Epidemiology of injuries sustained by elite under-18 rugby players

Abstract

Context: The physical nature of rugby is responsible for the high incidence of injuries, but no researchers have examined the epidemiology of injuries sustained by elite under-18 rugby players. Objective: To investigate the incidence of injuries sustained by players on the Spanish national under-18 rugby team during their participation in 4 European championships (2014-2017) and the types of play in which they occurred. Design: Cohort study. Setting: European rugby championships. Patients or Other Participants: Ninety-eight under-18 rugby players. Main Outcome Measure(s): All injuries sustained during the championship periods were recorded per the World Rugby protocol. Results: A total of 40 injuries were logged over the 4 championships. The incidence of injury was higher during matches than during training (P