Participation In Rugby Research Articles

Experiences of Introduction to and Participation in Quad Rugby: A Grounded Theory Approach.

Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) report low physical activity participation levels. A lack of physical activity can lead to increased secondary health concerns, such as cardiovascular, psychological, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal complications. Adaptive sports, such as quad rugby, allow individuals with SCI to maintain appropriate physical activity levels. This grounded theory study aimed to explore the experiences of individuals learning about and participating in quad rugby after SCI in the United States. Twelve participants from seven states across the United States completed semistructured interviews. Four themes emerged: benefits of quad rugby participation, enabling quad rugby participation, barriers to quad rugby participation, and motivation for continued participation in quad rugby. This study highlights the importance of an early introduction to quad rugby after SCI and the biopsychosocial benefits of participation. Occupational therapy practitioners can address barriers identified in this study through innovative approaches and advocacy efforts.

Canadian women's experiences in mixed-sex sport: Wheelchair rugby.

Wheelchair rugby was developed in Canada in the 1970s and named an official Paralympic sport in 2000. Wheelchair rugby is one of the few Paralympic or Olympic sports that includes mixed-sex participation. Where historically women with disabilities have had limited access to elite sporting competition, wheelchair rugby provides the opportunity for women to represent themselves as competitive and physical beings, capable of the physicality and aggressive nature of the sport alongside men. This project looks to fill the gap in research considering women's experiences in these potentially highly gendered sport settings. This study uses a thematic analysis approach to explore female athletes' lived experiences of participation in wheelchair rugby. Five provincial athletes were interviewed and shared their complex experiences competing in wheelchair rugby.

A Qualitative Exploration of Parents' Perceptions of Risk in Youth Contact Rugby.

The purpose of this study was to explore the understandings and perceptions of risk related to brain trauma amongst parents of children that play contact rugby. A qualitative approach was taken, using semi-structured interviews with 7 mothers and 27 fathers of children that participate in contact rugby. A thematic analysis of data suggests that parents used two primary cognitive strategies to process the risk they consented to with their children's participation in rugby; (1) minimalizing rugby risk to be equivalent to less injurious sports; and (2) elevating physical and social advantages above what they think other sports are capable of providing. From the findings it is suggested that parents who permit their children to play contact rugby are both aware of the high risks of injury in the sport, but simultaneously utilize two cognitive distortion techniques to rectify the dissonance caused between their choice to have their children play, and the salient number of concussions they observe. These results suggest that it will take properly informed consent, inclusive of concussion rates compared to other sports, in order to reduce cognitive distortion and effectively communicate risks associated with participation in contact rugby.

Running Demands of Provincial Women's Rugby Union Matches in New Zealand.

Busbridge, AR, Hamlin, MJ, Jowsey, JA, Vanner, MH, and Olsen, PD. Running demands of provincial women's rugby union matches in New Zealand. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 1059-1063, 2022-There has been rapid growth in participation in women's rugby but there is minimal research on the sport. The aim of this study was to increase our knowledge of the running demands of high-level female players in the New Zealand Provincial Rugby Competition. Players (n = 20) wore 10-Hz Global Positioning System units during 7 matches to measure total distance covered, all running distance (≥6.4 km·h-1), high-intensity (HI) running (≥16.1 km·h-1), meters per minute (m·min-1), and maximum speed (km·h-1). Mean ± SD were calculated for forwards and backs. Forwards and backs covered a similar total distance (5,616 ± 809 m and 5,852 ± 1,022 m, respectively) and running distance (3,181 ± 583 m and 3,095 ± 805 m, respectively). However, when separated into specific playing positions, the half back recorded significantly higher running distances (4,292 ± 171 m), greater HI running distances (1,003 ± 58 m), and more distance overall (6,812 ± 277 m) than other positions (p ≤ 0.05). By contrast, outside backs did less running (2,456 ± 114 m) than other positions (p ≤ 0.05), and had the lowest distance for HI running (528 ± 39 m) in the backs. Running demands were similar for forwards and backs; however, within positions there was considerable variation, and the lower running measurements for outside backs maybe unique to women's rugby. Due to these findings and possible different tactical approaches, the development of training and speed zone bands specific to female players is advised because male research findings may lack transferability to women's rugby.

The women inclusion on rugby: perceptions of Brazilian national team players

Abstract Aims: Women participation in sport is historically permeated by manifestations of discrimination, especially in male preserve practices. This study aimed to investigate and describe the processes of entry and performance of women athletes in rugby, as well as socio-cultural components of this field in relation to gender differences from the perspective of Brazilian women national senior team players. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with five athletes were performed and data analyzed based on the Grounded Theory method. Results: It was found that there are social barriers for women practice in rugby. By the other hand, better opportunities for the development of an athletic career are more available than in the past. Besides that, it has been perceived that the women players need to constantly prove that they can play hard to legitimize their athletic skills among men players. Conclusions: Even if the women participation in rugby is in a changing process of acceptance, barriers still need to be broken for a full social legitimation of these players’ practice.

The enjoyment of sanctioned aggression in rugby: The experience of a pioneering female Canadian team captain

The aim of the present qualitative case study was to examine the motivational experiences of a Canadian pioneering female rugby player with a particular focus on her insider experiences of sanctioned and unsanctioned aggression in rugby. Reversal theory was the theoretical framework that guided the study. A retrospective semi-structured interview was used. The findings indicated that her two primary motives for playing rugby were the enjoyment of physical contact (sanctioned aggression) and being a serious, physically fit, elite athlete playing rugby for the Canadian national team. In her interview statements, the participant recounted incidents where she was the recipient of illegal acts of unsanctioned aggression by opponents in international games. Also, as the perpetrator of two minor acts of unsanctioned anger aggression incited by opponents, the participant experienced unpleasant psychological responses. The results confirm the importance of sanctioned aggression in the motivation of a female rugby player and support reversal theory concepts and findings from previous research on different types of aggression in male team contact sports. As an important new case study, the findings add to the very limited previous published research on psychological aspects of women’s participation in rugby. The findings also have cautious relevance to understanding the role that physical contact and sanctioned play aggression may have in other women’s motivation for playing rugby. Suggestions are made for future qualitative research on aggression in women’s rugby with larger samples.

Quality of Life of Wheelchair Rugby Players

Quality of life (QOL) of persons with disabilities has recently become focus of studies in various academic disciplines There is 250-500 thousands new cases of spinal cord injury annually, with majority being caused by accidents. Spinal cord injury (SCI) makes significant impact on person's lives as only one third of persons with SCI are able to return to jobs they did prior to acquiring SCI and majority of them cannot return to the hobbies or sports. The purpose of this study was to show the effect of sport participation in wheelchair rugby on QOL of persons with spinal cord injury. Twenty male wheelchair rugby players - athletes with tetraplegia, who are engages in regular organized physical activity - wheelchair rugby training and competition (mean age = 32.50, SD = 8.46). Sixteen persons with tetraplegia (all males) who were not actively engaging in sports - not participating in an organized physical activity (mean age = 39.44, SD = 7.44). While results of wheelchair rugby players were higher in all four domains of QOL, the only significant difference was found in domain one focusing on perceived physical health.

Exploring the complexities of community attitudes towards women’s rugby: Multiplicity, continuity and change in Fiji’s hegemonic rugby discourse

Negative societal pressures against women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated sports like rugby are widely acknowledged, but little empirical research has investigated community attitudes associated with such participation, especially in non-Western contexts. This article presents exploratory insights into community attitudes towards women’s rugby in Fiji with a focus on athletic young women, who do not play rugby but are physically active, and their ‘gatekeepers’ or those in positions of influence over athletic young women’s sport-related decision-making. Based on a questionnaire survey ( n = 160) and focus groups, the article identifies significant diversity, possible change, and persisting disapproval in community perceptions of women’s participation in rugby. From these findings, the article also draws some insights into the changing dynamics of women’s rugby as a site of hegemonic struggle.

Experiences of music listening among rugby players at North-West University

This article documents a study that investigated the reasons why a group of student rugby players habitually listen to music as part of their pre-match routine. The investigation followed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach that allowed the players to verbalise their personal music listening experiences. The investigation links the music listening practices of the players with the concept of musical experience as an innate human capacity directed towards general well-being. For the players, well-being is a basic condition of happiness and optimism. Achieving and maintaining this condition draws on the emotive qualities of musical sound patterns, as well as the powerful, socially situated meanings of song lyrics. Consequent states of mind conceptualise a rewarding existence by integrating experiences in sport as well as in music. Directed towards rugby practice, the study found that music listening is an informal, individual activity that involves the use of earphones. The sense of personal isolation this induces is a prerequisite for generating focus as well as controlled energy, a state of mind regarded as essential for effective participation in rugby. The pervasive use yet informal application of this strategy by rugby players points to an officially undervalued psychological resource. This finding has implications for fuller exploitation and incorporation of music listening into rugby training programmes.

Concussions in Community-Level Rugby: Risk, Knowledge, and Attitudes.

Background:Rugby is a popular collision sport where participants are at risk of sustaining concussions. Most research focuses on elite-level or youth divisions. Comparatively, little is known about adult community rugby. The aim of this research was to estimate the risk of sustaining a concussion during participation in community-level rugby and summarize the collective knowledge and attitudes toward concussions.Hypothesis:Concussion symptoms will be reported frequently among community-level rugby players and a substantial proportion will report a willingness to continue participation despite the risk.Study Design:Cross-sectional analysis.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Methods:An anonymous, voluntary survey was administered to all 464 senior rugby players registered in the province of Manitoba in 2015. Two primary domains were assessed: (1) concussion history from the preceding season including occurrence, symptomatology, and impact on daily activities and (2) knowledge and attitudes toward concussion risks and management.Results:In total, 284 (61.2%) rugby players responded. Concussive symptoms were reported by 106 (37.3%). Of those, 87% were formally diagnosed with a concussion and 27% missed school and/or work as a result. The danger of playing while symptomatic was recognized by 93.7% of participants, yet 29% indicated they would continue while symptomatic. Furthermore, 39% felt they were letting others down if they stopped playing due to a concussion.Conclusion:Concussive symptoms were common among the study cohort and had a notable impact on daily activities. A high proportion of players were willing to continue while experiencing symptoms despite recognizing the danger. The observed discord between knowledge and attitudes implicates a culture of “playing injured.”Clinical Relevance:Understanding the risk of injury may affect an individual’s decision to participate in community-level rugby. Moreover, evidence of discord between the knowledge and attitudes of players may direct future research initiatives and league governance.

COGNITION IN FORMER RUGBY UNION PLAYERS AND IMPACT OF CONCUSSION HISTORY

BackgroundInformation is needed on the effects on health after retirement from participating in sport and any effects of sustaining concussions.ObjectiveTo investigate differences in cognitive function between former rugby and non-contact...

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TACKLE COACHING METHODS AND PLAYERS' TACKLE TRAINING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS

BackgroundThe tackle event in rugby is a technical and physical contest between opposing players.A player's ability to tolerate and contest during a tackle is a prerequisite for safe participation and...

Is rugby playing load predictive of lower limb osteoarthritis in former international rugby players?

Purpose: Rugby union (rugby) is a full contact collision sport with global participation of over 7.23 million men, women and children across 120 countries. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of pain and chronic disability globally, more commonly diagnosed in older populations. There is a known association between injury and the development of OA; however the relationship between sport, exercise and injury remains ill-defined. As participation in rugby continues to rise and sport, exercise and physical activity are promoted, it is important to understand whether there is an association between sporting exposure and joint loading attributable to sports participation, and any subsequent development of negative musculoskeletal outcomes of the lower limb. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of OA within a cohort or former elite International rugby players, and examine which potentially modifiable rugby-related and injury-related risk factors are most predictive of OA-related outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire was sent to former English International rugby players. Both postal and online recruitment strategies were used. Players received an initial overview describing the study’s aims and objectives before its launch, a formal approach to participate following its launch, and reminder communications. Former players reported their playing history, injury history, family history of OA, current pain, sentiments on their rugby career and the sport, and an abbreviated medical history. GP-diagnosed wear and tear, degeneration or OA and joint replacement were reported per person and by joint. Rugby-specific risk factors of total playing duration, duration at International level and total number of matches were tested for association with the primary outcome of any OA (physician diagnosed or joint replacement) at any joint; and the secondary outcome of site-specific OA at the knee or hip. Injury-specific risk factors of any rugby injury, and any joint-specific rugby injury were assessed for association with any OA and lower limb joint-specific OA. Univariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of each predictor with the primary and secondary outcomes. Results: 138 participants responded to this questionnaire. Participant demographics (mean (SD)) are: Age, 62 (15.5); Height 1.8 (0.1) m; Weight, 94.8 (16.2) kg; BMI, 28.9 (3.5) kg/m2. The prevalence of any GP-diagnosed OA was 61.5% and any joint replacement was 27.0%. GP-diagnosed OA at the hip was reported by 19.6% of respondents, with 16.9% reporting hip replacement. GP-diagnosed OA at the knee was reported by 38.5% of players, with 12.2% reporting knee replacement. The majority of players reflected positively on their playing career, with 90.5% of players stating that they would do the same again. Most players would recommend the sport to their relatives (74.3%) and 90.5% of players felt that rugby had enriched their lives. The mean (SD) playing load values are: total years rugby, 32.7 (4.5); number of seasons at International level, 3.8 (2.6); number of matches, 437.7 (185.5). The vast majority of players reported having had a severe injury, defined as 4 weeks or more of reduced participation in exercise, training or sport (86.7%). Severe injury of the knee was more prevalent (38.5%) than for the hip (20.3%). In this unadjusted univariable logistic regression of rugby-related predictors, no association was found between rugby playing load and OA outcomes at any or specific joints (Table 1 - * denotes significance). Rugby-related injury was found to be associated with GP-diagnosed OA, and associations were found between joint-specific rugby injury and OA of the hip (GP-diagnosed and joint replacement) and knee (GP-diagnosed). Conclusions: This study has described the prevalence of OA-outcomes in this population, and demonstrates a higher prevalence of hip and knee OA than many other population-based studies which range from 5.4 to 14.3 for symptomatic radiographic OA of the knee and 0.7–5.5 for symptomatic radiographic OA of the hip. The association of rugby injury (any, knee and hip) with OA reaffirms data previously published, suggesting an increased risk of the development of OA following joint injury. This study has shown that rugby playing load is not predictive of negative OA-outcomes in later life, at the knee and hip. The strong association of rugby injury with OA-outcomes at the knee and hip reinforces that injury is the most significant modifiable-risk factor of these predictors.Table 1The association between rugby and injury-specific risk factors and OA-outcomesPredictorAny GP OAAny TJRGP: HipTJR: HipGP: KneeTJR: KneeInjuryOR (95% CI)OR (95% CI)OR (95% CI)OR (95% CI)OR (95% CI)OR (95% CI)Any1.93 (.71–5.22)0.73 (.25–2.11)2.25 (.49–10.40)1.09 (.29–4.08)1.84 (.62–5.49)0.64 (.17–2.50)Any rugby injury2.57 (1.11–5.94)*0.73 (.30–1.79)0.87 (.32–2.39)0.69 (.25–1.93)2.14 (.85–4.43)0.56 (.18–1.72)Joint-specific rugby injury––4.88 (1.99–11.92)*6.75 (2.65–17.24)*7.15 (3.04–16.78)*1.73 (.58–5.15)RugbyTotal years of play0.96 (.88–1.03)0.97 (.89–1.06)0.97 (.87–1.07)0.97 (.87–1.08)0.97 (.91–1.07)1.03 (.92–1.15)Years at highest level1.03 (.90–1.17)0.99 (.86–1.14)0.99 (.85–1.16)0.95 (.80–1.13)1.01 (.90–1.16)0.96 (.79–1.16)Number of games0.99 (.99–1.00)1.00 (1.00–1.00)1.00 (1.00–1.00)1.00 (1.00–1.00)1.00 (1.00–1.00)1.00 (1.00–1.00) Open table in a new tab

The relationships between rugby players’ tackle training attitudes and behaviour and their match tackle attitudes and behaviour

BackgroundThe tackle event in rugby is a technical and physical contest between opposing players. A player's ability to tolerate and contest during a tackle is a prerequisite for safe participation...

Contact technique and concussions in the South African under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week Rugby tournament

In rugby union, understanding the techniques and events leading to concussions is important because of the nature of the injury and the severity and potential long-term consequences, particularly in junior players. Proper contact technique is a prerequisite for successful participation in rugby and is a major factor associated with injury. However, the execution of proper contact technique and its relationship to injury has yet to be studied in matches. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare contact techniques leading to concussion with a representative sample of similarly matched non-injury (NI) contact events. Injury surveillance was conducted at the 2011–2013 under-18 Craven Week Rugby tournaments. Video footage of 10 concussive events (5 tackle, 4 ruck and 1 aerial collision) and 83 NI events were identified (19 tackle, 61 ruck and 3 aerial collisions). Thereafter, each phase of play was analysed using standardised technical proficiency criteria. Overall score for ruck proficiency in concussive events was 5.67 (out of a total of 15) vs. 6.98 for NI events (n = 54) (effect size = 0.52, small). Overall average score for tackler proficiency was 7.25 (n = 4) and 6.67 (n = 15) for injury and NI tackles, respectively (out of 16) (effect size = 0.19, trivial). This is the first study to compare concussion injury contact technique to a player-matched sample of NI contact techniques. Certain individual technical criteria had an effect towards an NI outcome, and others had an effect towards a concussive event, highlighting that failure to execute certain techniques may substantially increase the opportunity for concussion.

Mild traumatic brain injuries in early adolescent rugby players: Long-term neurocognitive and academic outcomes

Background: Information is scant concerning enduring brain injury effects of participation in the contact sport of Rugby Union (hereafter rugby) on early adolescents.Objective: The objective was prospectively to investigate differences between young adolescent male rugby players and non-contact sports controls on neurocognitive test performance over 3 years and academic achievement over 6 years.Method: A sample of boys from the same school and grade was divided into three groups: rugby with seasonal concussions (n = 45), rugby no seasonal concussions (n = 21) and non-contact sports controls (n = 30). Baseline neurocognitive testing was conducted pre-season in Grade 7 and post-season in Grades 8 and 9. Year-end academic grades were documented for Grades 6–9 and 12 (pre-high school to year of school leaving). A mixed model repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to investigate comparative neurocognitive and academic outcomes between the three sub-groups.Results: Compared with controls, both rugby groups were significantly lower on the WISC-III Coding Immediate Recall sub-test. There was a significant interaction effect on the academic measure, with improved scores over time for controls, that was not in evidence for either rugby group.Conclusions: Tentatively, the outcome suggests cognitive vulnerability in association with school level participation in rugby.

Vulnerability in speed of visuomotor ability.

The aim of this report is to illustrate the utility of neurocognitive testing as an investigative method to establish the presence of persistent effects of concussive brain injury amongst players of a contact sport with high risk of such injury. The report reviews the outcomes of three previously published neuropsychological studies on South African Rugby Union (hereafter 'rugby') from school through to the national adult level. The diagnostic utility of differential effects per se, as well as differential practice effects on visuomotor function, as a means of distinguishing poorer neurocognitive outcome for rugby versus demographically equivalent noncontact sports players, is described. From various methodological angles, at each level of play, the reviewed studies attest to the presence of long-term vulnerability in visuomotor speed in association with participation in rugby, in turn implicating diffuse frontotemporal dysfunction due to repetitive concussive and subconcussive injury amongst rugby players. As visuomotor speed is a prime function called upon for optimal scholastic and occupational performance, the robustly demonstrated decrement is of immediate clinical importance. Of critical heuristic relevance, however, is evidence of residual brain dysfunction in association with rugby as early as school level, which may ultimately be the precursor of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Letter to the Editor and Response

Letter to the Editor and Response

Practice Effects Reveal Visuomotor Vulnerability in School and University Rugby Players

This article reports on three pre- versus post-season prospective studies in which male university and high school contact sport players predominantly of Rugby Union (hereafter rugby) were compared with age, education, and IQ equivalent non-contact sport controls on the ImPACT (Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) test. All analyses revealed a relative absence of practice effects on the Visual Motor Speed (VMS) composite for contact sport groups compared with controls. The VMS data for rugby players from each study were pooled and subjected to additional analysis (Rugby, n = 145; Controls, n = 106). Controls revealed significant improvement over the season (p < .001), whereas no learning effect was in evidence for rugby players whose performance remained the same (interaction effect, p = .028). It is apparent that practice effects have diagnostic potential in this context, implicating vulnerability on speeded visuomotor processing in association with participation in rugby. Pointers for further research and concussion management in the individual case are explored.

The ‘Enrichment Hypothesis’ as an Explanation of Women's Participation in Rugby

The widely acknowledged reduction in participation in sport by women presents a major challenge to sports administrators. Especially challenged are sports that are non‐traditional for women, typified by ‘masculine’ characteristics of physical power and body contact, such as rugby. The purpose of this paper is to seek an explanation for why some women do decide to participate in such non‐traditional sports. Specifically, it examines women who participate in rugby, focusing on the applicability of the ‘enrichment hypothesis’ (Auster, 2001) as a method of explaining their participation. The enrichment hypothesis proposes that non‐traditional leisure choices require exposure to a social environment that provides both an awareness of and support for such choices (Auster, 2001). Interviews with 40 female rugby union players from South Australia were conducted, employing a semi‐structured interview technique, to examine the motivations for why they initially participated in rugby and what kept them participating. The findings from these interviews lend support to the enrichment hypothesis, suggesting participants were involved because they knew other players, had a family that were supportive and involved in the sport, and that the social element of the participation was a key ongoing motivator. The implications for sports administrators keen to maximise women's participation in non‐traditional leisure and sports fields are discussed.