Rugby players are becoming a dying breed, as mounting injury lists take their toll on all levels of rugby union around the world. Since the introduction of professional rugby, the game has obviously become more physical, and the management of injuries is playing a important role in successful campaigns.
With a noticeably larger injury toll in Super Rugby this season, it’s worth investigating the causes, probability and impact of serious injury within our game.
Aside from the ethical dilemmas involved in serious player injury, there is also cause for concern, as players begin to opt for a sport where the earning potential better matches the risks involved.
The amount of time for a player to maximise that earning potential is shrinking, their value diminished by the risks involved in such a high-impact game.
A recent British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) study proved that as many as one in four rugby players globally will be injured in any given season, and chances of a significant injury are vastly higher in certain playing positions.
This is evident as almost 25% of neck injuries in rugby occur when there is a mismatch in experience between the two opposing front rows. Forwards are also significantly more injury prone, given their higher involvement in collisions and tackles.
This becomes is compounded when replacement players are not trained or experienced enough to compete safely when called up for higher representative duties.
According to a recent Australian Bureau of Statistics study, rugby union has the highest overall injury rate in Australian sport, with 36% of players reporting some form of injury over a six-month period.
This raises questions about whether player preparation and injury treatment in our game is at a high enough standard to keep it sustainable.
Professional players are currently under too much pressure to perform when injuries have not been fully treated and further injury becomes likely.
When Phil Waugh decided to take the ‘conservative’ approach, deciding against surgery to play with a ruptured bicep earlier this season, it set an example for other players to continue through injury regardless of the potential of further damage.
The BCIRPU study suggested that more injuries occur at the start of a season, and this indicates that players at an elite level have not had sufficient preparation.
The study also showed that flankers and hookers were more likely to succumb to injury than any other players – a point clearly evident when checking the Waratahs’ current injury list.
Waratahs flanker Locky McCaffery has spent the last seven months on the sidelines, after breaking both his tibia and fibula and dislocating his ankle at the same time.
“Being injured is a part of a rugby career so it doesn’t affect my attitude, you just have to take the good with the bad,” he said.
A recent investigation by The Telegraph in the UK indicated that at any point in a rugby Season, an average of 33 percent of professional players are carrying some form of injury. This has an impact on players, coaching staff and spectators alike.
Certain players fill seats in a stadium, and with injuries affecting stars, the game itself suffers. It is worth logging onto the Waratahs website to see Drew Mitchell and Phil Waugh, each with a layer of makeup ‘mud’, featured on every page, regardless of the fact that neither is currently playing.
The Waratahs are down to their third-choice hooker, John Ulugia, in their starting XV while their two most influential back rowers,Phil Waugh and Wycliff Palu, are both sitting on the sidelines due to injury.
As Ulugia has played very little Super Rugby recently, this raises ethical concerns about whether his own preparation is sufficient to handle elite rugby. It brings to light the constant concern of a lack of an high-level competition below Super Rugby.
The growing concerns over injuries in elite rugby is an issue that needs to be addressed, although there is no clear solution. Further padding and protecting would detract from rugby’s physical nature, although this may be necessary to ensure the survival of our players.
Maybe this is just another obstacle for coaches and players to overcome, but in my opinion, far more importance should be placed on preserving this dying breed before it becomes too late.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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