Rugby union is a team sport involving contact and collision of players running at fast speeds, 1 and consequently has a high injury rate.
2Since the advent of professionalism in rugby union in October 1995 [3][4][5] professional players have become full-time athletes, with a greater emphasis on training for strength, speed and stamina, 6 increase in size, 5,7 speed and power, 4,5 and improvement in rugby skills.
3Professional rugby players sustain considerably more injuries than amateur players, 3,6,8 probably as a result of the greater size of the players, the faster pace at which the game is played, and the greater impact forces associated with these changes.
3,9,10The Super 14 (previously the Super 12) is a popular professional rugby tournament between regional sides from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Since the inception of this tournament, professional rugby union players have played significantly more rugby matches each year. Many elite South African players, who also play in national provincial tournament and international matches, may participate in as many as 35 matches in one season.The multiplicity of factors that contribute to injury in rugby union makes it difficult to identify causality.9 However, to adequately condition players, reduce their risk of injury, and treat and rehabilitate rugby injuries appropriately, it is important to gain a better understanding of the nature and causes of rugby injuries, in particular their association with training. 2 Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the incidence of injuries in a professional South African Super 12 rugby team over 3 years (2002 -2004), and to identify any associations between injury rates and the mode and volume of training.
Methods ParticipantsDuring the off-season 40 contracted players were selected to form part of the Super 12 rugby union training squad. Twenty-two of the initial 40 players were forwards, and 18 were backline players. In February, the number of contracted players was reduced to 28 (15 forwards and 13 backline players). The injured players in this study (N=38) were all male (26±2 years of age). In accordance with similar research, 11 and due to the nature of the professional game, the individuals who comprised the squad varied over the 3 years. Ten orIgInal research arTIcle Training volume and injury incidence in a professional rugby union team abstract objective. To describe the incidence of injuries in a professional rugby team, and to identify any associations between injury rates and training volume.Methods. This retrospective, descriptive study included all injuries diagnosed as grade 1 and above in a South African Super 12 rugby team. Injury incidence and injury rates were calculated and compared with training volume and hours of match play.results. Thirty-eight male rugby players were injured during the study period. The total number of annual injuries decreased from 50 (2002) conclusions. One has to be cognisant of the balance between performance improvement and injury risk when designing t...