Abstract
Long-term athlete development is a primary focus for the England Rugby Football Union (RFU). The purpose of this study was to explore the anthropometric, physical, and relative age characteristics of rugby union academy players based on age group and playing position. Seventy-eight participants were examined for height, body mass, 10 and 20 m sprint, countermovement jump, reactive strength index, aerobic capacity, isometric hip extension, dominant handgrip strength, and birth quartile (BQ) across three age categories (i.e., under-16, under-18, and under-21) and two positions (forwards and backs). ANOVA and Kruskall–Wallis analysis were used to examine differences across each age category and position. TukeyHSD and Dunn’s test with Bonferroni correction was used for further post-hoc analysis. BQ distributions were compared against national norms using chi-square analysis. Results revealed that both older forwards (P=0.005) and backs (P=0.002) had significantly greater body mass, maximal aerobic capacity, and power compared to younger players. However, older forwards had slower 10 m sprint times compared to younger forwards. Moreover, relatively older players were significantly overrepresented across all age groups when compared to relatively younger players. Findings suggest that: (a) players should aim to develop greater parameters of body mass and aerobic capacity; (b) forwards should aim to develop acceleration and strength; (c) backs should aim to develop power and quickness; (d) players need to develop anthropometric and physical qualities and differences are apparent by age and position; and, (e) coaches should consider relative age when recruiting and developing young players.
 Key words: Talent identification; Talent development; Expertise; Physical development; Physiological profile; Rugby football
Highlights
The central aims of the World Rugby Federation is to globally improve the participation and growth of young athletes on a long-term basis [56]
Three age groups (i.e., U16, U18, and U21) and two playing positions within an English Premiership RU academy were assessed on fourteen parameters from three overarching characteristics: (a) anthropometric, (b) physical (i.e., 10 and 20 m sprint, countermovement jump [CMJ], peak and relative power, sprint momentum for 10 and 20 m, reactive strength index [RSI], aerobic capacity via the 3015 intermittent fitness test [30-15IFT], isometric hip extension [IHE], and dominant handgrip strength), and (c) relative age (i.e., birth quartile (BQ))
A very strong effect size was found for the U16 forwards compared with U18 (V=-1.8) and U21 (V=-4.5) forwards for VO2max, with U16s possessing significantly lower aerobic capacity than U18s (P=0.009) and U21s (P
Summary
The central aims of the World Rugby Federation is to globally improve the participation and growth of young athletes on a long-term basis [56]. Developmental pathways are mapped by RU academies in England to prepare talented young players for the demands of professional competition in adulthood [49]. LTAD in RU generally follows a pathway considered a late specialisation model [10], since players are selected from the age of 15 to 21 years and are subsequently exposed to a diverse range of physical activities that can have a long-term impact on individual development and performance [10, 40]. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 29, 2008; 29:307-315. Identification and development of sport talent: A brief introduction to a growing field of research and practice. Schorer (Eds.), Routledge handbook of talent identification and development in sport: International perspectives 2012; 1-10.
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