Female Rugby Research Articles

Behind enemy lines: Expressing locomotor movements of athletes in the National Rugby League Women’s (NRLW) competition relative to opposition data

ABSTRACT We provide a novel analysis of the locomotor movements of athletes in the National Rugby League Women’s (NRLW) competition by presenting the data of opposing teams expressed as a relative (%) difference and explore the association with match outcome. 117 rugby league athletes from the four NRLW clubs participated in this study. Mean speed (m·min−1), mean high-speed running (>12 km·h−1; m·min−1), and mean acceleration (m·s−2) were measured in 12 matches (370 individual match files) using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Individual GNSS-derived data from each match-half were summed across each team and the association with total points and the points differential in each match-half was determined using linear mixed models. Greater high-speed running and lower mean acceleration were associated with more points being scored. A greater relative difference in mean high-speed running between competing teams was associated with a higher points differential. That is, if a team completed 10% more high-speed running than their opposition, they were likely to score an average of 3.2 points more during a given match-half. This unique analysis of GNSS-derived data may assist coaches and performance support staff to interpret the locomotor movements of female rugby league players with the appropriate considerations for the opposition team.

Breast injuries and breast protection and breast pain and breast support in community-based female rugby union athletes

Breast injuries and breast protection and breast pain and breast support in community-based female rugby union athletes

Is the tackle technique associated with peak head inertial kinematics in elite female rugby league players?

Is the tackle technique associated with peak head inertial kinematics in elite female rugby league players?

Comparing Perceived Sleep Quality, Practices, and Behaviors of Male and Female Elite Rugby Union Athletes with the Use of Sleep Questionnaires.

Objective To evaluate the differences in subjective sleep quality, quantity, and behaviors among male and female elite rugby union athletes through two common sleep questionnaires. Materials and Methods A sample of 38 male and 27 female elite rugby union athletes filled out the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire (ASBQ) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Global scores and individual items for each questionnaire were compared to assess differences between sexes. Results Male athletes reported significantly longer sleep duration (7 h 50 m ± 50 m versus 7h 12 m ± 58 m respectively; p ≤ 0.01; d = 0.70) and higher habitual sleep efficiency (88% versus 83% respectively; p < 0.05; d = 0.54) when compared with female athletes. Individual items of the ASBQ revealed significant differences between male and female athletes for five questions. Male athletes displayed higher instances of taking stimulants before training or competition and consuming alcohol within 4 hours of going to bed. Conversely, female athletes expressed greater thought or worry while in bed and a higher instance of training late at night. Discussion Male athletes displayed better self-reported sleep quality and quantity than female athletes; however, the present study highlighted that male and female elite rugby union athletes face specific challenges that differ. It appears that the differences observed between male and female elite rugby union athletes may be due to differing levels of professionalism or differences in training or competition schedules.

The Effects of a Field-Based Priming Session on Perceptual, Physiological, and Performance Markers in Female Rugby Sevens Players.

This study aimed to determine the effects of a field-based priming session on perceptual, physiological, and performance responses in female rugby sevens athletes. Thirteen highly trained female rugby sevens players (age: 20.7 [2.0]y; height: 169.3 [4.8]cm; weight: 68.8 [7.9]kg) completed either a 20-minute field-based priming session or a control condition. Perceptual, physiological, and performance variables were collected at baseline (PRE) and 5 (POST5), 30 (POST30), and 120minutes (POST120) postintervention. Data were analyzed using Bayesian mixed effects models. The priming protocol had a larger increase in mental readiness (maximum a posteriori [MAP] = 20, 95% high-density intervals [HDI] = -4 to 42, probability of direction [PD]% = 95, % in region of practical equivalence [ROPE] = 9.7), physical readiness (MAP = 20.1, 95% HDI = -4.6 to 42.1, PD% = 93, % in ROPE = 10.6), and testosterone (MAP = 14.9, 95% HDI = 0.5 to 27.7, PD% = 98, % in ROPE = 5.6) than the control POST30. Cognitive performance decreased POST120 in the priming condition for congruent (MAP = 0.02, 95% HDI = -0.06 to 0.00, PD% = 95, % in ROPE = 6.4) and incongruent tasks (MAP = 0.00, 95% HDI = -0.07 to 0.00, PD% = 98, % in ROPE = 3.2) when compared with the control. Perceptual and physiological markers improved POST30 in the priming condition. Findings indicate that perceptual and physiological responses to priming were not coupled with performance improvements. Priming was not accompanied by perceptual, physiological, or performance improvements at POST120.

