Eva Ageberg, Alex Donaldson, Karolina Lucander, Axel Ström, Karin Moesch, Sofia Bunke, Jennie Linnéll, Robert Wedberg, Per Ekberg, Per Nilsen
{"title":"Will a co-created program enhance implementation of injury prevention training in youth handball in Sweden? A cluster-randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Eva Ageberg, Alex Donaldson, Karolina Lucander, Axel Ström, Karin Moesch, Sofia Bunke, Jennie Linnéll, Robert Wedberg, Per Ekberg, Per Nilsen","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To compare the implementation of a co-created evidence-based injury prevention intervention with an existing program in youth team handball.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Pragmatic two-armed cluster-randomized controlled trial, conducted collaboratively with the Swedish Handball Federation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eighteen clubs offering handball for female and male youth players (aged 12-16 years) were allocated randomly (stratified by club size) to either intervention or control. Intervention was a holistic program integrated within handball practice (Implementing injury Prevention training ROutines in TEams and Clubs in youth Team handball) plus tailored implementation support. Control was an existing warm-up program with a few physical injury prevention principles. Implementation outcomes were investigated among coaches (both groups) and club administrators (intervention group) at the end of the handball season using a study-specific questionnaire mapped to the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No differences were observed in implementation outcomes between intervention and control coaches. Reach was high, and coaches and club administrators generally believed injury prevention training was effective. They liked the intervention and intended to use it the next season. Sixty-six percent of intervention coaches and 58 % of control coaches had used the intervention (odds ratio = 1.33, 95 % confidence interval 0.42-4.24, p = 0.625). Utilization frequency was low, and program fidelity was poor.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A co-created holistic program supported by tailored implementation strategies did not enhance the implementation of injury prevention training compared with an existing program. Further research is needed to better understand how to enhance the implementation of such training in regular practice of youth handball.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144608649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Linden C Penner, Jason B Tabor, Joel S Burma, Heather Godfrey, Jean-Michel Galarneau, Jennifer Gradi Cooper, Mohammad Ghodsi, Cheryl L Wellington, Chantel T Debert, Carolyn A Emery, Jonathan D Smirl
{"title":"Effects of interval exercise and diurnal variation on blood biomarkers for sport-related concussion: A crossover cohort study.","authors":"Linden C Penner, Jason B Tabor, Joel S Burma, Heather Godfrey, Jean-Michel Galarneau, Jennifer Gradi Cooper, Mohammad Ghodsi, Cheryl L Wellington, Chantel T Debert, Carolyn A Emery, Jonathan D Smirl","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Preliminary investigation of exercise and diurnal effects on neurofilament light, glial fibrillary acidic protein, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 and total tau.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Plasma biomarkers were assayed from blood drawn before, during, immediately following, and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 48-h following three exercise conditions completed on a cycle ergometer (control [stationary], moderate intensity interval training and high intensity interval training). Participants with no prior concussion history completed each condition randomized four weeks apart.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Observational, crossover cohort.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Two-hundred-and-ninety-three plasma specimens from 10 participants (7 female, 3 male; median age 23.79 years (interquartile range: 21.38, 25.12)) demonstrated transient decreases in neurofilament light immediately following moderate (-1.11 pg/mL, 95 % confidence interval: -2.08 to -0.13, p = 0.03) and high intensity interval exercise (-1.48 pg/mL, 95 % confidence interval: -2.54 to -0.42, p = 0.01). Glial fibrillary acidic protein also decreased immediately following moderate (-16.47 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: -28.88 to -4.06, p = 0.01) and high intensity interval exercise (-22.85 pg/mL, 95 % confidence interval: -30.25 to -15.45, p < 0.01), returning to control levels by 1 h post-exercise. Total tau declined throughout the day across all conditions on average (8 h: -1.15 pg/mL, β: 0.63, 95 % confidence interval: 0.44 to 0.89, p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These preliminary findings highlight potential considerations for future sport-related concussion biomarker investigations collecting acute post-injury data in a sports context, as exercise may have immediate transient effects, and diurnal variations may affect plasma concentrations. Future research is needed to examine blood biomarkers affected by exercise and sport-related concussion in populations with consideration for concussion history, age, and sex.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144567591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of dual-task training on gait variability in individuals with Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Jun-Hong Zhou, Ray-Yau Wang, Yo-Tsen Liu, Shih-Jung Cheng, Hsin-Hsuan Liu, Yea-Ru Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine the effects of dual-task training on gait variability in individuals with Parkinson's disease.