HALF A MILLION HOURS OF RUGBY FOOTBALL THE INJURIES

In 30 seasons at Rugby School half a million hours of Rugby football have led to 9,885 injuries, an incidence of 197.7 injuries per 10.000 player hours. This incidence is compared with those from other school games, and with those of other series of Rugby football injuries. The injuries are compared regionally with those of other series, and the more important are listed. Rugby football is the team game played at Rugby School in the Advent term (September to December). Records have been kept of the injuries of the 650 boarders, age range 13-18 years, for the 30 Advent terms 1950 to 1979. In these 30 terms half a million player hours of Rugby football have accumulated; 30 players playing a game for one hour constitute 30 player hours of that game. The school Rugby football season is concentrated; the first two weeks of term consist largely of training, school matches are played in the next nine weeks, with a week's interruption for a half term exeat, and the last two weeks are devoted to domestic competition. Ten school teams of differing ages and abilities play matches against other schools. The first team play 13 matches, the under 14 B team play 5. Absence from the game, due to injury or illness, jeopardises the chance of ob-taining a place in a team. Every injury recorded in this survey has led to at least one week's absence from the game. The injuries are consecutive and unselected