Talent Identification in an English Premiership Rugby Union Academy: Multidisciplinary Characteristics of Selected and Non-selected Male Under-15 Players.

Francesco Dimundo,Kevin Till,Alexander B T Mcauley,Matthew Cole,Adam L Kelly,Richard C Blagrove

doi:10.3389/fspor.2021.688143

Abstract

Entry into an academy can be a defining moment for a promising young player. The aim of this study was to explore the multidimensional characteristics that differentiated selected and non-selected male under-15 rugby union players at an English Premiership academy. Seventy-four players (mean age 14.6 ± 0.3 years: selected n = 29; non-selected n = 45) were measured across nine characteristics from four overarching factors: (a) anthropometric (n = 2), (b) physiological (n = 5), (c) cognitive (n = 1), and (d) birth quartile. An ANOVA compared differences between groups (selected vs. non-selected), whilst a Welch's t-test and Cohen's d were used for further comparisons. A multivariate logistic regression was also used to predict selection. Results showed significant differences between selected and non-selected players for anthropometric (P = 0.021) and physiological factors (P < 0.001). Moreover, relatively older players were overrepresented with 65% born in the first half of the year, whereas no significant differences were apparent for the cognitive test. More specifically, selected players possessed greater body mass (P = 0.022, d = 0.5) and handgrip strength (P = 0.020, d = 0.5) compared to non-selected players, whilst multivariate analysis showed the 20 m sprint explained 25.4% of the variance (P = 0.001). Overall, it appears selection into an English Premiership rugby union academy may be due to enhanced physical attributes rather than cognitive abilities.

Highlights

Achieving professional status in sport is the quest of many young athletes across the globe (Till and Baker, 2020)
There was no significant differences between groups and positions for the perceptualcognitive video simulation test
The variation in anthropometric measures among playing positions, not statistically significant, align with the understanding that forwards and backs require diverse physical characteristics to perform key roles and cope with position-specific demands of the game (Owen et al, 2020). These results demonstrate that anthropometric characteristics, and in particular body mass, appear to be an important factor to consider during Talent identification (TID) in U15 rugby union (RU) players

Summary

Introduction

Achieving professional status in sport is the quest of many young athletes across the globe (Till and Baker, 2020). One of the increasing pressures for sport organizations is to identify promising young athletes and provide them with an optimal learning environment to facilitate long-term performance (Baker et al, 2013). The male rugby union (RU) talent pathway in England. Individuals are typically identified from age-grade or school rugby union, whereby they are selected at the end of the Under (U) 15 age group into Regional Academies (Till et al, 2020). Once selected into a Regional Academy at U15, the pathway consists of U18 and senior academy (e.g., U21) rosters to facilitate development toward the first team. It is plausible to suggest that initial selection into a RU academy at U15 can be a crucial moment for an aspiring young player

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