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>This is a single-blind, randomized controlled trial.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study recruited 28 individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, and 26 datasets were analyzed. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (dual-task training) or the control group (treadmill training). Both groups completed 16 training sessions over 8 weeks. Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention. Primary outcomes measured spatiotemporal gait variability in the less and more affected lower extremities.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant time × group interactions were observed in bilateral step length variability during cognitive dual-task walking and in step length variability of the more affected side during motor dual-task walking and single walking. Significant time × group interactions were found in double and single support times during cognitive and motor dual-task walking. The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in step length variability, step length, and single and double support times across both dual-task and single walking conditions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Compared to treadmill training alone, dual-task training improved gait stability during dual-task walking, as indicated by reduced step length variability, decreased double support time, and increased single support time. These improvements were most notable in the spatial parameters of gait and primarily observed on the more affected side.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>The study was prospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT03623841).</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144560459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Chica-Latorre, Catherine Knight-Agarwal, Andrew McKune, Michelle Minehan
{"title":"A systematic review and meta-aggregation of the experiences and perceptions of menstrual and hormonal contraceptive cycle-related symptoms in female athletes.","authors":"Sara Chica-Latorre, Catherine Knight-Agarwal, Andrew McKune, Michelle Minehan","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Symptoms related to the menstrual cycle impact the participation, perceived performance, and quality of life of the individual. Yet, the way these symptoms are experienced has not been synthesised, missing the opportunity to reconcile our understanding of best avenues for support.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>This systematic review and meta-aggregation focused on female athletes' experiences and perceptions of cycle-related symptomatology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Guided by the Preferred Reporting of Systematic and Meta-Analyses protocol, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched between January 2000 and November 2024. Included qualitative studies focused on female athletes (tiers 2 to 5) and exercisers (tier 1) of reproductive age (13 to 45 years) and reported on their experiences of cycle-related symptoms. Findings were pooled using the Joanna Briggs Institute System for the Unified Management of the Assessment and Review of Information and rated using ConQual.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seventeen original studies were included. The review generated 4 meta-aggregated findings: (1) myriad cycle-related symptoms negatively affected athletes; (2) performance and participation were hindered by cycle-related symptoms; (3) adaptation to and/or concealing cycle-related symptoms helped athletes to continue to train and compete; and (4) frustration with support and communication about cycle-related topics.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, a surging number of qualitative studies report cycle-related symptoms affect athletes in numerous ways. Better understanding of ways to manage symptoms and open conversations about how menstrual and hormonal contraceptive cycles are experienced are needed to support sports participation.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144642793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Agustín Jerez-Martínez, José Manuel García de Frutos, Salvador Romero-Arenas
{"title":"Similar improvements in skeletal muscle oxidative capacity after moderate (10-RM) and high repetition (20-RM) resistance training.","authors":"Agustín Jerez-Martínez, José Manuel García de Frutos, Salvador Romero-Arenas","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study investigated whether six weeks of resistance training to concentric failure performed with either a moderate (10-repetition maximum) or high (20-repetition maximum) repetition range enhances skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, hypertrophy, and strength.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A pre-post intervention study with a randomized group allocation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-seven healthy young men were randomly allocated to a 10-repetition maximum group (n = 16), 20-repetition maximum group (n = 16), or non-training control group (n = 15) and completed 12 supervised lower-body sessions. Vastus lateralis oxidative capacity was assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy during transient arterial occlusion. Recovery kinetics of muscle O<sub>2</sub> consumption were modeled mono-exponentially, and the time constant served as an index of oxidative capacity. The secondary outcomes were ultrasound-derived muscle thickness and multi-joint 10-repetition maximum strength.