Training and Competition Loads in Women's Rugby Sevens Athletes: Are There Implications for Cardiovascular Health?

National- and international-level rugby sevens athletes are exposed to high training and competition loads over the course of a competitive season. Research on load monitoring and body-system responses is widespread; however, the primary focus has been on optimizing performance rather than investigating or improving cardiovascular health. There is a degree of cardiovascular remodeling, as well as local and systemic inflammation, in response to excessive exercise. These responses are moderated by many factors including previous exercise exposure, current exercise intensity and duration, age, race, and gender, as well as sport-specific physiology. For these reasons, high-performing female rugby sevens athletes may have a unique cardiovascular risk profile different from males and other rugby codes. This review aimed to characterize the training and competition loads, as well as the anthropometric and physiological profiles, of female rugby sevens athletes; discuss the potential impacts these may have on the cardiovascular system; and provide recommendations on future research regarding the relationship between rugby sevens training and competition loads and cardiovascular health. Movement demands, competition formatting, and training routines could all contribute to adverse cardiovascular adaptations. Anthropometric data and physiological characteristics may also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Future research needs to adopt measures of cardiovascular health to obtain a greater understanding of cardiovascular profiles and risk factors in female rugby sevens athletes.

Effects of 2 Different Protocols of Repeated-Sprint Training in Hypoxia in Elite Female Rugby Sevens Players During an Altitude Training Camp.

Repeated-sprint training in hypoxia (RSH) is an effective way of improving physical performance compared with similar training in normoxia. RSH efficiency relies on hypoxia severity, but also on the oxidative-glycolytic balance determined by both sprint duration and exercise-to-rest ratio. This study investigated the effect of 2 types of RSH sessions during a classic altitude camp in world-class female rugby sevens players. Sixteen players performed 5 RSH sessions on a cycle ergometer (simulated altitude: 3000m above sea level [asl]) during a 3-week natural altitude camp (1850m asl). Players were assigned to 2 different protocols with either a high (RSH1:3, sprint duration: 8-10s; exercise-to-rest ratios: 1:2-1:3; n = 7) or a low exercise-to-rest ratio (RSH1:5, sprint duration: 5-15s; exercise-to-rest ratios: 1:2-1:5; n = 9). Repeated-sprint performances (maximal and mean power outputs [PPOmax, and PPOmean]) were measured before and after the intervention, along with physiological responses. PPOmax (962 [100] to 1020 [143]W, P = .008, Cohen d = 0.47) and PPOmean (733 [71] to 773 [91]W, P = .008, d = 0.50) increased from before to after. A significant interaction effect (P = .048, d = 0.50) was observed for PPOmean, with a larger increase observed in RSH1:3 (P = .003). No interaction effects were observed (P > .05) for the other variables. A classic altitude camp with 5 RSH sessions superimposed on rugby-sevens-specific training led to an improved repeated-sprint performance, suggesting that RSH effects are not blunted by prolonged hypoxic exposure. Interestingly, using a higher exercise-to-rest ratio during RSH appears to be more effective than when applying a lower exercise-to-rest ratio.

Change-of-Direction and Deceleration Deficits in National-Team Female Rugby Sevens Players: Interrelationships and Associations With Speed-Related Performance.

