Professional players not facing greater injury risk, says study
Contrary to the perception that professional rugby is now a more dangerous game, with higher injury rates, the 2010-11 England Rugby Injury and Training audit, published yesterday, showed injury rate among pro players had effectively remained stable since the first report was commissioned in 2002.
There had been a 16% rise in the likelihood of injury last season, from 80 injuries per 1,000 hours in 2009-10 to 93 but that had remained within the “normal level” of season-by-season variation and the 2010-11 figures related to an increase in injuries that kept players out for a week or less and a small increase in injuries that resulted in more than 84 days’ absence.
IRUPA chief executive Hassanein said he expected to see a similar picture when his association conducted its next player survey within the next 24 months.
“I think those findings fall in line with our thinking,” Hassanein said. “There’s certainly been nothing to suggest that injury rates are going up significantly.
“We have to commend the IRFU for taking strong measures too, in setting up the Medical Advisory Committee, which is encouraging the identification of injuries earlier and preventing them from becoming more serious.
“I think, yes, the game’s becoming more physical but I would think that’s been counteracted by the fact that medical processes are getting better as we move more and more into the professional era.
“Medical and surgical advances are enormous and there’s no doubt it’s getting players back on the pitch quicker and hopefully keeping them on the pitch as well because the instances of re-injury are less, due to those advancements.
“That’s all counter-acting the fact that the game’s quicker, faster and more physical.
“We’ll be looking to run a survey of our own this year or next to identify where player injuries are at and if there are any specific trends.
“We’ll be looking to work more closely with the IRFU on that in helping to improve how we identify those situations.”
Hassanein added that though there had been some high-profile retirements forced by injury in recent years, they were the exception rather than the rule.
“They’re not the norm. You’re going to get the odd career-ending injury and that’s one part of why we exist, to prepare players for that next stage of life. That next stage can come abruptly, not every player is going to finish their career on their own terms and that’s part and parcel of the game and our players accept that. But it’s not the norm.”
The English study, conducted jointly by the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Players’ Association, confirmed Hassanein’s feeling that medical and physiotherapy advances have led to a decrease in repeat injuries.
“People like playing and watching rugby union because it is a collision sport. We try and make it as safe as we can, while keeping it recognisable as rugby,” Dr Simon Kemp, the head of sports medicine at the RFU, said.
“Despite the perception that players are bigger, faster and stronger, there isn’t any evidence that the injury rate has increased since 2002.”
* Click on to Irish Examiner sport blog to read Charlie Mulqueen’s column: http://sport.irishexaminer.com /
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