Women's 2023 and 2024 WXV international rugby competitions: injury surveillance study.

PURPOSE: The popularity of women's international rugby has grown significantly over the past decade. The impact of this growth on player welfare, however, has not yet been assessed. The aim of this study was to increase the level of epidemiological information available for women's international rugby-15s.

METHODS

Anthropometric and injury data were reported by the medical staff working with 20 national teams taking part in the 2023 and 2024 WXV international rugby competitions. Data related to the incidence, severity, burden, nature and cause of injuries were collected according to the international consensus statement for conducting injury surveillance studies in rugby.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of injury was 49.5 injuries/1,000 player-match-hours with a mean severity of 42.2 days. As two-thirds of all injuries were sustained during the second half of matches, player fatigue is a probable injury risk factor in women's rugby. Concussion (23.3%) and knee-ligament (16.3%) injuries were the most common injuries sustained by backs; whereas, knee-ligament (15.5%) and ankle-ligament (14.0%) injuries were the most common for forwards. Knee-ligament injuries were responsible for most time-loss by both backs (36.8%) and forwards (60.2%).

DISCUSSION: The risk of injury in rugby is defined by the incidence and nature of injuries sustained by players together with the match and training load that players experience. Results obtained from this study enhance the evidence-base available for identifying injury risk factors and developing mitigation priorities for women's rugby-15s.