Citation

Fuller CW, Molloy MG, Bagate C, Bahr R, Brooks JH, Donson H, Kemp SP, McCrory P, McIntosh AS, Meeuwisse WH, Quarrie KL, Raftery M, Wiley P. Clin. J. Sport. Med. 2007; 17(3): 177-181.

Affiliation

University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; International Rugby Board, Dublin, Ireland; Federation Francaise de Rugby, Paris, France; §Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Oslo, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JSM.0b013e31803220b3

PMID

17513907

Abstract

Wide variations in the definitions and methodologies used for studies of injuries in rugby union have created inconsistencies in reported data and made interstudy comparisons of results difficult. The International Rugby Board established a Rugby Injury Consensus Group (RICG) to agree on appropriate definitions and methodologies to standardize the recording of injuries and reporting of studies in rugby union. The RICG reviewed the consensus definitions and methodologies previously published for football (soccer) at a meeting in Dublin to assess their suitability for and application to rugby union. Following this meeting, iterative draft statements were prepared and circulated to members of the RICG for comment; a follow-up meeting was arranged in Dublin at which time all definitions and procedures were finalized. At this stage, all authors confirmed their agreement with the consensus statement. The agreed-on document was presented to and approved by the International Rugby Board Council.Agreement was reached on definitions for injury, recurrent injury, nonfatal catastrophic injury, and training and match exposures together with criteria for classifying injuries in terms of severity, location, type, diagnosis, and causation. The definitions and methodology presented in this consensus statement for rugby union are similar to those proposed for football. Adoption of the proposals presented in this consensus statement should ensure that more consistent and comparable results will be obtained from studies of injuries within rugby union.

Language: en