The epidemiology of injuries in professional rugby union

A prospective cohort study of 412 professional rugby union players registered with the English Premiership clubs was conducted during the 2002-2003 season. Injuries were diagnosed and reported by the club medics and the training practices by the club strength and conditioners. A total of 1,090 club injuries (match: 818; training: 260; unidentifiable onset: 12) and 145 international injuries (match: 97; training: 48) were reported. The incidence and risk of club match injuries was 97 injuries and 1,480 days absence per 1,000 player-hours, and the incidence and risk of international match injuries was 218 injuries and 3,076 days absence per 1,000 player-hours. The highest incidence of match injuries occurred to the thigh, however, injuries to the knee were of highest risk. The incidence of club and international training injuries was 3.1 and 6.1 injuries per 1,000 player-hours, respectively. When intrinsic risk factors were assessed, the youngest players (