With The Six Nations, kick off just around the corner we are taking a look at some of the
high profile and most common injuries in the game and how they have effected
championship hopes on what has become the most important Saturday of the year for
Rugby fans and players alike – ‘Super Saturday’.
The Six Nations 2023 kicks off on Saturday February 4 with Ireland taking on Wales in
Cardiff. The build-up to these games always generates much speculation and
conversation around squad selection and match day 23. As with all sport, injury has a
significant influence on the inclusion and omittance of players. It is not always the same
squad of players named at the start of the tournament that make it to business end of the
series. Notably from an Irish point of view, Leinster’s Robbie Henshaw will miss out on the
trip to Cardiff as he continues to rehab his wrist injury. England have also been hit with
significant injury blows, with 10 players ruled out for round one selection. With injuries
having such an impact on the game we are looking at the most common injuries in rugby
and how players can best avoid game changing injuries.
Most common injuries in rugby
The Professional Injury Surveillance Project reports the average incidence of injuries as 87
injuries per 1000 hours of rugby played and this results in an average of 25 days of absence
from play for the injured player. The Six Nations has a quick turnaround between games
so players have to ensure they are maintaining their strength work throughout the series
and getting good recovery in between games.
Hamstring injuries are the most common injury in rugby. Poor eccentric knee flexor
strength has been identified as one of the key risk factors for hamstring injury. There are
several factors that can contribute to hamstring injuries, which should be assessed on an
individual basis. England’s Elliot Daly is set to miss out on their opening game against
Scotland due to a hamstring injury.
Ankle ligament injuries pose a significant burden for both male and female players. Ankle
instability events can keep players out of play for prolonged periods and if not
rehabilitated can turn to chronic ankle instability. Andrew Porter was ruled out of the final
staged of Irelands 2022 Six Nations campaign due to ankle injury and this years
championship sees England without Luke Cowan-Dickie for their opener against Scotland
after sustaining an ankle injury.
The nature of the game means the upper limb is somewhat susceptible to dislocations
and fractures with shoulder instability events and fractures leading to greater time loss
than other injuries. Acromioclavicular sprains are one of the most common injuries to the
shoulder in rugby which requires both a strength and control based rehab programme to
get back on the pitch. Scotland’s Adam Hastings is rehabbing a shoulder injury that has
ruled him out of this years campaign.
Take home message
Rugby, like all sports has a risk of injury, the highs and lows of sport is what keeps us
interested! Not all injuries are avoidable. However, there are some things that we can do
to minimise the risk of injuries occurring. This includes, strength and conditioning
training, a comprehensive warm up and activation routine, a regular sleep cycle and a
balanced diet.
It is often said that it is not the players who start the game that win it and this can
certainly be applied to The Six Nations. Rugby is a high intensity, physical sport, it
demands athletes to be in peak condition for the duration of the season. It is fair to say
that for the players who make it through a championship series and are still available for
selection at the end, silverware is a bonus!