Star Excursion Balance Test performance and application in elite junior rugby union players

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Dynamic postural stability is crucial for injury prevention in elite athletes.
• The Start Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) is a common tool for assessing balance.
• Limited normative data exists for specific athlete populations like underage rugby union players.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate SEBT performance in elite underage rugby union players across selected reach directions.
• To determine if positional differences (forward vs. back) exist in dynamic postural stability.
• To inform injury prevention and management strategies within this cohort.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study design was employed.
• 102 healthy male elite rugby union players (mean age 17.9 years) participated.
• Performance was assessed on the Anterior, Posterior-medial, and Posterior-lateral reach directions of the SEBT.

Main Results:

• Normative data for SEBT performance was established for this elite junior rugby union population.
• No statistically significant differences in dynamic postural stability were observed between forward and back position units.

Conclusions:

• The study provides valuable normative SEBT data for elite junior rugby union players.
• Clinicians can use this data to benchmark player dynamic postural stability.
• Findings have implications for refining injury prevention and management protocols in rugby.