Edinburgh Napier University

  Executive Summary. The aim of this research was to determine the rate, severity, type and cause of injuries in English academy and schools (16-18 year olds) rugby union. A two season injury surveillance study was conducted during seasons 2006/07 and 2007/08. Overall, the incidence of match and training injuries was less than half that reported in senior elite club rugby union. The pattern of injuries (type and body location) was similar to that previously reported for senior rugby union, with the lower limb being the most common injury location and joint ligament sprains the most common type of injuries. Similar to senior rugby union, the tackle was the match event most commonly associated with match injury for both academy and school youth rugby. Within Academies, attack, defence and ruck/maul drills were the training activities posing the greatest injury risk. Contrary to this, in Schools it was individual skills, weight training and scrummaging practice which posed the greatest injury risk.