It Takes Two to Tango: High Rates of Injury and Concussion in Ball Carriers and Tacklers in High School Boys' Rugby

Abstract

Objective:To examine injury and concussion rates, mechanisms, locations, and types of injury in Canadian high school male rugby.Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:High school male rugby.Participants:A total of 429 high school players (2018: n = 225, 2019: n = 256) were recruited from 12 teams in 7 schools in Calgary, Canada.Interventions:None.Main Outcome Measures:Injury surveillance included baseline questionnaires, weekly exposure, and injury reports. Injuries included those requiring medical attention, resulted in time loss and/or inability to complete a session. Concussion was defined as per the fifth Consensus on Concussion in Sport, and all players with a suspected concussion were referred to a study sport medicine physician.Results:A total of 134 injuries were captured, leading to an injury incidence rate (IR) of 57.9/1000 hours [95% confidence intervals (CIs): 45.4-73.8]. Median time loss was 6 days (range: 0-90). Injuries to the head were the most common (40%), followed by shoulder (12%) and ankle (10%). The concussion IR was 22.0/1000 hours (95% CIs: 15.9-30.4), which was the most common injury type (38%), followed by sprain (20%) and strain (15%). Sixty-five percent of injuries occurred in the tackle (ball carrier 35%, tackler 30%) and 76% of concussions (ball carrier 41%, tackler 35%).Conclusions:The rate of injury and concussion in Canadian youth high school male rugby is high, with tackle-related injuries and concussions the most common. Given this, there is a critical need for implementation of prevention strategies, in particular targeting concussion and the tackle event (eg, neuromuscular, tackle training, and law changes).