Rugby League Research

Rugby League research has been undertaken by scientists and doctors in Australia, the UK and New Zealand..

Origin injury rates slightly higher than NRL

Injury incidence for the NSW Origin team over the period 2000-2006 was calculated as 327 injuries per 1000 player hours (based on medical presentation) or 98.9 injuries per 1000 player hours (based on missing a following game). These rates are significantly higher than the comparative rates at an NRL club (the Sydney Roosters, with rates of 247 and 34.1 respectively) over the same time period. However, there are biases which could account for the higher calculated injury rates, including greater availability of medical staff at Origin level and fewer days until the following game after an Origin match. Click to read the full report (.pdf format).

Limited interchange has decreased NRL players leaving the field

A study from Sportslink (September 2003) has shown that NRL players are less likely to leave the field to have their injuries checked under the limited interchange rule. The interchange rule was brought in during 2001 and allowed a maximum of 12 player movements per team per game. Statistics from the Sydney Roosters have shown that an average of slightly less than one player per game (0.8) left the field injured and unable to return before and after the rule change. However, the number of players leaving the field injured in total dropped from 1.9 per team per game to 1.2 per team per game, indicating players with minor injuries were more likely to stay on the field rather than come off to have their injuries checked. Most of the minor injuries which players stayed on with were to the upper body. There is a small risk of a player failing to come off the field to have a serious injury checked under the new rule. Click to read the full article (.pdf format)

Rugby league injury incidence articles

Read articles by injuryupdate.com.au's staff Wayne Hoskins (reviewing the rugby league injury surveillance literature) and John Orchard (detailing injury rates at the Sydney Roosters):

Review of rugby league injuries (Hoskins et al. JSAMS 2006)

Injury rates at an NRL team (Sport Health)

Other rugby league related injury articles

The use of local anaesthetic in sport (Br J Sports Med editorial .pdf)

The risk and benefits of using local anaesthetic in sport (Br J Sports Med .pdf)

Australian College of Sports Physicians policy on local anaesthetic use in sport

Hamstring strain caused by isokinetic testing (Clin J Sports Med case .pdf)

A positive attitude - the most important thing sport can give you (.pdf article)

The management of muscle and tendon injuries in footballers (Aust Fam Phys .pdf)

Winning at Russian roulette (editorial .pdf)

Is there a relationship between ground and weather conditions and injury in football? (Sports Med review .pdf)

How much medical care does a professional football team need?, Dr J., Sport Health 2006 Winter 24(2):5-7, (.pdf)