Head Accelerations during a 1-on-1 Rugby Tackling Drill Performed by Experienced Rugby Union Players

Rugby Union is a popular sport played by males and females worldwide, from junior to elite levels. The highly physical skill of tackling occurs every few seconds throughout a match and various injuries associated with tackling are relatively common. Of particular interest are head injuries that result in a concussion. Recently, repeated non-injurious head impacts in sport have attracted the attention of researchers interested in brain health. Therefore, this study assessed head movement during repeated rugby tackle drills among experienced Rugby Union players. Experienced male and female participants performed 15 1-on-1 tackles in a motion analysis laboratory to measure the head movements of the ball carrier and tackler during each tackle, using three-dimensional motion capture. The average peak acceleration of the head for ball carriers was 28.9 ± 24.08 g and 36.67 ± 28.91 g for the tacklers. This study found that the type of head impacts common while performing a tackle in Rugby Union are similar to those experienced by soccer players during heading, which has been found to alter brain function that lasts hours after the event. This has important implications for player health and suggests that mitigation strategies should be considered for Rugby Union.

Comparison of development of step-kinematics of assisted 60 m sprints with different pulling forces between experienced male and female sprinters

The purpose of this study was to compare step-by-step kinematics of normal and assisted 60 m sprints with different loads in experienced sprinters. Step-by-step kinematics were measured using inertial measuring units (IMU) integrated with a 3-axis gyroscope and a laser gun in 24 national level male and female sprinters during a normal 60 m sprint and sprints with a 3, 4, and 5 kg pulling force. The main findings were that using increasing assisted loads resulted in faster 60 m times, as a result of higher step velocity mainly caused by longer step lengths in both genders and by shorter contact times in women. Men had longer step lengths, longer contact times, and shorter flight times than women. However, the assisted loads had a greater effect on women than on men, as shown by their larger decrease in sprint times. These time differences in gender were the result of more and longer duration increases in maximal step velocity with increasing assisted loads for women (70–80% of distance) than men (65–70% of distance). This was mainly caused by shorter contact times, and by more increased step lengths in women compared to men. In terms of practical application, it is notable that employing this approach, when using assisted loads can help athletes to reach higher step velocities and hold this for longer, which may be a training impulse to move the speed barrier upwards.

THE PERCEIVED LEVEL OF COMPETENCE BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND GENDER OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OF PRIMARY EDUCATION IN GREECE AND THE NEED FOR TRAINING

The ideas of ‘competence’ and ‘competencies’ have become central in the last decades in education, as experts have focused their interest on the importance of setting learning objectives in order to help students familiarise themselves with the learning process. In the present study, it is examined whether there is a difference in the perceptions of the administrative staff (both principals and vice-principals) on their level of competence as far as their experience (experienced or novice - inexperienced) and a common personal characteristic, such as their gender (male or female), are concerned. A total of 412 administrative staff that is 261 principals 151 vice-principals responded to a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The statistical comparison was performed by applying the 2-factor analysis of variation (ANOVA). This analysis was preceded by check for equality of variance between the respective groups (Levene’s test). Based on the findings concerning experience and gender correlation, it is revealed that the greatest need for training seems to concern novice female primary school administrative staff, while on the contrary, the least need for training concerns the experienced male ones. Training programme designers should take this fact very seriously when creating educational courses.

The Effect of Experience Levels on Injury Rates in Collegiate Rugby Players

Due to increasing rugby participation in the United States, understanding the factors affecting injury rate during participation have gained in importance. The primary objective of this research is to determine the effect of experience on injury rate in collegiate union rugby. Forty-three participants (23 men and 20 women) from the club rugby team participated over the course of one season. Injury data were analyzed by high (3+) and low (<3) seasons of experience. Twenty-four unique injuries were identified for an overall rate of 36.14 injuries per 1,000 exposures. Females with low experience (n = 14) had a rate of 47.34/1,000 exposures; females with high experience (n = 19) had a rate of 34.38/1,000 exposures. Males with low experience (n = 10) had a rate of 28.57/1,000 exposures; males with high experience (n = 13) had a rate of 42.06/1,000 exposures. Inexperienced female participants and experienced male participants showed higher rate of injury during rugby play. Identifying this at-risk group can aid coaches and responsible health care providers in making safer training and game play decisions.