Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
First Supervisor
Lauren Fortington
Second Supervisor
Sophia Nimphius
Third Supervisor
Liam Toohey
Fourth Supervisor
Warren McDonald
Abstract
Rugby union is a full-contact sport known to have a high risk of injury. For professional players, injuries present significant challenges to their health and performance throughout their careers. Consequently, rugby union teams, including those of Rugby Australia, make substantial investments towards preventing injuries. Injury surveillance—the recording and reporting of injury data—forms a foundation for teams to make decisions on injury prevention. Despite extensive research published globally in response to rugby union injuries, gaps remain in the understanding about the quality of data and the ways in which such data are used in practice. Hence, this PhD research project was designed to address these gaps by considering both academic and industry perspectives.
To this end, first, a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of injuries sustained by professional male Australian rugby union players was conducted. It was found that in 2016–2022, of 460 players, 434 had at least one match time-loss injury. Further, the analysis of the injuries and injured players revealed inconsistencies in the current data and limited use of the existing dataset. Accordingly, the remainder of the studies comprising this thesis were designed to address these gaps in the quality and application of data.
A main weakness of the current data in the Rugby Australia Injury Surveillance System relates to the information about the mechanism of injury. Therefore, a study was conducted to assess the consistency and reliability of data, with a particular focus on variables of the injury mechanism. Three independent reviewers coded video footage of a selection of lower limb injury scenarios. They had access to multiple angles and repeated playback at differing speeds and reported against the same variables and items available in the Rugby Australia system. High intra- and inter-rater reliability was found. A comparison of the results with data already entered in Rugby Australia’s database (following usual in-season procedures) for the same injury scenarios revealed more discrepancies in the results; the inter-rater reliability between the video reviewers and the existing data was considered moderate.
In addition to queries on data reliability, there are challenges in data validity, given the limited item selection for some variables. For example, the selection of running and tackling as options for ‘mechanism’ does not wholly reflect how injuries occur. To address this gap, an exploratory study was designed for developing a more relevant set of codes for the injury mechanism in rugby union. The study collected insights from rugby and injury experts to present a more comprehensive description of the events that occurred during a selection of injury scenarios. The result of this study was a unique decision tree reflecting situational, traditional, contextual and analytical factors. This tool will be further developed and tested in future studies.
Notably, throughout this research, industry needs remained at the forefront. A qualitative study of user (i.e. high-performance staff) needs, along with feedback from routinely provided injury reports, identified data entry inconsistencies and areas for improvement in the application or use of information. Educational materials and resources were developed and delivered and a new data visualisation platform was built within the Rugby Australia Injury Surveillance System. These enhancements are intended to facilitate timely in-house decision-making in support of injury prevention strategies. Thus, this research has contributed new academic insights and practical enhancements to injury surveillance in Rugby Australia.
DOI
10.25958/00c3-0e24
Access Note
Access to this thesis is embargoed until 10th January 2030
Recommended Citation
Rubio del Castillo, E. (2024). Injury surveillance in Australian professional rugby union players. Edith Cowan University. https://doi.org/10.25958/00c3-0e24