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Uys, Stefanie M. "The impact of an intervention programme on the decision making speed and accuracy, declarative knowledge, and selected visual skills of U/20 rugby players /." Link to the online version, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1302.
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Curry, Graham. "Football : a study in diffusion." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/7821.
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The subject of this thesis is the diffusion of the game of football, tracing its development back to the more prestigious English public schools, through the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford and into adult society. Early club formation and the gradual nationalisation of the game throughout Britain, with particular reference to England and Scotland, is studied in detail. Careful examination is made of the initial meetings of the Football Association leading to the bifurcation of the sport into soccer and rugby. From that point the study concentrates on the Association form, looking especially at the emergence of professional players. The global diffusion of Association Football from the United Kingdom is also analysed. The underlying task of this study, however, is to test Eric Dunning's theory of status rivalry between the English public schools of Eton and Rugby, a rivalry which was partially expressed through the promotion of their particular styles of football.
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Allen, Trevor. "Methods of coaching to improve decision making in rugby." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/328.
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Smit, Hendré. "Motor competence and goal setting in rugby /." Link to the online version, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/712.
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Olivier, Pierre Emile. "A comparative normative survey of the isokinetic neck strength of senior elite South African rugby players and schoolboy rugby forwards." Thesis, University of Port Elizabeth, 2003. http://www.oregonpdf.org.
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Loveday, Thomas. "Effective coaching in cricket, rugby league and rugby union a qualitative investigation involving professional coaches and players from Australia /." Connect to full text, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5739.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2009.Title from title screen (viewed 10 Dec. 2009). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.
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Agnew, Marcus S. B. "Game analysis in rugby union a thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in fulfillment of Masters of Health Science, February 2006 /." Click here to access this resource online, 2006. http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/handle/10292/30.
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Koch, Wilhelm. "Preparing for life after rugby." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21537.
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The inception of rugby as a workforce in 1995 created a range of new issues surrounding sport as a vocation. With professional rugby often wearing the glamorous coat of fame and fortune, young athletes sacrifice education and learning additional life-skills in pursuit of well-paid contracts and glitzy lifestyles unaware of the realities rugby as a profession holds. One such reality is the relatively short lifespan of a professional rugby career and the fact that transition to a whole new career is firstly inevitable and secondly a very challenging process. Traditional retirement has been associated with the end of a long working career, making comprehensive lifestyle- and financial planning part of the preparation process. This process helps the retiree anticipate and understand the expected demands of life beyond a working career. In rugby however, the retirement experience of a player can be extremely difficult to cope with, especially if the player is not adequately prepared or has not planned for such an event. This leaves players vulnerable for the imminent new phase of life and often leads to physiological - and other challenges players are not able to withstand in a world outside sport (Price, 2007). The aim of this study is to identify the different aspects that influence a professional rugby player’s retirement – and transition experience into a new profession. The researcher believes that an increased understanding of how current and retired professional rugby players perceive/experienced the retirement process would assist current players to better plan and prepare for this phase of life. This ultimately would reduce the anxiety and uncertainty for life after rugby. If players are more relaxed and stress-free about their future, more focus could also be placed on the here-and-now, leading to greater performance on the current field of play. The views of both current and retired professional rugby players were captured through questionnaires distributed all around South Africa. The researcher utilised a mixed mode paradigm of both positivistic and interpretive research methods. This approach enabled him to best compare the views of the two groups and test the developed theories and hypothesis. Ultimately, the research revealed that the presence of the following variables will have a positive influence on a player’s retirement and transition experience: A) Leadership, advice and planning for retirement B) Tertiary education and additional work skills C) Popularity amongst fans and other influential people D) Sufficient wealth and E) A self-selected retirement. With these findings the researcher will develop some specific guidelines for current professional rugby players to help them firstly better prepare for their life beyond sport and secondly successfully switch to a new career. A few valuable recommendations were also made to other stakeholders to better assist and support players in their preparation and transition process.
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Maclean, Malcolm. "Confronting foundational myths : apartheid, rugby and the post-colonising of Aotearoa/New Zealand /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18314.pdf.
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O'Callaghan, Liam. "A social and cultural history of rugby football in Munster." Thesis, Leeds Beckett University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.528350.
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Greenhalgh, Paul Andrew. "The history of the Northern Rugby Football Union, 1895-1915." Thesis, Lancaster University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.359824.
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White, Andrew Robert. "The 'civilizing' of Gloucester Rugby Football Club : a historical sociology of the development and management of an elite English rugby union football club, 1873-1914." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/31040.
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The research encompasses a sociological history of the development of Gloucester Rugby Football Club from its origins in 1873 to the conclusion of the 1913/14 season. The research design is based around a case study of a sports organisation that would become one of the elite Rugby Union Football Clubs. The methodology is qualitative and naturalistic, drawing upon extensive club archives, Rugby Football Union archives, reports of events and developments contained in local Gloucester newspapers, and publications relating to the club's history. Data analysis and interpretation utilises the "grounded theory" methods of open and axial coding recommended by Glaser and Strauss. Themes incorporated into this coding framework and those that emerged from its application are firstly components in the constructions of civic, collective (associated more narrowly with "the club") and masculine identities. With regard to the latter theme, the structuring and nature of a "gender order" and the nature of gender relations that are both implicated in its construction, and emerge from it, provide contributory sub-themes. Secondly, changing patterns of player violence and spectator disorder are explored. Finally the responses of the club's administrators to the managerial imperatives associated with, and contributing to, processes of commercialisation and professionalisation are investigated. These three themes are framed as a series of "transitions" in the club's development. The organising theoretical frameworks that guide the interpretation of data and against which research outcomes will be tested are the Gramscian notion of hegemony and a central component of figurational sociology, the Eliasian theory of a European "civilising process". The research concludes that the early development of the club, from a "team" of middle-class men to a fully-fledged gate-taking club effectively owning its own ground, was firmly in the hands of middle-class groups. The changing composition of the dominant middle class group, from a professional/merchant to a predominantly industrial/retail base, significantly affected the local development of rugby in Gloucester and of the club. Ideological control, in the face of growing diffusion and popularity of rugby amongst Gloucester1 working class communities and as members of these communities were recruited into the club, was maintained through an interlocking set of values and behaviours. These involved, primarily, "rule adherence" and financial probity as guiding principles alongside compromise to local demands for competitive structures and to "ways of playing and spectating" that had a high degree of cultural consonance amongst the local working class. The research uncovers the emergence of a matrix of interlocking components that constitute what has become a robust and enduring cultural paradigm that incorporated a sense of collective sporting identity expressed through Gloucester Rugby Football Club. It was this paradigm that lay at the heart of Gloucester RFC's difficulties, relative to other clubs, in adjusting to developments associated with the transition to the legitimation of professionalism in English Rugby Union football in 1995.
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Evert, Ashley. "A scientific analysis of running lines in rugby." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2003. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02132004-140425.
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Van, Dyk A. P. "The assessment of motor competence in rugby." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/1263.
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Marnewick, Michel. "Can a cross training program improve rugby skills in adolescent male rugby players?" Click here to access this resource online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/732.
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The purpose of this study was to find whether cross training could improve male adolescent rugby skills. Three major sports (soccer, basketball and wrestling) were selected to form the base of the cross training intervention program. Pre- and post-tests were performed with the entire rugby squad (24 participants) prior to and at the conclusion of the intervention program. After pre-testing, the participants were grouped into either the intervention (12) or the control group (12). Supervised cross training sessions were performed twice a week for 10 weeks as well as traditional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks with the intervention group. The control group performed supervised conventional rugby training twice a week for 10 weeks. All participants (24) played in a rugby match once a week during the 10 week period of the study.
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Viljoen, Erna. "The legal implications of rugby injuries." Thesis, University of Port Elizabeth, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/332.
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Sports law in South Africa is a field requiring exciting and intensive research. With so many sporting codes changing their status to professional sport, intensive research on the legal implications pertaining to each professional sporting code has also become necessary. Professional rugby in South Africa has grown into a multimillion rand industry. It is an industry whose role players need specialized legal advice on a multitude of issues. This dissertation addresses the legal issues arising out of the situation where a professional player is injured, during practice or a game, due to the intentional or negligent action of another. The medico-legal aspects of rugby, relating to causation and proof of injuries are an indispensable element of proving liability where rugby injuries are concerned. These aspects are crucial in assessing the criminal and delictual liability of players, coaches, referees, team physicians and even the union concerned. The problem of rugby violence, causing injury, is addressed by both the criminal law and the law of delict with the issue of consent being central to this discussion. Furthermore, the labour law implications can be far-reaching for both the player and the employer union due to the unique features of sport as an industry. All role players in professional rugby will have to cooperate with the legal community to ensure that a practical body of law is established in order to make rugby a safer sport for all concerned and to protect the professional player from unnecessary, incapacitating injury.
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Smit, Hendre. "Motor competence and goal setting in rugby." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/3109.
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Thesis (M Sport Sc (Sport Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2007.The study explored the potential of rugby as a developmental experience, not only in terms of the motor skills that lead to competence in rugby, but also in terms of learning more about the life-skill of goal setting. A 10 session pre-season programme entitled “More than Rugby” was designed and implemented in order to determine whether combining skill instruction with activities specifically designed to increase an understanding of goal setting had an impact on either the development of rugby competence or understanding about goal setting and perceptions of its use. A repeated measures experimental design was followed, with two groups of high school rugby players from similar sporting backgrounds involved: An experimental group who received pre-season rugby training as well as an intervention programme dealing with goal setting, and a control group who received only the pre-season rugby training, but no special goal setting activities. Both groups were pre tested and post tested on their rugby competence (through an individual rugby skill test circuit) and their understanding of goal setting The self reported use of goal setting perceptions, the relationship between goals and performance and the effects of goals on players was measured by means of a questionnaire (adapted GSI). The results revealed a significant improvement in the quality of rugby skills of the experimental group, but no significant improvement was found in the quality of the rugby skills of the control group. Both groups showed improvement in the speed at which rugby skills were performed, but in neither case was the improvement significant. The understanding of goal setting and the knowledge of setting goals did not improve significantly for either group. It can be concluded that the inclusion of life skills content and activities, such as goal setting in rugby development programmes will not detract from skill development outcomes. Although it can be noted that the greater improvement in skill levels was achieved by the group who received goal setting, more research is recommended to explain the positive link between life skills development and sport skills development.
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Baker, Daniel. "A series of studies on professional rugby league players." Connect to thesis, 2007. http://portal.ecu.edu.au/adt-public/adt-ECU2007.0043.html.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Edith Cowan University, 2007."Including: 1. Testing and the relationship of upper body muscular strength, power, speed and strength-endurance to playing position and status in professional rugby league players; 2. Acute training methods that affect the development of upper body muscular power; and 3. Chronic adaptations - the nature, scope and methodology of long-term adaptations in upper body strength and power."--T.p. Submitted to the Faculty of Computing, Health and Science. Includes bibliographical references.
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Gamble, Paul. "Specificity in the physical preparation of elite rugby union football players." Thesis, Brunel University, 2005. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5366.
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The present thesis explored various applications of training specificity with regard to elite-level rugby union football players of various ages. A novel approach to metabolic conditioning employing skill-based conditioning games was investigated with elite-level senior professional players, during the course of a preseason training period. Training responses were assessed using a submaximal intermittent shuttle test performed at weekly intervals. Significant differences post-training (p<0.01) were observed for %HRmax reached during the final test stage and recovery of HR from the end of the final stage to the end of the final 1-minute rest period. The second study examined effectiveness of a circuit format for strength training in elite senior professional players during a preseason training period. Following the circuit based strength training, deadlift and bench pull I-RM strength scores were significantly improved both in comparison to pre-tests (p<0.01) and end season scores (p<0.01). Bench press scores were also significantly improved following the training period (p<0.01), and post-test bench press scores were improved relative to end season scores, albeit to a lesser extent (p<0.05). An Olympic lift training intervention was undertaken with Junior academy-level rugby union players. The effect of the application of these lifts on mean power output measured using test apparatus that simulated the ruck clean movement featured in rugby union football was examined. The considerably greater increases of the training group on this measure (28% vs 8%) were reflected in greater statistical significance (p<0.01) relative to the improvement for the control group (p<0.05). A significant interaction effect also indicated the training groups responded significantly differently on the test measure following training. A weighted ballistic push up training mode, incorporating a prototype shoulder harness, was investigated in a group of junior academy-level rugby football players. The training group recorded significant improvements in work output measured using a concentric-only push test (p<0.05), whereas countermovement push-up test scores approached significance (P=0.063). The final study employed an overweight ball complex training intervention. Following training the elite academy professional players who served as subjects showed significant improvements (p<0.05) in right-handed and left-handed mean and peak pass velocities.
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Gerstner, Ludwig. "Investigating the business model of a professional rugby union in South Africa." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/97325.
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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the business model of a professional South African Rugby Union by determining the core logic and practices of the Boland Rugby Union. Information was gathered mostly through semi-structured interviews conducted with board members of Boland Rugby. Additional information was gathered through observation, the media, the collection of relevant documents, as well as other secondary research methods. Boland Rugby, similar to most South African rugby provinces, has both an amateur and a professional arm. The study indicates that Boland Rugby Union offers a strong value proposition to its target segments focused on development and creating a platform for the different rugby codes to participate and develop. The professional arm is focused on providing the Boland Kavaliers with the necessary resources to compete against other provinces. Boland covers a wide geographical area and therefore a good structure is needed to make governance easier. Market limitations and especially financial resources create challenges towards creating a stronger commercial value. Therefore partnerships with local businesses are essential in providing the necessary value proposition. As shown by the literature review, there are strong links between the different business model components. An important finding was the co-creation that occurs continuously throughout the value creation process. Boland Rugby, its consumers, and all relevant stakeholders play an essential role in creating this value. The Osterwalder model used during the study acted as a good structure to capture the business activities. Looking forward, Boland Rugby will have to explore different business avenues through which they can create revenue and further develop their value offering. It was clear that there is a lack in strategic drive to meet a changing market environment, although the union finds itself in a comfortable position as their geographical area will remain theirs. Boland Rugby has financial challenges that accompany professional sport, and it requires a sustainable financial model with a clear strategy towards long-term objectives. The study recommendations indicate that a change towards professionalism is not necessarily the only option, and is not always well received within a structure that is built on an amateur approach. Depending on the future strategy going forward, commercial rationale will play a central role in future decision-making. One thing is certain, good governance and corporate values are necessary to increase the faith of stakeholders in the decision-making processes and leadership of Boland Rugby.
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Cannon, Michael-John. "The impact of clothing and protective gear on biophysical, physiological, perceptual and performance responses of rugby players during a simulated rugby protocol." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005202.
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Background: Clothing and protective gear worn during intermittent exercise has shown to increase physiological and perceptual responses, and negatively impact performance capacities, due to increased heat strain, suggested to hasten the onset of fatigue. However, the mechanisms of fatigue experienced in rugby remain unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study was establish whether clothing and protective gear worn during a simulated rugby protocol impacts players‘ biophysical, physiological, perceptual and performance responses. Methods: 15 registered university and school first XV rugby players with a mean (± SD) age of 20.9 years (± 1.9) volunteered to participate in the study. Testing was performed in a controlled laboratory setting, with temperatures having to be within the range of 16º C-22º C. The mean (± SD) ambient temperature was 17.6º C (± 1.6) for the control condition and 17.3º C (1.5) for the experimental condition. The mean (± SD) relative humidity was 65.2 % (± 9.5) for the control condition and 66.3 % (± 10.0) for the experimental condition. Player‘s performed two protocols of 80-minutes; a control condition (minimal clothing and protective gear) and an experimental condition (full clothing and protective gear). Physiological, perceptual and performance responses were measured at set intervals during the protocol, while biophysical responses were measured pre-, at half-time and post-protocol during a 3-minute EMG treadmill protocol. Results: Muscle activity significantly (p< 0.05) increased with increasing running speeds. There were no significant (p> 0.05) differences for muscle activity between conditions, except for the semitendinosus muscle, which was significantly (p< 0.05) higher during the control condition while running at high speeds. Players‘ heart rates, core temperatures and perceptual responses were significantly (p< 0.05) higher during the experimental condition, compared to the control condition. Performance responses were significantly (p< 0.05) lower during the experimental condition. Conclusion: The main driver of physiological and perceptual responses was the exercise itself. However, the additional clothing and protective gear exacerbated the responses, particularly towards the end stages of the protocol. This negatively impacted players‘ performance. Muscle activity appeared to be unaffected by increased body temperatures. However, core temperatures never reached critically high levels during either condition.
