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!