Position specific rehabilitation for rugby union players. Part I: Empirical movement analysis data

Abstract 

Objectives

The purpose of the study was to quantify the positional movement patterns of professional Rugby Union players competing in the English Premiership.

Design

A cross sectional design was used.

Setting

Field based data collection of one professional rugby union club during six league matches.

Participants

An incidental sample of 35 professional rugby players with an age range of 20–34 years.

Method

Recordings of the positional demands, taken from ten image recognition sensors, were coded for the specified high (HI) and low intensity (LI) tasks. Work-to-rest ratios were also calculated. Statistical assessment used an independent groups one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Scheffe test.

Results

For all HI and LI activities there were significant position-related differences (P<0.05). In HI activities there were a range of different post-hoc Scheffe outcomes. The Props sprinted 1±1 time during a game while the Outside Backs sprinted 14±5 times. There were fewer post-hoc differences for the LI activities. For example, the Props jogged 325±26 times and the Outside Backs jogged 339±45 times. There was no significant position-related difference in the work-to-rest ratios for the quantity of HI and LI activities (P>0.05). There was, however, a significant positional difference when comparing the work to rest ratio for time spent in HI and LI activities (P<0.05). The Loose Forwards had the least amount of recovery with a work to rest time ratio, in seconds, of 1:7.5s. The Outside Backs had the most amount of recovery, 1:14.6s.

Conclusions

There were clear positional differences in the quantity and time spent in rugby specific demands. These differences are most obvious in the HI activities of the game and included position-specific differences within both the Forward and Backs units.

Keywords: Fitness, Work-to-rest ratios, Rugby, Rehabilitation