Epidemiology of rugby injuries sustained by Free State University Hostel league players during the 2003 rugby season

Abstract

Background: Rugby results in more hospitalisations and visits to the emergency rooms of hospitals than any other sport and is the sport with the highest injury rate. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and profile of rugby injuries sustained by hostel league rugby players at the University of the Free State. Methods: This analytical prospective cohort study included all rugby players playing in the Free State University Rugby Hostel League in the 2003 rugby season. Throughout the rugby season the relevant rugby coaches documented the dates of each practice, the duration of each practice session and which players were present at each practice and match. Captains reported injuries in their team. A separate self-administered injury form was completed for each injury by a player. All players who had been injured gave their written informed consent. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State. The main outcome measures were incidence of injury, injury risk per 100 hours played and profile of injuries. Results: The results of only four of the six hostels are reported due to lack of cooperation from the other two hostels. Fifty eight (26.4%) of the 220 players were injured during the season, with 61 injuries being recorded, since three of the players were injured twice. The incidence of injuries ranged from 21.4% to 32% per hostel. Forty percent of the injured players had also been injured during the previous season. Only three hostels had sufficient information for their risk per time exposure to be calculated. The risk was 0.4, 6.2 and 6.3 per 1000 hours exposure respectively. The overall risk of injury per 1000 hours of rugby played was 5.3. The majority of injuries occurred in the first league. The majority of injuries occurred in the lower limb, with the most common type of injury being that involving ligaments. Most injuries were caused by tackling. The occurrence of injuries took place evenly throughout both halves of the match. One date and one time interval during the rugby season stood out due to the high incidence of injuries sustained on/during those times. On 9 May 2003 ten injuries in total were sustained, eight in a game between the 1st teams of two hostels (seven from Hostel A and one from Hostel B). From 18 July 2003 to 1 August 2003 (the first three weeks after the June/July holidays) 25 injuries occurred. Conclusion: Our findings were similar to other studies in certain respects but differed regarding others. Further research should investigate the effect of coaching techniques, fitness levels, protective gear and first aid provided on the injuries sustained.