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Keywords

Healthcare Competency

Abstract

Rugby is a growing full-contact sport across the world for both men and women; as a full-contact sport with no protective equipment, it has a reputation for high injury rates, including concussions. Organized men’s rugby has been established for over a century, whereas organized women’s rugby has struggled to achieve the same success over the years. With a much shorter amount of time to track injuries, women’s rugby lacks data to assess when, where, and what kinds of injuries are most common. The guiding study attempts to examine epidemiological trends for concussion in women’s rugby union and league. After pooling data from 16 studies reporting concussion rates between versions of the game, levels of participation, and position, the authors found backs had slightly higher pooled incidence rates of concussion than forwards. The study revealed rugby league (13 players afield) had higher rates of concussion than rugby union (15 or 7 players) and rugby 7s had a higher risk for concussion than 15s. When separating the positions by level and style of play, elite 7s rugby forwards had the highest risk for concussion during matches compared to 15s Rugby World Cup or amateur 7s backs. The risk for concussions was higher during matches than training sessions for both 7s and 15s rugby. The current review seeks to provide athletic trainers a better understanding of rates and epidemiology of concussions occur in women’s rugby. In the next decade, the United States will host multiple international rugby competitions, most likely leading to an increased interest in the sport and scrutiny of injuries sustained during play. Athletic trainers are the frontline response to concussions; while they may not eradicate concussions in the sport, they can help improve identification, prevention, and player safety to decrease injury burden on team and patient.

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