Research reveals demands on players

KEY new research has been unveiled into the physical demands on professional rugby union players during games.

Preliminary findings by researchers from the University of Chester followed detailed work with eight Aviva Premiership clubs — Bath, Exeter, Harlequins, Leicester, London Irish, Wasps, Northampton and Sale Sharks.

GPS (Global Positioning System) units were worn by players, enabling more than 300 sets of data from 54 Premiership matches to be collected.

The RFU-commissioned study covered six positional groups — front-row, second-row, back-row, scrum-half, inside backs and outside backs. And it showed significant differences in terms of time on the pitch, total distance covered, distance covered at low speed run (12 kph) and high speed run (18 kph), maximum speed and average speed.

Average time on the pitch ranged from 75.63 minutes for a front-row forward to 91.63 minutes for inside backs; average distance covered was 4.45km (front-row) to 6.84km (scrum-half); while maximum speed went from 23.7 kph for front-row players to the outside backs’ 30.7 kph. The quickest individual speed recorded across all 54 matches was 36.7 kph, and the greatest distance covered in one game was five miles.

Senior sports and exercises sciences lecturer Dr Paul Worsfold, who is leading the research, said: “In the past five years, GPS technology has had a significant impact on performance analysis in elite sport. We can now accurately evaluate the training loads and activity profiles of players.

“The findings will help gain an understanding of what elite rugby union players, in different playing positions, do within a competitive season. This will enable specific training and monitoring programmes to be developed for each position to optimise performance and player safety.”

And Roy Headey, the RFU’s head of sports science, added: “A critical piece of information relates to the external loads that players experience during games.”