To investigate the relationships between a series of direct and indirect measures of linear and multidirectional speed performance in elite female rugby sevens players. Nineteen players from the Brazilian national team performed 40-m linear sprint and 505 change-of-direction (COD) tests on the same day. Based on the linear sprint and COD test performances, the COD deficit (CODD) and deceleration deficit (DD) were also obtained. A Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between linear sprint and COD-derived variables. Linear sprint and 505 COD velocities were not significantly associated (P > .05). Large to very large significant associations (r values ranging from .54 to .78; P < .05) were detected between linear sprint velocity for the different distances tested (10, 15, 30, and 40m) and CODD. The COD velocity presented a very large inverse significant correlation with CODD and DD (r = -.77 and -.79 respectively; P < .05). A large and significant correlation was identified between CODD and DD (r = .79; P < .05). Significant associations were observed between linear sprint and CODD, suggesting that faster players are less efficient at changing direction. No relationship was found between sprint velocity and DD, highlighting the independent nature of linear sprints and deceleration capabilities. A comprehensive and detailed analysis of multidirectional speed performance should consider not only linear sprint and COD performances but also complementary COD-derived variables such as the CODD and DD.

Multisystem recovery after sport-related concussion in adolescent rugby players: a prospective study protocol

IntroductionSport-related concussion is one of the most common injuries in adolescent rugby players with evidence of prolonged recovery in some concussed athletes. Concussion is a complex pathophysiological process that can...

Estimated Energy Expenditures and Energy Intakes of International Female Rugby Sevens Players in Five Days of a Training Camp and Competition Preparation.

To understand the energy balance of international female rugby sevens (R7s) players in applied environments, this study estimated the energy intakes (EI) and total daily estimated energy expenditures (TDEE) during a five-day training camp (TRAIN) and phase of competition preparation (COMP) of equal duration. Tri-axial accelerometer devices were worn throughout both scenarios to estimate TDEE, whereas EI was estimated via self-reported food diaries. Energy deficits of -47% (TDEETRAIN: 14.6 ± 1.6 MJ·day-1, EITRAIN: 7.7 ± 0.9 MJ·day-1, p ≤ 0.001, d = 5.1) and -50% (TDEECOMP: 15.5 ± 1.6 MJ·day-1, EICOMP: 7.7 ± 1.0 MJ·day-1, p ≤ 0.001, d = 5.7) were observed throughout TRAIN (n = 11; age: 25 ± 4 years, height: 170 ± 6 cm, weight: 71 ± 7 kg) and COMP (n = 8; age: 25 ± 3 years, height: 172 ± 5 cm, weight: 72 ± 6 kg), respectively. Carbohydrate intakes were below the lower range of sports nutrition recommendations in both TRAIN (-62%; 2.3 ± 0.3 g·kg-1 BM, p ≤ 0.001) and COMP (-60%; 2.4 ± 0.5 g·kg-1 BM, p ≤ 0.001). For protein (TRAIN: 1.7 ± 0.4 g·kg-1 BM, COMP: 1.5 ± 0.1 g·kg-1 BM), intakes met the lower range of recommendations. Fat intake exceeded recommendations of the percentage of total EI (COMP: 39 ± 5%). Accordingly, the dietary strategies of international female R7s players may warrant optimization, as carbohydrate and fat intakes were less than optimal when compared to current performance-based sports nutrition guidelines.

Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) and Somatotype in Female Rugby Players

Body composition (BC) determines strength, power, and agility in sports such as rugby. Not only is the study of morphology and BC essential to establish player positions, but it also allows the optimisation of competitive performance. The aim of this study was to analyse different BC models (anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)) in a female rugby team. Their somatotype was also compared with a bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) graph. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 19 women (8 forwards and 11 backs). Anthropometric and BIA (50 kHz, tetrapolar electrode configuration) measurements were taken using standard protocols and BC was estimated. Somatotype was calculated using the Heath–Carter method. Classic and specific BIVA were applied. Student’s t, Mann–Whitney, or Chi-squared tests were used for variable comparisons. Agreement was determined via intraclass coefficient correlations. Forwards showed a higher BMI and fat mass, but there were no differences in skeletal muscle masses. Most of the players were of an endomorphic mesomorph somatotype. Specific BIVA, but not classic BIVA, detected BC differences according to player position. Moreover, an individual’s interpretation of BIVA was consistent with their somatotype. In a female rugby team, BC and morphology are different according to position. This was detected in both the somatotype and specific BIVA. The application of BIVA (classic and specific) may yet prove to be a very useful strategy for the study of BC in sports.

