Study shows rugby positions you are most/least likely to be injured playing

Some very interesting findings

Tackle height has been a huge talking point in rugby over the last week or so with the RFU in England announcing they will be introducing waist-high tackling to the amateur game from next season. The announcement has understandably been met largely with backlash and to make matters worse – it now appears World Rugby are looking to lower tackle height across the elite game too. What this means for the future of rugby remains to be seen but there's absolutely no shying away from the fact that the effects could be absolutely seismic. We have not been made privy to the data that both the RFU and World Rugby are going off to base their decision, but the IRFU have released some interesting data on which rugby positions you are most/least likely to be injured playing. Their injury surveillance report was released yesterday and revealed that blindside flankers (6) and hookers (2) received the most reported injuries, with each accounting for 11% of all match-time injuries for men's clubs. While right winger (14) and tighthead second-row (5) received the least reported injuries, at 2% and 1% respectively. It will come as no surprise that forwards (58%) sustained more reported injuries than backs (42%),  with knee sprains carrying he greatest burden of all match injuries (250 days), and concussion coming in at second (207 days). The head was the most commonly injured area, accounting for 16% of all injuries with concussion the most common injury diagnosis in the men's game at both club and schools level. Dr. Tom Comyns, IRIS co-principal investigator at the University of Limerick, commented:

“Comprehensive injury surveillance systems in amateur Rugby Union recommenced within the male and female club setting during the 2021/22 season following the lack of training, games and surveillance during the 2020/21 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This has allowed the project to continue to provide insight into key injury surveillance variables, such as match-injury incidence rates, injury frequency, match injury event and injury occurrence.”

The club data were compiled by researcher Patrick Dolan across 430 matches (versus 388 for 2019/20) from 21 Men’s All-Ireland League and Women’s All-Ireland League clubs. In the schools game, data from 220 matches at Senior Cup level were recorded. A total of 709 male, 129 female players were registered with the IRIS project for the 2021/22 season, and 339 schoolboy players for the 2018-2020 seasons. You can check out more on the report HERE.