Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 8, 2025

A Multi-Modal Approach to Assessing Recovery in Youth Athletes Following Concussion
Published on: September 25, 2014
Epidemiology of injuries in Australian junior rugby league players
Rhonda Orr1, Javed Hamidi2, Brad Levy2
1Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia.
Objectives:
Conduct a large-scale epidemiological study of injury characteristics (location, type, mechanism, severity, burden) and incidence in community junior rugby league.
Design:
Prospective cohort epidemiology study.
Methods:
Injury surveillance was conducted in three district leagues (Penrith, Canberra, Melbourne) in under 6 (U6) to under 18 years (U18) age groups across the 2016 season. Club sports trainers recorded all match/training medical-attention injuries using a commercial electronic application which recorded injury circumstances and characteristics.
Results:
A total of 13,169 players from 897 teams participated and 408 (89% male) players sustained 485 injuries, 94% of which were match related. The overall injury incidence was 5.9 injuries/1000 player hours and highest in U13-U18 female players (22.2 injuries/1000 player hours). The mean injury severity of 16±31 days missed training/match-play caused an overall injury burden of 94.2 days missed/1000 player hours). Tackles accounted for 84% of injuries. Joint and contusion injuries were the most prevalent injury type and the head (35% total injuries, primarily bruising and bleeding) was the most injured body site.
Conclusions:
This is the first study to report injuries across a large cohort of all-age Australian community junior rugby league players over one season. Injury prevalence was lower than previously reported in junior rugby league suggesting the sport has not become more dangerous for junior players. These findings provide an evidence-base to inform or revise policy, training and injury prevention programs and athlete development pathways in relation to game-wide safety and develop best-practice protocols in injury management for rugby league athlete support personnel.
Related Concept Videos
Burn Injuries
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health...
Relative Risk
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
Types of Reports II: Incident or Occurrence Report
Purposes:
In the healthcare industry, reports play a crucial role in documenting incidents within an agency. The primary objective of these reports is to ensure patient safety, uphold the...

