Author(s): PAUL, L., VILJOEN, W., READHEAD, C., SEWRY, N., CANTWELL, L., JONES, B., HENDRICKS, S., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN, Country: SOUTH AFRICA, Abstract-ID: 2137

INTRODUCTION:
Over the past decade, womens rugby has experienced rapid growth. This increase in participation has led to an emphasis on both performance and player safety. Understanding injury trends at various participation levels, enables development of injury prevention strategies tailored to these different levels, thus improving the development pathway for young female players. Therefore, the aim of this study is to report the different match injury tends in different age groups (U16, U18, U20 and National) among female rugby union players.
METHODS:
All data were collected from annual South African women’s rugby provincial or international competitions for each age group in 2023. These competitions include the u16 and u18 Girls Youth Weeks, SA U20 Women’s competition and WXV 2 international Women’s tournament (National level). All injuries used for analysis were match time-loss injuries. Injury data were presented as counts, proportions, and injury rate. Overlap of confidence intervals were used to determine significant differences between groups.
RESULTS:
The highest injury incidence occurred in the U16 age group, while the lowest injury incidence was observed at the National level (U16: 88 (95% confidence intervals (95%Cl): 50-125) injuries per 1000 player hours, National: 25 (95%Cl: 0-53) injuries per 1000 player hours). Tackle related injuries had the highest injury proportion, except at the National age group. U16, U20 and National age groups exhibited the highest concussion incidence (U16: 21 (95%Cl: 3-39) concussions per 1000 player hours, U20: 17 (95%Cl: 5-29) concussions per 1000 player hours, National: 17 (95%Cl: 0-40) concussions per 1000 player hours). The tackle event was the highest contributor to concussions (64% average), except at the National age group.
CONCLUSION:
When examining patterns across U16 to National female rugby union age groups, there is a decrease in injury rates as the age groups increase. This study highlights that youth players are at higher injury risk than senior players. Tackle-related injuries remain the primary contributors to injury proportions, particularly for concussions. It is vital to prioritize tackle technique coaching and conditioning for female rugby players to address these injuries