Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on injury incidence and burden in amateur rugby union.
Eduardo Tondelli, Santiago Zabaloy, Thomas M Comyns and 1 others
PMID 36525741WHAT IT FOUND
Match injury rates did not show a clear increase after lockdown, but training and overall injury rates rose.
Amateur rugby players had more hamstring strains and concussions, so return-to-play and preseason load planning need caution.
Key findings
01Training injury rates rose after lockdown, from 0.9 to 4.2 injuries per 1000 player-training-hours, while match injury rates were 20.7 before and 27.7 after but did not show a clear increase.
02Hamstring strain and concussion match rates were higher after lockdown: 8.04 versus 3.37 and 4.46 versus 0.48 per 1000 player-match-hours.
03Lower limb injuries were most common, and thigh injuries increased from 25.9% to 45.1% after lockdown.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only one amateur men's rugby club, so results may not apply to other clubs, women, younger players, or higher levels. The 2021 season was shorter than 2019, with 13 matches compared with 26, so season length differs. Only 110 players were analysed, which is small for injury surveillance. The study did not report non-time-loss or medical-attention injuries separately, so milder injuries may be under-described. The higher concussion rate may partly reflect changed identification or concussion detection tools, not only a true increase. The study was observational, so it cannot prove that lockdown caused the injury changes or that any specific training strategy prevented them.
Declared interests
No funding or competing interests were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the higher hamstring and concussion rates as proof that lockdown caused them or that a specific prevention programme works. The study was observational, involved one club, had different season lengths, and the concussion rise may partly reflect changed detection.