A sixteen-year epidemiological study of match injuries sustained during the women's Rugby World Cup (2010 to 2025)

Professionalisation of women's rugby has increased over the past ten years. The impact of this development on the incidence and nature of injuries sustained during international competitions has not been reported. This study aimed to provide anthropometric and epidemiological information relating to women's international Rugby-15s.

Team medical staff, working with eighteen national teams taking part in five women's Rugby World Cups over the period 2010-2025, recorded players' anthropometric and injury data. The observational methodology used in the study followed the international consensus statement for surveillance studies in elite rugby. Data relating to the incidence, severity, burden, nature and cause of injuries were collected.

The overall incidence of injury over the 16-year period was 45.2 injuries/1,000 player-match-hours with a mean severity of 48.4 days. Concussion (21.7%), knee-ligament (12.5%) and ankle-ligament (10.8%) injuries were the most common injuries sustained by backs and knee-ligament (17.2%), concussion (14.2%) and ankle-ligament (8.2%) injuries the most common for forwards. Knee-ligament injuries were responsible for 33.0% of all time-loss by backs and 43.2% of all time-loss by forwards.

The incidence of injury during the women's Rugby World Cup was significantly lower but the mean severity of the injuries significantly higher than values reported previously for the men's Rugby World Cup. Consequently, injury burden values during the women's and men's Rugby World Cups are similar. Knee-ligament and concussion injuries should be the focus of injury prevention initiatives in women's rugby, as they are the most common injuries and are responsible for the greatest time-loss.