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Zinn, Caryn. "Nutrition knowledge of New Zealand premier club rugby coaches this thesis is submitted to the Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Health Science, November 2004." Full thesis. Abstract, 2004.
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Eaves, Simon John. "The 'convergence of the twain' : a notational analysis of Northern Hemisphere rugby league and rugby union football 1988-2002." Thesis, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10369/7392.
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The principal aim of this study was to create longitudinal profiles (1988-2002) for the games of rugby union and rugby league football in order to identify whether changes in time, offence, defence and game action variables, and positional and game performance indicators were a reflection that the two codes of rugby were 'converging'. Anecdotal evidence had suggested that due to certain administrative developments within this time frame many facets of the two games were becoming similar, thereby spawning the notion of a future single, unified game of 'rugby'. This thesis presents the first empirical and objective assessment of whether such convergence has occurred. The data for this study were extracted from 48 video-taped recordings of First Grade rugby league and International rugby union in the Northern hemisphere over the specified time frame. The matches were identifiable by Era (pre-/post-professional) and Period (1988-92, 1993-95, 1997-99 and2000-02). Key aspects of play or performance were distinguished via game models and expert opinion and were scrutinised via a series of specifically designed and validated hand notation systems. Initial analysis considered (and established) the reliability of these systems, thereafter parametric and non-parametric inferential statistical teohniques were employed to identify Era and Period effects within each Code, with the additional analyses to consider the effects of Game Result and Game Quarter Outcomes. The findings from these analyses, particulaily the observed increase in ball in play time, changes at the ruck, maul, and lineout, and alterations in defence patterns of play, have provided a strong argument that the two Codes underwent a discernable degree of convergence over the years being considered. It was concluded that the introduction of professional playing status (rugby union), the summer playing season (rugby league), and law changes were likely causes of the two games being now similar in many respects. Although additional analyses should be encouraged to corroborate the present findings, the case for the development of a single Code of rugby can now be made.
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Ancer, Ruth Lauren. "Cumulative mild head injury in rugby: cognitive test profiles of professional rugby and cricket players." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002434.
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This study investigates the effects of cumulative concussive and subconcussive mild head injury on the cognitive functioning of professional rugby players. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 26 professional rugby players and a noncontact sport control group of 21 professional cricket players. The test performances of the rugby players were compared to those of the cricket players. Within the rugby group, forward and backline players were compared. An analysis of mean score differences between the rugby and cricket group failed to support the presence of brain damage effects in the rugby group. However, there was significantly increased variability of scores for the rugby players compared with the cricket players on tests particularly sensitive to cognitive deficit associated with mild head injury. This invalidates the null indications of average effects, indicating that a notable proportion of rugby players’ performances were falling off relative to the rest of the rugby players on tests vulnerable to the cognitive effects of diffuse brain damage. Mean score comparisons within the rugby group indicated that it was the subgroup of forward players, in particular, whose test performances revealed deficits suggestive of cerebral damage. Specifically, deficits were found in working memory, visuoperceptual tracking, verbal memory and visual memory, a pattern of deficits commensurate with cumulative mild head injury. The theoretical perspectives of Satz’s (1997) Brain Reserve Capacity Theory and Jordan’s (1997) ‘Shuttle’ model of variability are drawn upon in order to elucidate research findings and suggestions for future research are provided.
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Jansson, Ulla. "How to Tackle Translation Problems in a Text on Rugby : Translating culture and style in “Football, Identity, Place: The Emergence of Rugby Football in Brisbane” by Peter Horton." Thesis, Växjö University, School of Humanities, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:vxu:diva-2043.
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This is a study of translation problems encountered during the translation of the article “Football, Identity, Place: The Emergence of Rugby Football in Brisbane” by Peter Horton. Focus is directed at two different types of translation problems. One of them concerns the cultural differences between the readers of Horton’s text and the translated text. Swedish readers are rather unacquainted both with the sport of rugby and with Australian geography. As a consequence, it may be problematic to translate rugby terms or geographical names. These kinds of problems were often solved by transferring the cultural word and/or adding explanations to the translated text.
The second type of translation problem concerned the stylistic level of the text. The translated text is aimed at a broad readership and therefore the stylistic level had to be lowered. Four different techniques were used to make the translation less formal than the source text. One of them was to avoid nominalizations by using a corresponding verb form instead. A second technique was to reduce the number of parenthetical insertions. Thirdly, it could be done by using fewer words before the finite verb to make sentences less left-heavy. And the forth technique involved choosing common everyday words rather than uncommon or formal words.
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Du, Plessis Daniel Jacobus. "Comparative characteristics of elite New Zealand and South African u/16 rugby-players with reference to game-specific skills, physical abilities and anthropometric data." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2007. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-04302008-085932.
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Gaston, Lindsey Eugene. "The Rugby Players Association's Benevolent Fund : a sociological study of the development of a social integration discourse in rugby football." Thesis, Durham University, 2014. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10759/.
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This thesis examines how player welfare and post-athletic retirement preparation is discussed by both professional rugby union athletes who play in the English Premiership and the Board of Trustees of the Rugby Players’ Association’s (RPA) Benevolent Fund, the non-profit division of the trade union which represents the employment and welfare interests of professional rugby union players in England. A career in professional sports is one that is uncertain and unpredictable (Roderick 2006a; McGillivray et al. 2005). A consequence of rugby union transitioning into a professional format on 26 August 1995 was that rugby union became a stand-alone career. Along with the transition in employment structure, the athlete became bigger, faster and stronger (Olds 2001; Norton and Olds 2000). This resulted in an increase of injury severity (Kaplan et al. 2008; Brooks and Kemp 2008; Bathgate et al. 2002; Garraway et al. 2000). In an effort to address the growing concern of injury severity and injury induced retirement, the RPA created the Benevolent Fund in 2001. The Foundation was given the remit to provide assistance to professional rugby union players during times of injury or illness, which included programmes that assisted with medical treatment, rehabilitation, counselling and direct financial assistance. To specifically address the growing numbers of players being forced to retire due to injury, the RPA commenced its ‘Life After Rugby’ programme, which provides educational opportunities that helps athletes to acquire alternative careers. The data gathered in this research shows, with the assistance of Levitas’s discourse models (2005, 2004, 1996a, 1996b, 1989), that there is a mixed level of involvement amongst rugby players in retirement preparation. It also underscores that players’ understanding of their risk of becoming ‘socially excluded’ – a prevailing concern of the RPA’s Benevolent Fund – is varied. The data shows that players who have spent more time as professional athletes are more likely to mirror the language used by the RPA to describe their policy objectives than those who have just recently started their professional sporting career. Early career rugby players are aware of the risk of injury, but they tend to ignore the possibility that it could happen to them personally. This research highlights the RPA’s successes with senior players but identifies the need for the RPA to modify their approach so as to encourage earlier adoption of the ‘Life After Rugby’ scheme by players just starting their career in professional sport.
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Velentza, Elisavet. "A retrospective analysis of talent selection and progression within England's Rugby Football Union Elite Player Performance Pathway." Thesis, University of Chester, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10034/620558.
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The England Rugby Football Union (RFU) Elite Player Performance Pathway (EPPP) is a player development system, structured into five playing squads (Under 18 [U18], Under 20 [U20], National academy [NA, age: 18-23 years], Saxons [Saxon, age: 18+ years] and Senior National Squad [SNS, age: 18+ years]), which attempts to develop players to play within the SNS. Despite its importance however, there is yet to be any scientific appraisal of its efficacy in successfully producing SNS players. Appraising the performances of 396 players enrolled on to the EPPP between 2008 and 2014, the purpose of this programme of research was therefore to investigate the nature of player transition and determine the key features associated with match performance between respective squads of the EPPP. To achieve this, the progression rates to subsequent squads, and the anthropometrical and position-specific technical performance data was quantified in conjunction with individual player progression within the EPPP system. Of the 396 players assessed within the thesis, 121 reached the SNS. Involvement in the EPPP was defined by high rates of de-selection during progression to subsequent squads and this was most apparent within the U18, U20 and NA squads. Analyses revealed the proportion of selected players for higher squads was 48.70%, 37%, 57.10% and 61% for U18-U20, U20-NA, NA-Saxon and Saxon-SNS squads, respectively. Within the SNS (n = 121), only 5.80% experienced a linear development (U18-U20-NA-Saxons-SNS) whereas all other players displayed variability with respect to squad pathway trajectories (NA-SNS 0.82%, Saxon-SNS: 50.4%, U20-Saxon-SNS 4.95%, NA-Saxon-SNS 12.39%, U18-U20-NA SNS:2.57%, U18-U20-Saxon-SNS 3.30%, U20-NA-Saxon-SNS 2.47%, side entries [selection from outside the EPPP system] 17.35%) within the EPPP. Thus, progression within the talent development (TDE) system was typified by variable patterns of sequential selection and de-selection processes throughout U18 to senior squads. The prerequisite level of technical performance indicators (TPI), related to generic and position-specific performance characteristics, and anthropometrical features (body mass and stature) specific to six predefined positional groups (front row [FR], second row [SR], Back row [BR], scrumhalf [SH], inside backs [IB], outside backs [OB]), were examined. The SNS revealed similar TPIs to the Saxon squad in all positional groups, only SNS FR were heavier (p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.18) and taller (p ≤ 0.001; r = 0.25) than Saxons FR. Likewise, the results demonstrate that anthropometrical characteristics consistently differentiated respective squads though, on occasion, there were aspects of TPIs that discriminated youth (U18) adult (U20, NA) and senior (Saxons, SNS) age international squads for the six positional groups within the EPPP. Used in isolation therefore, TPIs might offer benchmarks across the respective squads, however the extent of the observed differences between younger (U18 and U20) and older (NA, Saxons & SNS) squads suggests they could be used in conjunction with coach intuition to improve the objectivity of player selection to future squads. Where the performances of progressed and non-progressed players were considered results revealed that taller and heavier players, competing within a higher number of matches, for an increased period of time, were the most important variables influencing progression or deselection from the programme. Where the match TPIs were considered, there were stochastic differences between groups though it appeared as though selected players typically outperformed the non-selected group albeit by small margins and there were fewer differences between progressed and non-progressed in older age squads. Finally, in players selected to progress and those deselected, there was notable within-group variation in the technical demands. Such variation was typified by overlapping IQRs when groups were compared meaning selected players could perform more, or less, effectively than deselected players in any given match. Clearly, such an issue suggests that the technical performance during competition cannot be used to determine talent in such instances. Collectively, the results provide insight to the key requirements of the EPPP, which could be used to develop future coaching, scouting methods, player TDE systems by providing normative levels of attainment for aspiring players, both enrolled or not, within the elite player developmental system.
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Reid, Iain Robert. "Tackling mild head injury in rugby: a comparison of the cognitive profiles of professional rugby and cricket players." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002552.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cumulative mild head injury on the cognitive functioning of professional rugby players. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 26 professional rugby players and to a comparison group of 21 professional cricket players. The group test results of the rugby, cricket, rugby forwards and rugby backline players were each compared with established normative data. Generally, the comparison of the rugby and cricket mean scores relative to the normative data did not reveal significant differences on tests known to be sensitive to the effects of mild head injury. However, the comparison of variability for each of the rugby and cricket playing groups relative to variability for the normative data, revealed a pattern of increased variability among the rugby players. This implies a bimodal distribution in which a significant number of rugby players were performing poorly across these tests whereas a significant proportion were not. This variability effect was accounted for by further mean score comparisons which revealed that, as a group, it was the forward players whose performances were disproportionately poor on tests sensitive to the effects of mild head injury. The implications of these results are developed theoretically within the context of brain reserve capacity theory and suggestions for future research are provided.
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Booysen, Conrad. "Designing a protocol and comparative norms for the indentification and selection of talent among elite age-group rugby players in South Africa." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2007. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10292008-174722.
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Duthie, Grant Malcolm. "The physical and game requirements of Rugby Union /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18723.pdf.
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Evert, Ashley. "The significance of dominant ball carrying collisions as an indicator of success in rugby union and the biomechanical analysis thereof." Thesis, Pretoria : [s.n.], 2006. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-12132006-142352.
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Obel, Camilla. "Unions, Leagues and Franchises: The Social Organisation of Rugby Union in New Zealand." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Sociology and Anthropology, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/914.
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The thesis analyses the amateur game of rugby union by focussing upon the struggles for control between national and local unions and players. Using historical material and interviews with administrators, current players in the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, and Canterbury, a local provincial union, I show how the game of rugby union consolidated as the national game. I follow these actors through the shift to a global professional game sponsored by television networks and show how the local advantages in the New Zealand game come to be reconfigured in this context.
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Bolligelo, Alana. "Tracing the development of professionalism in South African Rugby : 1995-2004." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/199.
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Cowan, Sean. "Cracking the code: Why Western Australia abandoned rugby for Australian rules football in 1885." Thesis, Cowan, Sean (2015) Cracking the code: Why Western Australia abandoned rugby for Australian rules football in 1885. Honours thesis, Murdoch University, 2015. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/29624/.
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This study of the early years of football in Western Australia investigates the reasons for the abandonment of the Rugby Union rules and the adoption of the new Victorian rules in 1885. Through an examination of the newspapers of the day – which are the only known primary material concerning those events – it will be established that the people of Western Australia were not wedded to a particular code before the 1880s. This changed in 1882 when the first clubs were formed and the Rugby Union rules were adopted.
Advocates for the Victorian rules were immediately active, claiming the British game was on its way out elsewhere because it was too violent and not entertaining to watch. As a result, playing that code would rule W.A. out of intercolonial competition in the future, they argued. The ad hoc nature of the matches played in Perth did little to convince people that football was moving in the right direction under the Rugby Union rules, while the footballers who enjoyed playing under them were also able to embrace the Victorian rules because the two codes were not as dissimilar in 1885 as they are today.
While historians have previously named Bill Bateman, Harry Herbert and Hugh Dixson as being responsible for forcing the adoption of the new rules, the situation was actually much more complex. Each club voted separately on whether to play under the Victorian or Rugby Union rules in 1885 and there were lobbyists for the new code at each club. Herbert’s importance to the decision taken by the Fremantle Football Club has been over-stated by previous historians, while Charles Bishop has never been recognised for his efforts at the Perth Rovers Football Club.
Migration from the eastern colonies and social class were also factors in the change. Before 1885, the homogeneity and insularity of the groups of footballers at each club had weighed against the adoption of the Victorian rules. At the crucial juncture in 1885, however, a group of South Australians, led by Dixson and supported by working class West Australians, formed a new football club. This tipped the balance in favour of the new code.
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Raffan, Ryan Phillip. "Gaze behaviour patterns of under 19 level Rugby union players during one-on-one defensive play." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8372.
