Injuries in American Collegiate Club Rugby: A Prospective Study

Background: Rugby is associated with a high risk of injury, because it is a fullcontact sport with limited use of protective gear. The popularity of rugby in the United States is growing, but the vast majority of epidemiologic studies reports injury data from rugby organizations in other countries. Purpose: To report game and practice injury rates in American collegiate club rugby, specified by body part and type of injury. Methods: A licensed medical professional tracked attendance and injuries during games and practice in 60 collegiate club rugby players of a Division I University during the fall seasons of 2012 and 2013. Injury rates were compared between games and practices, and specified by type and location of injury. Results: Twenty-five injuries were sustained in 1946 exposures for an overall injury rate (IR) of 12.9 injuries per 1000 exposures (95% confidence interval (CI) =8.50-18.7). The game injury rate (IR=26.0, 95%CI=14.4-43.3) was more than three times higher (p=0.006) than the practice injury rate (IR=8.30, 95%CI=4.50-14.1). The lower extremity was the most commonly injury body part (IR=5.65 injuries/1000 exposures; 95%CI=2.97-9.83), and sprains were the most common types of injury (IR=6.68 injuries/1000 exposures; 95%CI=3.72-11.1). The overall concussion rate was 2.57 per 1000 exposures (95%CI=0.94-5.70), and 80% of the concussions occurred during games. Most injuries (76%) were sustained via direct contact with another player, while 24% of injuries occurred via a non-contact mechanism. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that rugby players are at substantial risk of injury, especially during games. The lower extremity was the most frequently injured body region, the head was the most frequently injured specific body part, and sprains were the most common type of injury. The injury rates in American collegiate rugby are lower than previously reported in international rugby, but higher than in many other American collegiate sports.