Testing methods and physical qualities of male age grade rugby union players: A systematic review

Owen, Cameron; Till, Kevin; Weakley, Jonathon; Jones, Ben

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0233796

Cited by 37 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 90 publications

(458 reference statements)

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“…Similar to previous research on rugby players, 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 forwards were generally taller and heavier than backs, whether players went on to become professional players or not. Forwards also had higher skinfold thickness, lower Yo-Yo IRT L1 performances and slower sprint times, but higher strength and power measures compared to backs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Short and long-term differences in anthropometric characteristics and physical performance between male rugby players that became professional or remained amateur

Hamlin

Deuchrass

Elliot

et al. 2021

Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness

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Objective The objective of this study was to investigate which anthropometric and physical performance variables characterised players that advanced to professional teams (professionals) and how these variables changed over time, compared to those that did not secure professional contracts (i.e. remained amateurs). Methods Differences in anthropometry, strength, speed, power and intermittent running ability in 83 male rugby players collected between 2015 and 2019 were determined using repeated measures analysis. Results When arriving for the first year of the program, forwards that went on to become professional players were older (0.4 ± 0.3 yr, mean ± 95% CI, p = 0.004), heavier (4.6 ± 2.5 kg, p < 0.001) and stronger (range 6.2–16.4%) than forwards that remained amateur. Professional forwards were also slower at sprinting (range −2.7–2.9%, p < 0.001) and had lower Yo-Yo IRT L1 (−10.8%, p = 0.03). When first arrived on the program, professional backs were taller (3.5 ± 1.8 cm, p < 0.001), heavier (4.6 ± 2.4 kg, p < 0.001) and faster over 20 m (−1.9 ± 1.7%, p = 0.03) and 30 m (−1.7 ± 1.6%, p = 0.04) compared to amateurs. Compared to amateurs, professionals had a smaller increase in body mass (−4.2 ± 2.0%, p < 0.001) and greater improvement in sprinting (3.7, 2.8, 2.8% over 10, 20 and 30-m, respectively) and Yo-Yo IRT L1 (14.7 ± 11.0%, p = 0.05) over 3 years training. Conclusion Characteristics that are likely to assist players in becoming professionals include being older, heavier, taller and stronger.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Short and long-term differences in anthropometric characteristics and physical performance between male rugby players that became professional or remained amateur

Hamlin

Deuchrass

Elliot

et al. 2021

Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness

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“…The weight lifted and the number of repetitions done was used to calculate the 1RM [ 17 ]. The outdoor assessment tests included: Sargent test, flexed arm hang test, sit-and-reach test, and maximal aerobic power (20 m shuttle-run test) [ 18 ]. The VO 2 max was estimated using regression equations described by [ 19 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Anthropometric Data and Physical Fitness Scores to Predict Selection in a National U19 Rugby Union Team

Vaz

Kraak

Batista

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The purpose of this study was to compare measures of anthropometry characteristics and physical fitness performance between rugby union players (17.9 ± 0.5 years old) recruited (n = 39) and non-recruited (n = 145) to the Portuguese under-19 (U19) national team, controlling for their playing position (forwards or backs). Standardized anthropometric, physical, and performance assessment tests included players’ body mass and height, push up and pull-up test, squat test, sit-and-reach test, 20 m shuttle run test, flexed arm hang test, Sargent test, handgrip strength test, Illinois agility test, and 20-m and 50-m sprint test. Results showed that recruited forwards players had better agility scores (p = 0.02, ES = −0.55) than the non-recruited forwards, whereas recruited backs players had higher right (p < 0.01, ES = 0.84) and left (p = 0.01, ES = 0.74) handgrip strength scores than their counterparts. Logistic regression showed that better agility (for the forwards) and right handgrip strength scores (for the backs) were the only variables significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being recruited to the national team. In sum, these findings suggest that certain well-developed physical qualities, namely, agility for the forwards players and upper-body strength for the back players, partially explain the selection of U19 rugby players to their national team.

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“…Talent identification (TID) can be defined as recognizing young athletes with the potential to achieve expertise in a particular sport (Williams and Reilly, 2000). The TID process in RU is often influenced by a number characteristics, such as: (a) anthropometric (e.g., greater body size and mass; Fontana et al, 2015), (b) physiological (e.g., superior speed, strength, and power; Owen et al, 2020), (c) cognitive (e.g., advanced tactical skills; Sherwood et al, 2019), and (d) birth quartile (e.g., relatively older players overrepresented; Kelly et al, 2021a). From an anthropometric perspective, body mass and body fat percentage has been found to predict competition levels in youth RU players Dimundo et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Talent Identification in an English Premiership Rugby Union Academy: Multidisciplinary Characteristics of Selected and Non-selected Male Under-15 Players

Dimundo¹,

Cole²,

Blagrove³

et al. 2021

Front. Sports Act. Living

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Entry into an academy can be a defining moment for a promising young player. The aim of this study was to explore the multidimensional characteristics that differentiated selected and non-selected male under-15 rugby union players at an English Premiership academy. Seventy-four players (mean age 14.6 ± 0.3 years: selected n = 29; non-selected n = 45) were measured across nine characteristics from four overarching factors: (a) anthropometric (n = 2), (b) physiological (n = 5), (c) cognitive (n = 1), and (d) birth quartile. An ANOVA compared differences between groups (selected vs. non-selected), whilst a Welch's t-test and Cohen's d were used for further comparisons. A multivariate logistic regression was also used to predict selection. Results showed significant differences between selected and non-selected players for anthropometric (P = 0.021) and physiological factors (P < 0.001). Moreover, relatively older players were overrepresented with 65% born in the first half of the year, whereas no significant differences were apparent for the cognitive test. More specifically, selected players possessed greater body mass (P = 0.022, d = 0.5) and handgrip strength (P = 0.020, d = 0.5) compared to non-selected players, whilst multivariate analysis showed the 20 m sprint explained 25.4% of the variance (P = 0.001). Overall, it appears selection into an English Premiership rugby union academy may be due to enhanced physical attributes rather than cognitive abilities.

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Testing methods and physical qualities of male age grade rugby union players: A systematic review

Cited by 37 publications

References 90 publications

Short and long-term differences in anthropometric characteristics and physical performance between male rugby players that became professional or remained amateur

Short and long-term differences in anthropometric characteristics and physical performance between male rugby players that became professional or remained amateur

Using Anthropometric Data and Physical Fitness Scores to Predict Selection in a National U19 Rugby Union Team

Talent Identification in an English Premiership Rugby Union Academy: Multidisciplinary Characteristics of Selected and Non-selected Male Under-15 Players

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