Qualities or skills discriminating under 19 rugby players by playing standards: a comparative analysis of elite, sub-elite and non-rugby players using the SCRuM test battery

Abstract

Objective: Although schoolboy rugby is growing in popularity and played at different competitive levels in Zimbabwe, the influence of playing standard on qualities or skills of older male adolescent rugby players is unknown. Utilising a cross-sectional design, this study determined anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills defining elite under 19 (U19) schoolboy rugby players. Following development and subsequent assessment of test-retest reliability of School Clinical Rugby Measure (SCRuM) test battery, this study compared performance outcomes of elite rugby players (n = 41), sub-elite rugby players (n = 46) and non-rugby athletes (n = 26) to identify qualities or skills discriminating (i) elite from sub-elite and non-rugby players, and concomitantly (ii) sub-elite from non-rugby players. Results: 40 m speed test (p < 0.001, ES = 1.78) and 2 kg Medicine Ball Chest Throw test (p < 0.001, ES = 1.69) significantly discriminated elite U19 from sub-elite and non-rugby players. These tests further differentiated sub-elite from non-rugby athletes. Additionally, 1RM back squat (p = 0.009, ES = 0.57), 1RM bench press (p = 0.005, ES = 0.61), repeated high-intensity exercise test (p < 0.001, ES = 0.88) and passing ability test (p < 0.001, ES = 0.99) discriminated elite from sub-elite counterparts. These findings highlight important attributes linked to elite U19 schoolboy rugby in Zimbabwe. However, no significant differences were observed for sum of seven skinfold (p = 0.28), tackling (p = 0.08) and catching ability (p = 0.05).

Testing methods and physical qualities of male age grade rugby union players: A systematic review

“…Body composition was assessed in twenty-five of the forty-two studies (60%), with five testing methods used (Table 4). Skinfolds taken from 7 [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] and 8 [39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] sites were the most commonly used procedures, performed in nine and seven studies respectively. Skinfolds at 6 sites [47][48][49][50], bioelectrical impedance analysis [51][52][53] and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) [54] were also used to assess body composition.…”

“…Body fat percentage (n = 18) was the most frequently reported variable as it can be calculated from all testing methods [31][32][33][34][35][36][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]54,55]. The sum of skinfolds, a variable unique to skinfold testing, was reported fourteen times [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]42,43,47,48,55]. Other variables included the lean mass ratio [30] and the calculation of absolute measures of fat free mass [47,54,55], muscle mass [53,56], fat mass [54] and lean mass [54].…”

“…Bench press was the most common strength test used in twelve studies [30-33, [30,40,59,60] bench press were more commonly used in comparison to 1-4RM [58] and 6-10RM [41]. Bilateral squat variations (back squat, box squat and front squat), were frequently used to measure lower body strength with the 3RM back squat most regularly performed [30,60,61] compared to a 1RM [38], 5RM [51,53], "heavy" loads [36], front squat 3RM [40], box squat 1-4 RM [58] or box squat 6-10RM [41]. Other external load exercises included chin up [40,41,59,60] and split squat variations [40,61].…”

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

“…Since reliability coefficients are population specific [32,33], elite U16 and U19 rugby players were tested twice in a preliminary study to estimate the absolute and relative reliability of each SCRuM test item. Intraclass correlation coefficients and coefficient of variation for each test item have been presented in previous studies [29,30]. Baseline data for these players was then compared to data obtained for U16 and U19 sub-elite and non-rugby players.…”

“…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.…”