Tackling in male and female rugby
Coach/Teacher, General, Health Professional, Participant/Parent
November 23, 2023
The rugby player saw the opposing player coming and braced for the tackle. The tackle caught them at the waist, and the tackler held on as the player kept moving. The player started twisting their body, shaking off the tackle before continuing down the field. The tackler fell to the ground and took their time getting up.
Tackles in rugby are used to stop the opposing team from moving the ball down the field. The physical nature of the tackle also creates an injury risk. In a recent study, researchers from Calgary investigated the injury risk for tacklers in female and male high school rugby. Females experienced a higher injury rate in games and practices than male players, and notably female tacklers had over two times the risk for injury than male tacklers. Another interesting finding was that previous playing experience was not related to injury rate, suggesting that specific injury prevention programs should be developed for female and male rugby players to help the players stay on the field.
To read the full article, visit the British Journal of Sports Medicine:
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2023/11/20/bjsports-2023-106929
To learn more about rugby injuries, visit the Active and Safe rugby webpage: