(BrJ Sports Med 1996;30:331-334)

No abstract

Risk of injury to players in a professional rugby league club greatly increased as a result of changing the playing calendar, possibly as a result of environmental factors. However, other factors, such as increased conditioning levels, which have been a direct consequence of players moving to full-time professionalism, may have increased injury potential.

Injury rates in professional rugby league are higher than in some other contact sports, probably because of the large number of physical collisions that take place. This pooled data analysis provides more accurate estimates of injury incidence in the game of professional rugby league football.

It is suggested that the application of this proposed cyclical model may lead to greater success in understanding the multifaceted nature of sports injuries and furthermore help minimize injury risk and support the rehabilitation of injured contact sports participants.