Publicação
Epidemiology of injuries in Portuguese Senior Male Rugby Union XV: a prospective cohort study
| Resumo: | This study provided a comprehensive overview of injury epidemiology in the Portuguese Rugby Union XV first tier during the 2023/2024 season. The overall injury incidence observed was lower than reported in other leagues, including the previous season of the same competition which provides a more reliable comparison due to consistent data collection methods and similar playing conditions. Most injuries resulted from contact situations, aligning with previous research and emphasizing the importance of contactrelated injuries prevention strategies, such as tackling technique refinement, strength and mobility training, and adherence to safety regulations. Consistent with most articles, the lower limb was the most affected region, and its injuries were associated with longer recovery periods, likely due to their critical role in movement and match play demands. The fact that most injuries occurred in the second half together with the association found between exposure hours and injury severity may be a sign of the consequences that workload and fatigue have on players’ welfare. Concern regarding players´ workload and its impact on injury burden must be reinforced. Injury prevention plays an extremely important role on the well-being of players and on the development of competitive leagues. Strong injury surveillance, workload management and the implementation of other strategies such as effective warm-up routines, optimized substitution patterns and structured recovery protocols, are potential measures that could help reduce injury incidence and severity, especially in the latter stages of matches when physical demands are heightened, and multi-phase plays are more prevalent. Future research involving larger samples and multi-seasonal data is crucial to improve these strategies and enhance players’ welfare within Portuguese rugby. |
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| Autores principais: | Costa, Nuno Maria dos Santos Mata Neves da |
| Assunto: | Rugby Injuries Epidemiology Severity Prevention Rugby Lesões Epidemiologia Severidade Prevenção |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso embargado |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Coimbra |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra |
| Resumo: | This study provided a comprehensive overview of injury epidemiology in the Portuguese Rugby Union XV first tier during the 2023/2024 season. The overall injury incidence observed was lower than reported in other leagues, including the previous season of the same competition which provides a more reliable comparison due to consistent data collection methods and similar playing conditions. Most injuries resulted from contact situations, aligning with previous research and emphasizing the importance of contactrelated injuries prevention strategies, such as tackling technique refinement, strength and mobility training, and adherence to safety regulations. Consistent with most articles, the lower limb was the most affected region, and its injuries were associated with longer recovery periods, likely due to their critical role in movement and match play demands. The fact that most injuries occurred in the second half together with the association found between exposure hours and injury severity may be a sign of the consequences that workload and fatigue have on players’ welfare. Concern regarding players´ workload and its impact on injury burden must be reinforced. Injury prevention plays an extremely important role on the well-being of players and on the development of competitive leagues. Strong injury surveillance, workload management and the implementation of other strategies such as effective warm-up routines, optimized substitution patterns and structured recovery protocols, are potential measures that could help reduce injury incidence and severity, especially in the latter stages of matches when physical demands are heightened, and multi-phase plays are more prevalent. Future research involving larger samples and multi-seasonal data is crucial to improve these strategies and enhance players’ welfare within Portuguese rugby. |
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