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The aim of this study was to describe and compare the gaze behaviour patterns of expert and near expert under 19 level rugby union players during one-on-one defensive play. Gaze characteristics such as the areas of interest visited, the number of fixations, the duration of each fixation, the starting and last fixations; and the order of fixations adopted were used to achieve the aim of the study. In addition, biographical data, including sporting and vision history, were collected. Data of the two groups were described and compared with statistically and practically significant differences been highlighted. Inferential statistics were used and the following significant levels set: p<.05 for t-tests and Chi-sq'ared - tests while Cohen's d (absolute value) ≥0.20 and Cramér‟s V ≥0.10 were used to determine the practical significance for statistically significant results, respectively. An exploratory and quasi-experimental design was used, in which 81 participants (16 – 19 years of age) were sampled for differences between experts' and near experts' visual-search strategies and gaze behaviour patterns when anticipating the direction of deceptive running skills in rugby union, however, only 68 participants had eye tracker data analyzed due to the strict calibration criteria. The expert players correctly anticipated significantly (t-stat = -3.16, p = .002, d = 0.71) more than the near expert players on average (75.76% compared to 66.46%), and therefore, were less susceptible to deceptive running skills. The near expert players were, however, more aware of their fixation location than expert players. Both expert and near expert players fixated considerably more on the knees and hips than any other area of interest, however expert players had fewer, but longer fixations than near expert players per run with 4.29 ± 1.89 fixations (χ2 = 3.90, p = .048, V = 0.24) of 0.420 ± 0.140 seconds (χ2 = 3.97, p = .046, V = 0.24) compared to 5.34 ± 2.39 fixations of 0.350 ± 0.150 seconds. Both the expert and near expert groups fixated more on the lower body than the upper body on average, however, the near expert players fixated significantly more off the body for all correct runs than the expert players (t-stat = 2.17, p = .034, d = 0.53). The expert players start fixating more on the knees at the start of each trial, whereas the near expert players start fixating more on the knees and hips, and considerably off-target. The expert players fixate significantly more on the knees (t-stat = -2.56, p = .013, d = 0.63) at the end of each trial than the near expert players on average, whereas the near expert players fixate more on the hips. The orders of fixation did not yield any discernable patterns between expert and near expert players for correctly anticipated runs. Experts exhibit superior visual-search strategies and gaze behaviour control, presumably using the top-down approach, to successfully anticipate an opponent's intended direction. This information could help coaches teach perceptual tackling skills to enhance motor learning and performance.
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Giai-Coletti, Cristina. "Rugby : more than just a game : a study of the cumulative effects of mild head injuries on high school rugby players." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007809.
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The present study comprises part of an ongoing research study investigating the effects 0 f cumulative mild head injuries 0 n Rugby Union p layers. The aim 0 f t he study was to ascertain whether there are neuropsychological effects of cumulative mild head injuries sustained during the rugby-playing careers of senior schoolboy rugby players. Participants were top-level rugby players from high schools in Grahamstown and Cape Town (n = 79) and non-contact sport controls of top-level field hockey players from the same schools (n = 58). Group mean comparisons across a battery of neuropsychological tests were carried out between the Total Rugby versus the Total Field Hockey group, and the Rugby Forwards versus the Rugby Backs group. Comparisons between Total Rugby versus Total Field Hockey revealed impaired performance by the rugby players on two tests of visuoperceptual tracking, namely Digit Symbol Substitution and Trail Making Test (Part A). For Rugby Forwards versus Rugby Backs, there were no consistent differences to support the expectation that forwards would perform worse than backs. Forwards performed more poorly than backs on WMS Associate Learning Subtest - Hard (Delayed Recall), whereas backs performed more poorly than forwards on Digits Backwards. This suggests that some individuals in the cohort were starting to exhibit verbal memory deficit, albeit not clearly in association with forward positional play. Overall, results of the present study provide tentative support for the hypothesis that school level rugby players are more susceptible to the effects of cumulative concussive and sub-concussive head injuries than are non-contact sport controls.KMBT_363
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Jones, Marc Rhys. "Investigating factors which may influence recovery and preparation in professional rugby union." Thesis, Swansea University, 2014. https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42486.
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To enhance understanding of recovery and preparation in rugby union, the aim of this thesis was to examine the impact of competition on key parameters and investigate factors which may influence the recovery process from competition and training. The findings of study one demonstrate that movement patterns and thus the physiological demands of match-play vary considerably between different positional groups. Additionally, study two demonstrates that the movement characteristics which determine the extent of muscle damage post-match are position specific, and that movement characteristics may be used to prospectively tailor individual recovery and manage subsequent training. Recovery patterns may also be influenced by factors not associated with match-play such as sleep, which has important physiological and psychological restorative effects. The findings of study three suggest that sleep patterns may vary considerably within a squad with many players presenting evidence of sleep disruption, particularly post-match which may be detrimental to recovery. Recovery following exercise may also be modulated by the application of post-exercise recovery strategies such as cold water immersion. However, study four demonstrates that cold water immersion may impede adaptation to strength training in rugby union players. When no recovery intervention was administered during a five week pre-season period, isometric mid-thigh pull peak force and relative peak force significantly increased by 5.4 +/- 4.7 and 5.8 +/- 5.4% respectively. However when individuals were immersed in cold water post-training there were no significant changes in strength during the training period. These findings may have great implications for strength training, particularly during periods of physical development. The findings of the thesis have furthered understanding of the characteristics of performance and identified several factors which influence recovery from training and competition. This in turn may be used to inform best practice procedures in attempt to 'optimise' preparation and recovery in rugby union.
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Sulayman, Shamila. "Transformation policy for South African rugby : comparative perceptions." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1649.
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Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006In 1992 the game of rugby became a unified entity for the first time in the history of the game in South Africa. Prior to that, like every other sport within South Africa, as well as other societal facets, sport had been played, administered, managed and funded along racially segregated lines. This reality was a direct product of South Africa's ruling party's official policy of Apartheid, which had officially been in existence since 1948 and, which meant that South Africa was divided and ruled in terms of its peoples' races and cultures. For all of rugby's stakeholders from both divides, namely blacks and whites, it would, therefore, require a change in mindset, attitude and practice in order to embrace this newfound unity, which would bring people together on the playing fields for the first time in more than 100 years. It has become evident, though, that in spite of the South African Government's call, via the South African Sports Ministry and its overseeing body, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), for more transparency in terms of the South African Rugby Union's (SARU's) intentions for transformation within South African rugby and in spite of the government's guidelines and objectives for a democratic approach to sport in South Africa, the transformation pace within South African rugby has been inconsistent and slowed. This slowed process has also been inconsistent with SARU's measures and attempts at developing players; particularly those who hail from historically disadvantaged backgrounds
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Forsythe, L. C. "The heart of the Rugby Football League athlete : an aid to pre-participation cardiac screening." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2018. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/9398/.
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Pre-participation cardiac screening (PCS) of the athlete has recently become mandatory by many national and international sporting governing bodies and aims to identify those at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) from an undiagnosed cardiac condition. The term athletes’ heart (AH) describes the physiological adaptation that occurs from chronic exposure to exercise training however, this process can mimic cardiac remodelling caused by pathological conditions such as cardiomyopathy. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) plays an integral role during PCS however, differentiation from inherited conditions is often based on a ‘one size fits all’ interpretation of echocardiographic derived measures. To improve the sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography in PCS it is pertinent to understand normal physiological cardiac adaptation in specific sporting disciplines. This thesis focuses on cardiac structure and function of the elite, male, rugby football league (RFL) athlete with the application of TTE including novel speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). The aims of this thesis were 1) to establish left ventricular (LV) structural and functional indices of the senior RFL athlete using TTE and STE and a mathematical model of the structural-functional relationship; 2) to determine structural and functional indices of the right heart of the senior RFL athlete using TTE and STE; 3) to provide a comparative and holistic, structural and functional assessment of the junior and senior RFL athletic heart using TTE and STE and 4) To assess variation in cardiac parameters across the competitive season in the senior RFL athlete using TTE and STE. A comprehensive cardiac assessment of the elite RFL athlete was established throughout this thesis. The LV has a predominance for normal LV geometry irrespective of age or seasonal time point. Mathematical modelling highlights the interaction of divergent effects of left ventricular cavity size (LVIDd) and mean wall thickness (MWT) on LV function to maintain a normal ejection fraction (EF). Significant regional variation in LV STE parameters was apparent including lower apical rotation and twist parameters in senior athletes compared to controls (8.2 ± 3.9 ̊ vs. 11.2 ± 4.6 ̊ and 14 ± 4.7 vs 16.1 ± 4.6 ̊ respectively) suggesting potential adaptive mechanisms to training. The right ventricle (RV) and right atrium (RA) are larger in athletes compared to controls even after scaling (proximal right ventricular outflow dimension in parasternal long axis (RVOTplax) (23 ± 3 vs. 20 ± 2 mm/(m2)0.5), proximal right ventricular outflow dimension in parasternal short axis (RVOT1) (24 ± 3 vs. 21 ± 3 mm/(m2)0.5) and RA volume (RAvol) (22 ± 5 vs. 16 ± 4 ml/(m2)1.5)). The RVOT and RA are also larger in senior compared to junior athletes (RVOTplax (23 ± 3 vs. 22 ± 3 mm/(m2)0.5, RVOT1 (24 ± 3 vs. 23 ± 3 mm/(m2)0.5 and RAvol (22 ± 5 vs. 21 ± 5 ml/(m2)1.5) suggesting that the right heart is more sensitive to chronic training. Despite significant structural remodelling, RV function in the RFL athlete is normal as assessed by TTE (right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) > 33% and STE RV strain (ɛ) < -21%), irrespective of age and time of season. Significant seasonal functional changes were observed with STE as apical rotation (pre-season, 9.8 ± 4 ̊; mid-season, 6.1 ± 2.8 ̊; end-season, 5.8 ± 3.2 ̊ and post-season break, 6.6 ± 3.1 ̊) and twist (pre-season, 16.6 ± 4.7o; mid-season, 12.6 ± 4o; end-season 12.1 ± 4.5o and post-season break, 12.4 ± 3.5 ̊) are higher at pre-season than at any other time-point, highlighting physiological variation during the RFL season. The use of standard and novel echocardiographic techniques have provided further understanding of the normal physiological adaptation of the AH in RFL athletes which may lead to improvements in PCS of this athlete group.
