Table 2

Standardised effect size (ES) difference in movement and physical demands for adolescent male rugby union players during school-boy and university match-play by position within age groups and between consecutive age groups within positions

	Positional differences			Consecutive age group differences
	U16	U18	UNI	Fwds		Bcks
	Fwds vs Bcks	Fwds vs Bcks	Fwds vs Bcks	U16 vs U18	U18 vs UNI	U16 vs U18	U18 vs UNI
TD	0.70; ±0.60	−0.10; ±0.68	−0.91; ±0.57	−0.23; ±0.56	−0.21; ±0.56	−0.33; ±0.59	−1.07; ±0.59
TD	Fwds likely ↑	Unclear	Fwds very likely ↓	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear	U18 very likely ↓
RD	0.36; ±0.60	−0.72; ±0.57	−2.11; ±0.57	0.69; ±0.58	−0.46; ±0.56	−0.28; ±0.60	−0.48; ±0.60
RD	Unclear	Fwds likely ↓	Fwds most likely ↓	U16 likely ↑	U18 likely ↓	Unclear	U18 likely ↓
V_max	−0.91; ±0.60	−1.16; ±0.56	−2.08; ±0.58	−0.15; ±0.56	0.28; ±0.56	−0.39; ±0.60	−0.38; ±0.60
V_max	Fwds very likely ↓	Fwds most likely ↓	Fwds most likely ↓	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear
Walking	0.02; ±0.60	−0.23; ±0.57	−0.84; ±0.58	−0.05; ±0.56	−0.08; ±0.56	−0.32; ±0.59	−0.80; ±0.59
Walking	Unclear	Unclear	Fwds very likely ↓	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear	U18 very likely ↓
Jogging	1.35; ±0.60	0.53; ±0.57	−0.10; ±0.58	0.75; ±0.56	−0.51; ±0.56	0.01; ±0.60	−1.37; ±0.59
Jogging	Fwds most likely ↑	Fwds likely ↑	Unclear	U16 likely ↑	U18 likely ↓	Unclear	U18 most likely ↓
Striding	0.46; ±0.60	0.04; ±0.57	−0.82; ±0.58	0.06; ±0.57	−0.18; ±0.56	−0.28; ±0.59	−1.05; ±0.59
Striding	Fwds likely ↑	Unclear	Fwds very likely ↓	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear	U18 very likely ↓
Sprinting	−0.74; ±0.59	−1.41; ±0.56	−1.93; ±0.57	0.09; ±0.57	0.12; ±0.56	−0.97; ±0.60	−0.29; ±0.60
Sprinting	Fwds likely ↓	Fwds most likely ↓	Fwds most likely ↓	Unclear	Unclear	U16 very likely ↓	Unclear
PL	1.75; ±0.60	0.39; ±0.58	−0.13; ±0.58	0.32; ±0.56	0.31; ±0.56	−0.42; ±0.59	−0.91; ±0.59
PL	Fwds most likely ↑	Fwds possibly ↑	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear	U16 Possibly ↓	U18 very likely ↓
PL min⁻¹	2.09; ±0.60	0.95; ±0.57	1.36; ±0.61	0.90; ±0.57	−0.66; ±0.56	−0.52; ±0.60	−0.02; ±0.61
PL min⁻¹	Fwds most likely ↑	Fwds very likely ↑	Fwds most likely ↑	U16 very likely ↑	U18 likely ↓	U16 likely ↓	Unclear
PL_slow	2.26; ±0.60	0.84; ±0.57	0.34; ±0.58	0.25; ±0.56	−0.22; ±0.56	−0.27; ±0.59	−0.86; ±0.59
PL_slow	Fwds most likely ↑	Fwds very likely ↑	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear	Unclear	U18 very likely ↓
PL_slow min⁻¹	2.86; ±0.60	2.21; ±0.57	2.80; ±0.62	0.72; ±0.57	−0.44; ±0.56	−0.15; ±0.60	0.06; ±0.61
PL_slow min⁻¹	Fwds most likely ↑	Fwds most likely ↑	Fwds most likely ↑	U16 likely ↑	U18 likely ↓	Unclear	Unclear

Data are presented as Cohen’s ES statistic with 90% confidence limit (ES; ±CL) followed by magnitude-based inference and direction of the difference.
Walking (0–1.94 ms⁻¹), jogging (1.94–3.33 ms⁻¹), striding (3.33–5.83 ms⁻¹), sprinting (>5.83 ms⁻¹).
Bcks, backs; Fwds, forwards; PL, PlayerLoad; PL_slow, PlayerLoad slow; RD, relative distance; TD, total distance; U16, under 16; U18, under 18; UNI, university; V_max, maximum sprint velocity.