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Updated: Jan 16, 2026
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In Vivo Protocol of Controlled Subconcussive Head Impacts for the Validation of Field Study Data
Published on: April 18, 2019
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Head Acceleration Event Magnitude and Incidence Rate in Academy Rugby Union: A Comparison Across Club and
Jonathan Ward1,2, Damien Bonnet3, Mickael Roumeau3
1Provence Rugby, Aix en Provence, France. jbward2303@gmail.com.
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
|September 28, 2025
Summary
Head acceleration events (HAEs) in rugby are a concern for brain injury. Instrumented mouthguards revealed that professional club players, especially front row and outside backs, experienced more severe HAEs than international players.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Neurology
Background:
- Head acceleration events (HAEs) in rugby union are linked to brain injury and long-term neurological health concerns.
- Understanding HAEs in developing elite athletes is crucial for injury prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To collect baseline data on HAEs in under-21 professional rugby players using instrumented mouthguards (iMGs).
- To compare HAE magnitude and incidence rates between professional club and international competition levels.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational cohort study involving 32 U21 club academy and 38 U20 international players.
- Custom-fit iMGs with accelerometers and gyroscopes recorded peak linear acceleration (PLA), peak angular acceleration (PAA), and peak angular velocity (PAV).
- Data analyzed using descriptive statistics and negative binomial regressions to assess incidence rates across positions and competition levels.
Main Results:
- A total of 6508 HAEs were recorded across 368 player matches.
- Club players, particularly front row and outside backs, showed higher median and peak acceleration values compared to international players.
- Significantly higher rates of severe HAEs were observed in club outside backs and front row players.
Conclusions:
- Contrary to expectations, international players did not consistently show higher HAE magnitude or incidence than club players.
- Club outside backs and front row players experienced the highest rates of severe HAEs.
- Playing style, positional demands, and technique are critical factors in mitigating concussion risk in developing elite rugby players.
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