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Vacherie, Dominique. "Analyse du coût hospitalier des accidents de football et de rugby au CHR de Bordeaux." Bordeaux 2, 1991. http://www.theses.fr/1991BOR2M086.
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Quarrie, Kenneth Lincoln. "RugbySmart the development, delivery and evaluation of a nationwide injury prevention programme : published papers submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD, AUT University , 2008 /." Click here to access this resource online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/672.
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This thesis represents my research work relating to rugby union from 2000 to 2007. During this time I was the Manager of Injury Prevention and Research for the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU). The main priorities of this role were to increase understanding of risk factors for rugby injury, to implement preventive measures, and to assess the effect of those preventive measures. The thesis is presented as a series of peer-reviewed, published papers. A key concern of the NZRU when I undertook the role was to decrease the number and severity of spinal cord injuries occurring in New Zealand rugby. The first paper is a review of literature of rugby union injuries to the cervical spine and spinal cord. This paper was published in Sports Medicine, and the knowledge derived there from formed an important element in RugbySmart, which was the nationwide injury prevention partnership between the NZRU and ACC. The second paper, which was published in the British Medical Journal, outlines the effect of RugbySmart on serious spinal injuries in New Zealand. Eight spinal injuries occurred in New Zealand in 2001-2005, whereas the predicted number based on previous incidence was 19 (relative rate 0.46, 95% confidence interval 0.19 to 1.14). The main reason for the decline was a decrease in the number of injuries from scrums, from a predicted number of nine only one was observed (relative rate 0.11; 0.02 to 0.74). Injury prevention initiatives in New Zealand appear to have been successful in areas beyond spinal injuries. The third paper deals with the effect of RugbySmart in general. RugbySmart was associated with a decrease in injury claims per 100,000 players in most areas the programme targeted; the programme had negligible impact on non-targeted injury sites. The decrease in injury claims numbers was supported by results from player behaviour surveys pre- and post-RugbySmart. There was an increase in safe behaviour in the contact situations of tackle, scrum and ruck technique. The fourth paper, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examines the effect of mandating mouth guard usage on mouth guard wearing rates and ACC dental injury claim rates. The self reported rate of mouth guard use was 67% of player-weeks in 1993 and 93% in 2003. A total of 2644 claims were reported in 1995. There was a 43% (90% confidence interval 39% to 46%) reduction in dental claims from 1995 to 2003. On the reasonable assumption that the number of players and player-matches remained constant throughout the study period, the relative rate of injury claims for non-wearers versus wearers was 4.6 (90% confidence interval 3.8 to 5.6). In New Zealand the tackle is the facet of play associated number of injuries, and over the past decade tackles have overtaken scrums as the cause of the greatest proportion of spinal injuries. To address the lack of knowledge regarding risk factors for injuries in the tackle, a large scale study of tackles in professional rugby matches was undertaken. In 434 matches, over 140,000 tackles were coded. The impact of the tackle was the most common cause of injury, and the head was the most common site, but an important mechanism of lower limb injuries was loading with the weight of another player. Rates of replacement increased with increasing player speed. The resulting paper was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. A commonly cited model of injury causation in sport posits that risk factors for injury can be considered as those related to the athlete (intrinsic) and those related to the activity (extrinsic). To examine the extent to which the activities comprising rugby matches at the international level has changed over time the first match in each Bledisloe Cup series from 1972 to 2004 was coded. Increases in passes, tackles, rucks, tries, and ball-in-play time were associated with the advent of professionalism, whereas there were reductions in the numbers of lineouts, mauls, kicks in play, and in mean participation time per player. Noteworthy time trends were an increase in the number of rucks and a decrease in the number of scrums. With the advent of professionalism, players have become heavier and backs have become taller. A number of articles written to communicate injury prevention messages to rugby union coaches, players and administrators are presented as appendices, along with two peer reviewed papers that closely relate to the thesis, but which I excluded from the thesis proper.
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Retief, Francois. "The effect of a plyometric training programme on selected physical capacities of rugby players." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16420.