‘There’s a perfect way to do things, and there’s a real way to do things’: Attitudes, beliefs and practices of strength and conditioning coaches in elite international women's rugby union

Optimal physical performance is a product of specific and tailored training. There are well-established sex differences in anatomical, physiological, and performance factors between biological males and females, which may have implications for physical preparation. A potential knowledge gap exists in relation to sex-specific differences in physical preparation because practitioners largely rely upon empirical evidence collected in male subjects for reference when devising interventions for female athletes. Therefore, this study explored the attitudes, beliefs and practices of strength and conditioning coaches ( n = 8; M/F, 6/2) in elite level (international) women's rugby union using semi-structured interviews (mean ± standard deviation duration 59 ± 15 minutes). The interviews explored differences in coaching elite female rugby players compared to males, with specific focus on training methodologies and understanding of pertinent aspects of female physiology. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to generate a rich qualitative dataset. Analysis resulted in the identification of higher-order themes: developmental stage of women's rugby, physical preparation, and education. Additional subthemes were created to facilitate organisation and presentation of data. The majority of coaches consider sex-specificity when devising physical preparation interventions as a function of training experience, rather than physiological between-sex differences, yet there were conflicting, and often erroneous understanding of female-specific considerations. To the authors knowledge, this is the first study to investigate attitudes, beliefs, and practices in elite level strength and conditioning coaches regarding sex-specific differences, and as such, illustrates the current understanding and opinions of practitioners in international level women's rugby union.

The effects of taurine ingestion on anaerobic and physiological performance in female rugby players

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effect of low, moderate, or high doses of taurine on anaerobic and physiological performance in female rugby players. A total of 16 sub-elite female rugby athletes (21.3 ± 1.5 yr, 168.0 ± 4.9 cm, 62.1 ± 3.5 kg mean ± SD) participated in this research. Following familiarization, participants attended 4 successive tests separated by 72 h in a randomized, counter-balanced, crossover research design. Following an over night fast, participants completed a 5-min 60 Watt warm-up followed by a 30-s Wingate anaerobic test on a cycle ergometer after ingestion of either 2 g taurine (LOWTAU), 4 g (MODTAU), 6 g (HIGHTAU) or placebo (PLA) 1 h before the test. Peak (PP) and mean power (MP) along with heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), capillary lactate and blood glucose were measured. LOWTAU did not affect PP, MP, HR, lactate and glucose compared to PLA (p > 0.05), while MODTAU improved MP and HIGHTAU improved PP and MP compared to PLA and LOWTAU (p < 0.05). MODTAU and HIGHTAU had little effect on HR, blood lactate and glucose (p > 0.05). A single dose of taurine (MODTAU or HIGHTAU) 1 h prior to competition or training would provide an ergogenic effect on subsequent power output.

Physical Match Demands of International Women’s Rugby Union: A Three-Year Longitudinal Analysis of a Team Competing in The Women’s Six Nations Championship

There is a paucity of studies describing the physical match demands of elite international women's rugby union, which limits coaches' ability to effectively prepare players for the physical demands required to compete at the elite level. Global positioning system technologies were used to measure the physical match demands of 53 international female rugby union players during three consecutive Women's Six Nations Championships (2020-2022), resulting in 260 individual match performances. Mixed-linear modelling was used to investigate differences in physical match demands between positions. Significant effects (p < 0.05) of the position were observed for all variables, with the exception of relative distances (m.min-1) at velocities of 1.01-3.00 m·s-1 (p = 0.094) and 3.01-5.00 m·s-1 (p = 0.216). This study provides valuable data on the physical match demands of elite international women's rugby union match play that may aid practitioners in the physical preparation of players to compete at this level. Training methodologies for elite-level female rugby union players should consider the unique demands across positional groups with specific considerations of high-velocity running and collision frequency.