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both training groups showed significantly reduced time constant compared to the control group (10-repetition maximum: -18.9 %; 20-repetition maximum: -29.1 %; p < 0.05), with no difference between repetition ranges (p = 0.356). Vastus lateralis thickness increased similarly in the 10-repetition maximum and 20-repetition maximum groups (p < 0.001 vs. control), while strength improved across all exercises in the two experimental groups; only the lying leg-curl favored 20-repetition maximum over 10-repetition maximum (p = 0.015).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings demonstrate that twice-weekly resistance training to failure, irrespective of whether ~10 or ~20 repetitions are used, simultaneously enhances mitochondrial oxidative capacity, muscle hypertrophy, and strength, underscoring the versatility of resistance training for performance optimization and interventions targeting improved metabolic health.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144528507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jasmine Titova, Margie H Davenport, Melanie Hayman
{"title":"Evidence-based recommendations to support elite athletes during preconception and pregnancy: A modified Delphi survey of elite Australian athletes and key stakeholders.","authors":"Jasmine Titova, Margie H Davenport, Melanie Hayman","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Pregnancy policies have been identified as a critical support for elite athletes during preconception and pregnancy. However, many sporting organisations lack such policies and the resources to create them. This study aimed to establish consensus of evidence-based policy and practice recommendations for supporting preconception and pregnancy in Australian elite athletes.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A three-round modified Delphi survey was conducted with elite athletes and key stakeholders between 2<sup>nd</sup> October 2024 and 26<sup>th</sup> November 2024.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A set of draft policy and practice recommendations was developed a priori using previous research. These were reviewed in Round I and those that did not achieve consensus (≥75 % agreement with no changes proposed) or were updated based on participant feedback were put through to a subsequent round and the process was repeated for a third round. The resulting recommendations were sent to the Australian Institute of Sport for their review and endorsement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-two, 15 and 13 respondents completed the surveys for rounds I to III respectively. Round I achieved consensus for nine recommendations, though edits were made to all 13 recommendations. Round II achieved consensus for 11 recommendations with edits to five recommendations and Round III achieved consensus for all five remaining recommendations. The final recommendations were reviewed by the Australian Institute of Sport and endorsed following minor revisions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This modified Delphi study achieved consensus on evidence-based recommendations to support preconception and pregnancy in Australian elite athletes, offering a comprehensive framework for sporting organisations to adopt and adapt when developing future pregnancy policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144591517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Publishing in predatory journals damages the credibility of science","authors":"Tim Meyer","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":"28 7","pages":"Pages 519-520"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J J Hannigan, Natasha Giulietti, Brett Traeger, Drew Moore, Victoria Boechler, Kieran Giammichele, Sherri Dean
{"title":"Plantar pressure in recreational athletes running in maximal and traditional shoes.","authors":"J J Hannigan, Natasha Giulietti, Brett Traeger, Drew Moore, Victoria Boechler, Kieran Giammichele, Sherri Dean","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The primary objective of this study was to compare plantar pressure (peak forefoot and rearfoot pressure, center of pressure displacement and distance) between maximal and traditional running shoes in recreationally active individuals. A secondary objective was to assess differences in ankle kinematics and vertical ground reaction forces between shoe conditions.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A repeated-measures experimental design compared the two shoe conditions (maximal vs. traditional) within the same participants.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty recreationally active adults (11 females, 9 males) performed five overground running trials in a maximal and traditional shoe. Plantar pressure, vertical ground reaction forces, and ankle kinematics were measured using a combination of pressure insoles, motion capture, and force plates. Two-tailed paired t-tests with Benjamini-Yekutieli corrections were used to assess differences between shoe conditions (α = 0.05), while effect sizes (Cohen's d) quantified the magnitude of observed differences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Peak forefoot plantar pressure was significantly lower in the maximal shoe (p = .01, d = 0.47), while center of pressure displacement (p = .03, d = 0.39) and distance (p = .01, d = 0.40) were also significantly shorter in the maximal shoe. No significant differences were observed in vertical ground reaction forces (VIP, VAP, AVLR) or ankle kinematics (p > .05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Maximal shoes reduce forefoot plantar pressure and center of pressure displacement and distance compared to traditional shoes in recreational runners. These findings suggest that maximal shoes may help with load management for injuries where decreased forefoot plantar pressure is desired.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144575653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Baihui Luo, Lu Leng, Min Hu, Yuehua He, Hui Zheng, Junhao Huang