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Thesis (MSportwet)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a six-week plyometric training programme on the explosive power, speed and agility as well as certain physiological characteristics and the physical fitness of rugby players. Thirty subjects, that include the first and second rugby teams of the Paul Roos Gymnasium participated in the study. After a thorough evaluation of their medical history, their health status was confirmed as being “apparently healthy” and fit for participation in the project. The subjects were divided into two groups. The experimental group followed a specially designed plyometric training programme in addition to their conventional rugby training, while the control group persisted with the conventional rugby training for the season. Body fat percentage was measured and specific girth measurements were taken to assess physiological changes. Cardiovascular fitness was evaluated by means of the threeminute step test and muscle endurance by means of the push-up and sit-up tests in order to assess the physical fitness of the subjects. The explosive power, speed and agility of the subjects were assessed by means of the agility test [T-drill], ten-meter speed test, Sargent vertical jump test, depth jump test, standing triple jump and the medicine ball chest pass. All measurements and tests were taken before and after the six-week intervention programme of plyometric training. With regards to physiological changes the results showed that the plyometric training programme had a positive effect on the experimental group. The body fat percentage of the experimental group showed a significant decrease and the circumference of their thighs, calves, arms and waist increased. Their chest circumferences did, however, not increase, which might be due to the fact that the plyometric exercises were more specifically aimed at the lower body muscle groups. The results pertaining to physical fitness were mixed. There was a significant improvement (p<0,01) in the cardiovascular fitness of the experimental group while that of the control group stayed relatively constant (p=1,0). With regards to muscle endurance, the control group fared significantly better in the push-up test than the experimental group, while the experimental group fared significantly better in the sit-up test than the control group. The six-week plyometric intervention programme had a statistically significant effect on the performance of the experimental group as compared to the control group, when biomotor skills were assessed. It was concluded that the addition of the specific plyometric exercises to a conventional rugby-training programme would improve the speed, explosive power and agility of rugby players significantly. Beneficial anthropometric changes as well as improved cardiovascular fitness would be additional benefits of a plyometric training programme. The findings of this research suggest that the value of plyometric exercises to motor skills, specific physiological characteristics and physical fitness should not be underestimated and that the trainers and coaches should be informed in this regard. To establish the positive effects of plyometrics as a functional cross training regime for rugby players, more comprehensive research is, however, recommended.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die navorsing was om die effek van ‘n ses-weeklange pliometriese oefenprogram op die eksplosiewe krag, spoed, ratsheid asook sekere fisiologiese karaktereienskappe en die fisieke fiksheid van rugbyspelers te ondersoek. Dertig spelers, wat lede van die eerste en tweede rugbyspan van Paul Roos Gimnasium hoërskool ingesluit het, het aan die studie deelgeneem. Na deeglike evaluering van hulle mediese geskiedenis, is hulle gesondheidsvlakke goedgekeur vir deelname in die studie. Die spelers is in twee groepe verdeel. Die eksperimentele groep het ‘n spesiale pliometriese oefenprogram gevolg, saam met die konvensionele rugby-oefensessies. Die kontrole groep het slegs aan die konvensionele rugby-oefensessies vir die seisoen deelgeneem. Persentasie liggaamsvet en spesifieke omtrekmates is genoteer om die fisiologiese veranderinge te evalueer. Kardiovaskulêre fiksheid is deur middel van ‘n drie-minute opstaptoets geëvalueer en spieruithouvermoë deur middel van opstoot-en opsittoetse om sodoende die speler se fisieke fiksheid te evalueer. Die ratsheid, spoed en eksplosiewe krag van die spelers is deur die ratsheidstoets (T-drill), tien-meter spoedtoets, Sargent vertikale sprongtoets, diepte sprongtoets, staande driesprong en die medisynebal-gooitoets bepaal. Al die bogenoemde toetse en assessering is voor en na die ses-weke intervensie program van pliometriese oefening gedoen. Met betrekking tot die fisiologiese veranderinge, dui die resultate aan dat die pliometriese oefenprogram ‘n positiewe effek op die eksperimentele groep gehad het. Die eksperimentele groep se persentasie liggaamsvet het beduidend verlaag en daar was ‘n neiging tot toename in omtrekmates van die bobeen, kuite, arms en middel. Die borsomtrekmate het egter nie vergroot nie, en kan toegeskryf word aan die feit dat die pliometriese oefenprogram op die ontwikkeling van die spiere in die onderlyf gefokus het. Die resultate ten opsigte van die fisieke fiksheid was eenders vir die twee groepe. Daar was ‘n neiging tot verbetering in die kardiovaskulêre fiksheid van die eksperimentele groep, terwyl die kontrole groep konstant gebly het. Met betrekking tot spieruithouvermoë het die kontrole groep in die opstoottoets verbeter in vergelyking met die eksperimentele groep. Die eksperimentele groep het egter weer verbeter (p<0,01) in die opsittoets, terwyl die kontrole groep konstant (p=1,0) gebly het. Die eksperimentele groep het statisties betekenisvol in die biomotoriese vaardigheidtoetse verbeter na die ses-weeklange pliometriese oefenprogram. Die kontrole groep het geen verbetering getoon nie. Die gevolgtrekking is dat ‘n kombinasie van ‘n pliometriese oefenprogram en konvensionele rugby-oefening kan lei tot die verbetering van spoed, eksplosiewe krag en ratsheid van spelers. Positiewe antropometriese veranderinge sal addisionele voordele van die pliometriese oefenprogram wees. Die bevinding van die navorsing is dat die waarde van pliometriese oefening vir biomotoriese vaardighede, spesifieke fisiologiese eienskappe en fisieke fiksheid nie onderskat moet word nie en dat afrigters in hierdie opsig ingelig word. Om die positiewe effek van pliometrie as ‘n funksionele alternatiewe oefenmetode vir rugbyspelers te bewys, word meer intense navorsing oor die effek van die spesifieke oefenmetode aanbeveel.
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Nel, Trudine. "Monitoring stress and recovery among u/20 rugby union players over a training season." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71758.
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Thesis (M Sport Sc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Stress and recovery plays an important role in the performance of semi-professional rugby players. Physiological and psychological markers have been established as reliable indicators of the recovery-stress state in athletes. Monitoring changes in the recovery-stress state enables the coaching staff to adapt training sessions to enhance performance. The aim of this study was to monitor changes in stress and recovery states among U-20 rugby union players during a training year. Relationships regarding monitoring variables and differences in stress and recovery between playing positions were examined. 55 Players between the ages of 18 and 20 were monitored for 27 weeks, over a training year. The training year was divided into 5 training phases: Developing phase (week 1 – 7), Transitional phase (week 8 - 11), Early Competition phase (week 12 - 17), Performance phase (week 18 – 24), and High Performance phase (week 25 - 27). Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) for sessions were reported on a daily basis. The Heart-rate Interval Monitoring System (HIMS) test was run every week. The Stellenbosch Mood Scale (STEMS) and Self-Report questionnaires were completed on a weekly basis, and the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire (RESTQ-76-Sport) was completed once a month. Backline players physically recovered better and faster than the forwards throughout the training year, while the forwards exhibited better psychological coping methods. The backline players had significant higher scores for the Depression (p = 0.03), Anger (p = 0.009), and Confusion (p = 0.01) scales of the STEMS. The Total Mood Disturbance scores were also significantly higher (p = 0.03) for the backline players than the forwards during the Performance phase. The backline players experienced increased stress and decreased feelings of well-being during the competitive phases when compared to the forwards. The backline players had better physical recovery than the forwards after the high intensity and high volume Developing phase. Correlations were evident between the HIMS test and the RESTQ-76-Sport questionnaire. Additional correlations were found between training load, as well as training monotony and training strain, and scales of the RESTQ-76-Sport and STEMS questionnaires. Lack of psychological skills-training might also have resulted in the players not knowing how to properly handle stressful situations and how to regulate their stress and recovery states. The lack of an educational system regarding recovery strategies, and the reinforcement thereof, especially during the Developing phases might play a role in the later increased fatigue and injury rates among the players.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Stres en herstel speel 'n groot rol in die prestasie van semi-professionele rugby spelers. Fisiologiese en sielkundige merkers is vasgestel as betroubare aanwysers ten opsigte van die stress-herstel toestand van atlete. Die monitoring van veranderinge in hierdie toestand kan die afrigtings-personeel help om die oefensessies aan te pas om optimale prestasie te verseker. Die doel van hierdie navorsingstudie was om veranderinge in stres en herstel toestande in O/20 rugby unie spelers, oor 'n oefenjaar, te moniteer. Verhoudinge in monitering veranderlikes en moontlike verskille in die stress en herstel toestand tussen die voorspelers en agterspelers is ondersoek. 55 Spelers tussen die ouderdomme van 18 en 20 is vir 27 weke, oor 'n oefenjaar, gemonitor. Die oefenjaar was onderverdeel in vyf oefenfases nl. die Ontwikkelingsfase (week 1 – 7), die Oorskakelingsfase (week 8 – 11), die Vroeë Kompetisiefase (week 12 – 17), die Prestasiefase (week 18 – 25), en laastens die Hoë Prestasiefase (week 25 – 27). Spelers het daagliks hul “Rate of Perceived Exertion‟s” aangedui vir elke oefensessie. Die “Heart-rate Interval System” toets (HIMS) was een keer 'n week gehardloop. Die “Stellenbosch Mood States” (STEMS) en Selfrapporteringsvraelyste was op 'n weeklikse basis ingevul en die “Recovery-Stress Questionnaire-Sport” (RESTQ-76-Sport) was een keer 'n maand ingevul. Agterspelers het deur die jaar fisies beter en vinniger as die voorspeler herstel, terwyl die voorspelers beter sielkundige beheer getoon het. Die agterlyn se tellings vir die Depressie (p = 0.03), Woede (p = 0.009), en Vervanging (p = 0.01) skale van die STEMS was betekenisvol hoër as die telling van die voorspelers. Die Totale Gemoedsversteuringstellings was ook betekenisvol hoër vir die agterlyn as die voorspelers tydens die Prestasiefase (p = 0.03). Die agterspelers het toenemende stres tydens die kompetitisie fases ervaar, sowel as 'n afname in die gevoel van Welsyn. Die agterlyn het beter fisiese herstel na die hoë intensiteit en hoë volume Ontwikkelingsfase as die voorspelers getoon. Korrelasies is gevind tussen die HIMS en die RESTQ-76-Sport. Verdere korrelasies is ook tussen “training load”, sowel as “training monotony” en “training strain”, en sekere skale van die RESTQ-76-Sport en STEMS vraelyste gevind. Die tekort aan sielkundige tegniek-ontwikkeling kon bydrae tot die spelers se verwardheid rondom die hantering van stresvolle situasies en hoe om hul stres en herstel toestande te reguleer. Die afwesigheid van „n opvoedkundige sisteem rondom herstel strategieë, en die toepassing daarvan, veral tydens die Ontwikkelingsfases, mag moontlik 'n rol speel in latere toenames in vermoeienis en getal beserings onder die spelers.
