The epidemiology of women's rugby injuries

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify all injuries to member s of an elite women's rugby team and to compare these injuries with publish ed data on injuries in other women's contact and collision sports. Design: This was a prospective cohort observational study conducted using a monthly log completed by the team's certified athletic therapist to closel y monitor attendance at practices and games along with the type and severit y of injuries. Setting: Rugby games and practices held in Ontario, Quebec, and the Netherl ands. Participants: Forty members of the Ontario Women's Senior Provincial Rugby Team over the 1997 season and the 1998 World Championships. Main Outcome Measures: An injury was defined as a rugby-related event that kept a player out of practice or competition for >24 hours or required the attention of a physician (e.g., suturing lacerations) and in addition inclu ded all dental, eye, and nerve injuries and concussions. Results: There were a total of 35 injuries in 4,958 player-hours and 2,926 athletic exposures. This resulted in a rugby injury rate of 7.1 +/- 0.4 per 1,000 player-hours and 12.0 +/- 2 per 1,000 athletic exposures. Conclusion: The incidence of injuries in women's rugby is comparable with t hat in other women's contact and collision sports, indicating that the spor t may be safer than stated in the literature and media.