Table 2

Tackle-related injury frequencies and rates in semiprofessional, amateur and youth rugby union

StudyCohortInjury definitionInjury frequencyInjury rate
Comstock and Fields154USA women’s teamsOverall and time-loss (>7 days)58% (30% tackled, 28% tackling)N/A
Collins et al31Girls’ US high school club teamsTime-loss (>1 day)61% (29% tackled, 32% tackling)N/A
Collins et al31Boys’ US high school club teamsTime-loss (>1 day)59% (31% tackled, 28% tackling)N/A
Kerr et al7US collegiate teams (men)Overall and time-loss (>1 day)48%8.2/1000 hours (4.53/1000 hours tackled, 3.62/1000 hours tackling)
Kerr et al7US collegiate teams (women)Overall and time-loss (>1 day)53%9.1/1000 hours (5.5/1000 hours tackled; 3.6/1000 hours tackling)
Schneiders et al155New Zealand premier amateur club teamsOverall and time-loss (>1 day)48% (19% tackled, 29% tackling)N/A
Haseler et al156English youth community club teams (9–17 years)Time-loss (>1 day)59%14/1000 hours (95% CI 8.0 to 19.8)
Nicol et al33Scottish school teamsTime-loss (>1 day)62% (40% tackled, 22% tackling)N/A
Fuller and Molloy28International under-20 teamsTime-loss (>1 day)45% (26% tackled, 19% tackling)N/A
Palmer-Green et al32English Premiership youth academy teams (16–18 years)Time-loss (>1 day)51% (30% tackled, 21% tackling)21/1000 hours (12/1000 hours tackled [95% CI 8 to 17]; 9/1000 hours tackling [95% CI 5 to 13])
Palmer-Green et al32English senior school teams (16–18 years)Time-loss (>1 day)57% (32% tackled, 25% tackling)18/1000 hours (10/1000 hours tackled [95% CI 7 to 13]; 8/1000 hours tackling [95% CI 5 to 11])
Roberts et al30English community-level teamsTime-loss (>7 days)50%8.4/1000 hours (95% CI 7.8 to 9.0) (4.8/1000 hours tackled [95% CI 4.3 to 5.2]; 3.6/1000 hours tackling [95% CI 3.2 to 4.0])
Archbold et al157Irish grammar school teams (16.8±0.8 years)Time-loss (>1 day)48% (20% tackled, 28% tackling)N/A
Swain et al158Australian amateur club teamsOverall and time-loss (>1 day)69% (34% tackled [95% CI 25.6 to 42.1]; 35% tackling [95% CI 26.4 to 42.9])N/A
Burger et al95South African under-18 provincial Craven Week teamsOverall and time-loss (>1 day)50%27/1000 hours (95% CI 21 to 33)
Burger et al95South African under-18 provincial Craven Week teamsTime-loss (>1 day)N/A11/1000 hours (95% CI 8 to 15)
Leung et al159Australian Associated Independent Colleges interschool competition teams: year 5 teams (9–10 year olds) to open grades (17–18 year olds)Overall and time-loss (>1 day)55% (27% tackled, 28% tackling)N/A
Leung et al132Australian greater private school competition teams: under-11 teams (10–11 year olds) to open grades (17–18 year olds)Overall and time-loss (>1 day)39%N/A
Barden and Stokes52English elite under-18 schoolboy teams: AASE league matchesTime-loss (>1 day)N/A42/1000 hours (95% CI 26 to 59) (20/1000 hours tackled [95% CI 9 to 32]; 22/1000 hours tackling [95% CI 10 to 34])
Barden and Stokes52English elite under-18 schoolboy teams: general (non-AASE) matchesTime-loss (>1 day)N/A19/1000 hours (95% CI 12 to 25) (12/1000 hours tackled [95% CI 7 to 17]; 7/1000 hours tackling [95% CI 3 to 11])
Barden and Stokes52English elite under-18 schoolboy teams (AASE and non-AASE matches)Time-loss (>1 day)55%N/A
Sewry et al160South African provincial Youth Week teams: under-13, under-16 and under-18Time-loss (>1 day)N/A11.4/1000 hours (4/1000 hours tackled [95% CI 3.2 to 4.9]; 7.4/1000 hours tackling [95% CI 6.3 to 8.5])
Sewry et al50South African Western Cape premier league under-16 school teamsTime-loss (>1 day)N/A18.3/1000 hours (11.3/1000 hours tackled [95% CI 5.2 to 17.5]; 7/100 hours tackling [95% CI 2.1 to 11.8])

  • AASE, Achieving Academic and Sporting Excellence; N/A, not applicable.