The epidemiology of muscle strain in male collegiate rugby players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence, severity, injury burden, and etiology associated with muscle strain in male collegiate rugby union players. A total of 113 male collegiate rugby union players were enrolled in the study. The occurrence of muscle strain was recorded from 2017 to 2018. The incidence of muscle strain was significantly higher during the match (13.38/1000 player hours) than during training (0.66/1000 player hours). There was no significant difference in muscle strain severity between that observed during the match and training; however, the injury burden was 282.5 (day/1000 player hours) during the match, which was about 15 times more than that during training. Overall, 38.5% of muscle strain occurred during running, followed by 26.9% of ruck in contact play. Players with a history of muscle strain showed at a 4.5 times higher risk of muscle strain injuries. Our study results suggest prevention strategies to reduce time loss by muscle strain injuries among male collegiate rugby union players.