{"title":"Effects of 4-week moderate-intensity aerobic training on stress reactivity, decision-making, and prefrontal brain activity under acute stress in emerging adults.","authors":"Baihui Luo, Lu Leng, Min Hu, Yuehua He, Hui Zheng, Junhao Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The present study aimed to investigate whether 4-week moderate-intensity aerobic training has beneficial effects on stress reactivity, decision-making, and associated prefrontal brain activity in presence of acute stress in emerging adults.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A randomized controlled trial.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-one emerging adults (age range: 18-26 years) were randomly assigned to the moderate-intensity aerobic training group (n = 21, 22.76 ± 2.51 years) or control group (n = 20, 22.05 ± 1.36 years). The moderate-intensity aerobic training group underwent supervised cycling for 4 weeks, while the control group did not receive any intervention. All participants completed a challenging mental work task (operation span task) as an acute stress manipulation, followed by a two-step decision-making task with functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure prefrontal cortex activation before and after the intervention. We also assessed state anxiety , visual analog scales, and heart rate variability as indicators of stress level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The operation span task was effective at inducing psychological stress. After the intervention, the moderate-intensity aerobic training group exhibited lower state anxiety than the control group (t = -2.979, p = 0.005, d = -0.931). The intervention group additionally showed higher orbitofrontal activation and significantly greater post-test reward-option selection improvement compared to the control group (t = 3.492, p = 0.001, d = 1.106), indicating enhanced reward sensitivity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings indicated that 4-week moderate-intensity aerobic training enhanced reward-based decision-making and reduced psychological stress. The increased activation in the orbitofrontal cortex was likely associated with the improvements in state anxiety and decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144369012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauren Guilfoyle, Therese Leahy, Ian C Kenny, Kieran O'Sullivan, Helen Purtill, Tom Comyns
{"title":"The incidence, burden and impact of tackle injuries in schoolboy Rugby Union.","authors":"Lauren Guilfoyle, Therese Leahy, Ian C Kenny, Kieran O'Sullivan, Helen Purtill, Tom Comyns","doi":"10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To describe the incidence, characteristics and burden of tackle-event injuries in under-19 schoolboy Rugby Union in Ireland comparing the profile of tackler and ball-carrier injuries independently and to examine the burden on school absenteeism.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A four-season prospective cohort study (2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23, 2023-24) of match injuries in under-19 schoolboy Rugby Union in Ireland was conducted.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty teams participated. A 24-hour time-loss definition was utilised. Incidence rates per 1000 h and incidence rate ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>465 match injuries were reported from 10,924 match exposure hours. 66.7 % of these injuries occurred during the tackle event, with injuries to tacklers occurring 33 % more often than injuries to ball-carriers (incidence rate ratio = 1.33, 95 % confidence interval 1.06-1.67). Tacklers sustained more head and shoulder injuries than ball-carriers who, in contrast, sustained significantly more knee and ankle injuries. No difference was observed for injury severity; however, the overall burden of tackler injuries was 36 % higher than that of ball-carrier injuries (590 v 435 days absent from rugby participation, p < 0.001). 12.8 % (n = 38) of tackle-event injuries resulted in a median of one day absence from school.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The incidence and burden of injuries to the tackling player are significantly higher than that of injuries to the ball-carrier in this cohort. Head injuries, concussions and shoulder injuries are priority areas for risk mitigation strategies which could be targeted through improving tackler behaviour. Future research in schoolboy cohorts should investigate academic absence in addition to time lost from rugby participation.</p>","PeriodicalId":16992,"journal":{"name":"Journal of science and medicine in sport","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144326043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}