movement control exercise programme to reduce injury risk in schoolboy rugby players aged 14–18 years in England. The intervention (known now as the Activate Injury Prevention Exercise Programme) was evaluated for efficacy and found to be capable of reducing overall match injury and concussion risk depending on how often it was used with players. The programme provides a time-efficient injury risk reduction tool for coaches to deliver in community rugby with minimal need for equipment or specialist knowledge. The chapter concludes with several implications and recommendations for practice in monitoring and reducing injury risk in youth rugby players.