Heating Up to Keep Cool: Benefits and Persistence of a Practical Heat Acclimation Protocol in Elite Female Olympic Team-Sport Athletes

Although recommendations for effective heat acclimation (HA) strategies for many circumstances exist, best-practice HA protocols specific to elite female team-sport athletes are yet to be established. Therefore, the authors aimed to investigate the effectiveness and retention of a passive HA protocol integrated in a female Olympic rugby sevens team training program. Twelve elite female rugby sevens athletes undertook 10 days of passive HA across 2 training weeks. Tympanic temperature (TTymp), sweat loss, heart rate, and repeated 6-second cycling sprint performance were assessed using a sport-specific heat stress test Pre-HA, after 3days (Mid-HA), after 10days (Post-HA), and 15 days post-HA (Decay). Compared with Pre-HA, submaximal TTymp was lower Mid-HA and Post-HA (both by -0.2 [0.7] °C; d ≥ 0.71), while resting TTymp was lower Post-HA (by -0.3 [0.2] °C; d = 0.81). There were no differences in TTymp at Decay compared with Pre-HA, nor were there any differences in heart rate or sweat loss at any time points. Mean peak 6-second power output improved Mid-HA and Post-HA (76 [36]W; 75 [34]W, respectively; d ≥ 0.45) compared with Pre-HA. The observed performance improvement persisted at Decay by 65 (45) W (d = 0.41). Ten days of passive HA can elicit some thermoregulatory and performance benefits when integrated into a training program in elite female team-sport athletes. However, such a protocol does not provide a sufficient thermal impulse for thermoregulatory adaptations to be retained after 15 days with no further heat stimulus.

Hamstring Flexibility and Sprint Speed in Female Rugby Players after a 12-week Yoga Training

There is an ongoing search on how to enhance the sprint performance of athletes. One should likely start investigating beyond traditional sport-training techniques about enhancing the sprinting ability of an athlete. Female rugby players were randomly assigned to one of the two groups; an experimental group (n = 5) and a control group (n = 5). Data were collected during pre-season and end-season on hamstring flexibility and sprint performance. Unpaired t-tests with an alpha level of p ≤ 0.05, Pearson correlation coefficient for the correlation. The experimental group significantly improved their straight leg raise test (SLR) by 29.1 ± 15.3-degrees (mean % change ± 95% CI, p &amp;lt; 0.05) and 5 m sprint time -10.4 ± 10.2 % compared to the control group 2.9 ± 15.3-degree (p = 0.05), and time difference of 9.9 ± 6.1% respectively. There was also a moderate negative correlation between SLR and 5 m sprint performance time (r = -0.29, p &amp;lt; 0.05 statistical significance. Results indicate that a 12-week yoga training helped improve the hamstring flexibility and performance of the 5 m acceleration phases of the 20 m sprint of rugby union players compared to a control group. Yoga helped rugby players to improve their hamstring flexibility when practiced alongside normal rugby training but maybe did little to improve sprint measures greater than 5 m performance during the season.

Development of a Head Acceleration Event Classification Algorithm for Female Rugby Union

Instrumented mouthguards have been used to detect head accelerations and record kinematic data in numerous sports. Each recording requires validation through time-consuming video verification. Classification algorithms have been posed to automatically categorise head acceleration events and spurious events. However, classification algorithms must be designed and/or validated for each combination of sport, sex and mouthguard system. This study provides the first algorithm to classify head acceleration data from exclusively female rugby union players. Mouthguards instrumented with kinematic sensors were given to 25 participants for six competitive rugby union matches in an inter-university league. Across all instrumented players, 214 impacts were recorded from 460 match-minutes. Matches were video recorded to enable retrospective labelling of genuine and spurious events. Four machine learning algorithms were trained on five matches to predict these labels, then tested on the sixth match. Of the four classifiers, the support vector machine achieved the best results, with area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) and area under the precision recall curve (AUPRC) scores of 0.92 and 0.85 respectively, on the test data. These findings represent an important development for head impact telemetry in female sport, contributing to the safer participation and improving the reliability of head impact data collection within female contact sport.

