Logical validation and evaluation of practical feasibility for the SCRuM (School Clinical Rugby Measure) test battery developed for young adolescent rugby players in a resource-constrained environment

Abstract

There is a growing impetus towards usage of test batteries in talent identification (TID) programmes in rugby. Consequently, there are many test batteries in existence profiling anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific skills. There is no consensus in the literature on the constituent variables and corresponding tests required to inform TID programs. Following development of a new test battery called the SCRuM (School Clinical Rugby Measure), this study aimed at establishing face, logical validity and practical feasibility of included tests. The test battery, initially comprised of 23 items, had its face and logical validity evaluated by five (5) adolescent rugby coaches and 20 rugby experts, respectively. Logical validation was conducted in two questionnaire-based rounds with Content Validity Index (I-CVI) calculated for each variable. Subsequently, a cross-sectional study targeting 30 local rugby coaches was conducted to determine the perceived practical feasibility of each test item. The results showed excellent I-CVI (>0.78) for 17 variables (speed, weight, height and skin fold measures, repeated high-intensity exercise performance ability, prolonged high-intensity intermittent running ability, change of direction speed, anaerobic capacity, lower-and upper body muscular power and strength, muscular flexibility, reactive agility, passing for accuracy, tackling proficiency, and catching). However, three tests, namely, Reactive Agility, One Repetition Maximum Back Squat and One Repetition Maximum Bench Press had low test-feasibility indices (T-FI< 35) suggesting practicality concerns with implementation in the Zimbabwean context. Thus, these findings suggest the need for substitution or development of new practically feasible tests for upper-and lower body muscular strength and reactive agility.

Anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills of schoolboy players of different age categories and playing standards

“…Inclusion of 60-s push-up test was based on recent findings of a systematic review highlighting common usage of the test for assessment of upper-body muscular strength in junior RU players [27]. The WSLS test is commonly used in training for estimating lowerextremity muscular strength or endurance for adolescent athletes in the local context [26]. Cricket players did not perform repeated high-intensity exercise (RHIE) and rugby-specific game skills due to high-school cricket coaches' reservations on performing rugby-oriented technical and physical skills.…”

“…To test study hypotheses, a cross-sectional design was employed to compare participant performances based on the School Clinical Rugby Measure (SCRuM) test battery. The processes involved in developing the test battery have been explained elsewhere [26][27][28][29][30]. Two hundred and eight (208) schoolboys participated in this study and were derived from three different schools.…”

“…Elite U16 (n = 41) and U19 (n = 41) rugby players were recruited from one state school based in Harare, Zimbabwe playing competitive rugby in the SESRL. The SESRL is the most competitive schoolboy rugby league in the country [26]. The school was purposively-selected since they were the defending champions and had won the SESRL thrice in the last five seasons.…”

“…All sub-elite participants (U16 = 41, U19 = 46) were recruited from a Harare-based private school playing rugby in the CESRL. The CESRL represents a second-tier schoolboy rugby league in Zimbabwe [26]. Cricket players (U16 s = 29, U19 s = 21) represented the non-rugby playing group and were recruited from one of the "top" cricket-playing state high schools based on 2018 provincial interscholastic competitions.…”

Anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills discriminating Zimbabwean under-16 male adolescent rugby players by level of competition

“…The term ‘elite’ and ‘subelite’ referred to adolescents playing competitive rugby in the Super Eight Schools Rugby (SESRL) and Co-educational Schools Rugby League (CESRL), respectively. The SESRL is the premier high school rugby league in the country and CESRL is the second most competitive league 15. The non-rugby players represented U16 high school cricket players.…”