The Impact of a Novel Neuromuscular Training Program on Leg Stiffness, Reactive Strength, and Landing Biomechanics in Amateur Female Rugby Players

This randomized control study aimed to assess 12 weeks of a novel neuromuscular training program (KneeRugbyWomen) on jump-related biomechanical variables in amateur female rugby players. Twenty-four participants were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (EG; n = 12, age: 20.05 ± 4.43 yrs., height: 166.54 ± 4.46 cm, weight: 64.65 ± 6.44 kg) or a control group (CG; n = 12, age: 20.04 ± 4.88 yrs., height: 166.83 ± 7.30 cm, weight: 69.83 ± 12.84 kg). Participants were tested before and after a 12-week intervention for jump-related biomechanical variables (leg stiffness, Reactive Strength Index (RSI), and landing mechanics using the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS)). A significant increase in RSI was found in EG (p = 0.012, r = 0.70, large effect). At post-testing, players in EG had significantly greater RSI scores compared to CG at post-intervention (p = 0.007, r = 0.55, large effect). LESS scores of CG were significantly greater compared to EG at pre-intervention (p = 0.008, r = 0.55, large effect) and post-intervention (p = 0.003, r = 0.60, large effect). Results of this study demonstrate a positive effect of the KneeRugbyWomen training program on RSI, which has been previously associated with increased ACL injury risk in female players.

The architectural characteristics of the hamstring muscles do not differ between male and female elite-level rugby union players.

Purpose: To determine whether differences exist in the architectural characteristics of the hamstring muscles of elite-level male and female rugby union players. Methods: Forty elite-level rugby union players (male n = 20, female n = 20) participated in this cross-sectional study. A sonographer acquired static ultrasound images using a 92mm linear transducer to quantify (via a semi-automated tracing software tool) the architectural characteristics (muscle length, fascicle length, pennation angle, and muscle thickness) of the biceps femoris long head and semimembranosus muscles of participants' left limb. Muscle length and muscle thickness of the biceps femoris short head and semitendinosus muscles of participants' left limb were also quantified. Bonferroni adjusted independent samples t-tests were performed to evaluate whether differences exist in the architectural characteristics of the hamstring muscles of elite-level male and female rugby union players. Results: There were no significant differences in fascicle length or pennation angle of the hamstring muscles of elite-level male and female rugby union players. Some significant differences in muscle thickness (biceps femoris short head, and semimembranosus) and muscle length (biceps femoris short head, biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus) were observed; in all cases the male players had thicker and longer muscles. Conclusion: At a group level, hamstring muscle fascicle length and pennation angle are unlikely to be a sex-specific intrinsic risk factor for Hamstring strain injuries.

Examining the Relationship Between Countermovement and Squat Jump Measures Amongst Elite Development Female Football and Rugby Players

Purpose: In response to the need for a single low cost, relatively quick, minimally invasive test of strength, power, and velocity for elite development standard female football and rugby players requiring minimal staff expertise and sophisticated equipment, with benchmark standards, this study had two aims. Firstly, how countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) tests associate with commonly used football and rugby strength and velocity tests. Secondly, to propose benchmark standards for elite development level female football and rugby players.&#x0D; Methods: Participants were 60 elite development level female football and rugby players. Data were collected as part of the participants’ elite pathway development academy programs. Measures included absolute lower body strength (ALS) assessed using three repetition maximum (3RM) trap bar deadlift, relative lower body strength (ALS / body weight), CMJ and SJ using bodyweight only, and running sprint velocities over 10 m and 40 m.&#x0D; Results: For the football sample, CMJ and SJ had significant relationships with RLS (r=0.496, p&lt;0.01 and r=0.499, p&lt;.01 respectively) and 10 m sprint velocity (r=0.579, p&lt;0.001 and r=0.481, p&lt;0.01 respectively), but not with ALS nor 40 m sprint velocity. For the rugby sample, CMJ and SJ also had significant associations with RLS (r=0.539, p&lt;0.01 and r=0.449, p&lt;.05 respectively) and 10 m sprint velocity (r=0.742, p&lt;0.001 and r=0.797, p&lt;0.001 respectively), as well as with 40 m sprint velocity (r=0.598, p&lt;0.01 and r=0.651, p&lt;0.001 respectively).&#x0D; Conclusion: CMJ and SJ represent low cost, relatively quick, minimally invasive tests of strength, power, and velocity suitable for elite development standard female football and rugby players’ performance assessment, benchmarking, and monitoring.&#x0D;