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Martin, Gerard John. "The game is not the same a history of professional rugby in New Zealand : a thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfilment of the postgraduate degree of Master of Arts (Communication Studies), 2005." Full thesis. Abstract, 2005.
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Smith, Ian Patrick. ""Is rugby bad for your intellect": the effect of repetitive mild head injuries on the cognitive functioning of university level rugby players." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002567.
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The study sought to determine whether there is evidence for the presence of residual (chronic) deleterious effects on cognition due to repetitive mild traumatic brain injury in top team university level rugby players, using ImPACT 3.0, Trail Making Test (TMT) and Digit Span. The initial sample of 48 participants was divided into groups; Rugby (n = 30) and Controls (n = 18), Rugby Forwards (n = 14) and Rugby Backs (n = 16). A reduced sample (N = 31) comprised of Rugby (n = 20) and Controls (n = 11), Rugby Forwards (n = 9) and Rugby Backs (n = 11). Comparative subgroups were equivalent for estimated IQ but not for age and educational level in the full sample; in the reduced sample there was equivalence for all three variables of age, education and estimated IQ. All cognitive test measures were subjected to independent t-test analyses between groups at the pre- and post-season, and dependent t-test analyses for Rugby and Controls at pre- versus post-season. Overall, the results implicated the presence of deleterious effects of concussive events on Rugby players in the areas of speed of information processing, working memory and impulse control. Significant practice effects were found on the TMT and Digit Span for controls, but not on ImPACT 3.0, supporting the use of this computer-based programme in the sports management context.
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Beilinsohn, Taryn. "Cumulative mild head injury in rugby: a comparison of cognitive deficit and postconcussive symptomatology between schoolboy rugby players and non-contact sport controls." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002440.
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This study investigates the cumulative effects of concussive and subconcussive mild head injury on the cognitive functioning of schoolboy rugby players. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and a self-report postconcussive questionnaire were administered to top level schoolboy rugby players (n=47), and a non-contact sport control group of top level schoolboy hockey players (n=34). Group comparisons of the percentage of individuals with cognitive deficit were carried out between i) the schoolboy rugby and the schoolboy hockey players, ii) the rugby forward and the rugby backline players; iii) the rugby forward and the schoolboy hockey players and, iv) the rugby backline and the schoolboy hockey players. Results on the neuropsychological test battery did not provide any substantial evidence of a higher level of neuropsychological impairment in the rugby players relative to the control group, or in the rugby forward players relative to the rugby backline players. Results obtained on the postconcussive symptom questionnaire provided tentative indications that the rugby players do report a greater frequency of postconcussive symptomatology. The symptoms most frequently reported were being easily angered, memory problems, clumsy speech and sleep difficulties. It was hypothesized that the absence of cognitive impairment in the schoolboy rugby players compared with that noted for professional players was due to their younger age, relatively high IQ and education level and a less intensive level of physical participation in the sport, and hence less accumulated exposure to the game, thereby decreasing their exposure to mild head injuries. From a theoretical perspective, these pre-existing conditions were considered to act as protective factors against reductions in brain reserve capacity and concomitant susceptibility to the onset of neuropsychological dysfunction.
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Brown, Lisa Gill. "Effect of repeated eccentric demands placed on the lower limb musculature during simulated Rugby Union play." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005192.
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Epidemiological studies consistently report that muscular strains are a primary injury type in rugby union with the majority of the strains occurring to the quadricep and hamstring musculature. Recently it has been suggested that poor eccentric muscular strength is a precursor to hamstring and quadriceps strains during intermittent sports that require rapid acceleration and deceleration. Despite the high incidence of these muscle injuries in Rugby Union there has been little research into the possible mechanisms involved. Thus, the purpose of this study was to measure the physiological and perceptual responses during a simulated Rugby Union laboratory protocol and further, to identify changes in muscle recruitment patterns and muscle strength over time by comparing this protocol to a continuous, constant load protocol covering the same distance. The experimental condition (EXP) required university level players to perform 80 minutes of simulated rugby union play in a laboratory setting (on a walkway of 22m) which was compared to that of a control condition (CON) which involved subjects covering the same distance, at a constant speed of 4.2km.h-1 on a treadmill. Physiological, biophysical and perceptual responses were measured pre-, at half-time and post-protocol. Heart rate was significantly (p<0.01) greater as a result of EXP in comparison to the CON. Electromyography (EMG) of the vastus medialis was significantly (p<0.01) greater during the CON protocol. The EXP condition elicited higher iEMG activity in the hamstring musculature at all time intervals. In addition the iEMG of the semitendinosus decreased significantly (p<0.01) as a result of the EXP protocol. Peak eccentric knee extensors (EXT) (-13.19%) and flexors (FLEX) (-12.81%) torque decreased significantly during the experimental protocol. After passive half-time (236.67 + 56.27Nm (EXT) and 173.89 + 33.3NM (FLEX)) and at the end of the protocol (220.39 + 55.16Nm and 162.89 + 30.66Nm) reduced relative to pre protocol (253.89 + 54.54Nm and 186.83 + 33.3Nm). Peak eccentric knee extensors did not change during the control protocol. „Central‟ and ‟Local” Rating of Perceived Exertion values were significantly (P<0.01) greater during the EXP protocol with an increased incidence of hamstring discomfort and perceived pain (5 out of 10). The EXP protocol resulted in significantly (p<0.01) increased incidence of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). In conclusion, a stop-start laboratory protocol elicited increased heart rate, negatively impacted on muscle activity of the hamstrings, decreased eccentric strength in the lower limb musculature, resulted in increased ratings of „Central‟ and „Local‟ exertion and increased pain perception and increased incidence of DOMS. Thus, a stop-start rugby specific laboratory protocol has a negative impact on performance. Due to the specificity of the protocol being designed to match the demands of competitive match play it is expected that these changes in heart rate, muscle activity and strength, particularly eccentric strength, will impact negativity on performance during rugby match play and increase the likelihood of injury
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Howe, Peter David. "Commercialising the body, professionalising the game : the development of sports medicine at Pontypridd Rugby Football Club." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.267715.
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Kelly, John. "Flowers of Scotland? : a sociological analysis of national identities, Rugby Union and Association Football in Scotland." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2007. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7977.
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This thesis analyses the relationship between national identity and sport within Scotland, focusing on rugby union and association football. It investigates the complexity of defining a sporting `Scottish national identity', and suggests the possibility of competing definitions of national identity existing in Scotland within and across the two sports. The aim of the study is to critically examine existing assumptions surrounding Scottish sporting nationalism, to situate the conspicuously absent rugby union within the literature, and to locate contemporary Scottish sporting nationalism in post-1999 Scotland. Through the use of semi-structured interviews and observation, empirical data was collected and analysed utilising a cultural studies theoretical framework. The theoretical explanations have been informed by the work of Pierre Bourdieu's explanatory formula of practice and, at a secondary level, by Erving Goffman's dramaturgical model, demonstrating the compatibility of synthesising these two social theorists' concepts in formulating original research explanations. The findings suggest that the national identity and sporting relationship in Scotland is multi-faceted with a variety of overlapping factors contributing to sports supporters' feelings of national identification. Elements of a subtle class habitus emerge as a primary facet shaping national identity perception across both sports, revealing a class-based relationship to accumulating social and cultural capital at local and national levels. While national identity in Scottish sport is shown to be a factor shaping supporter identification, the typical understanding of national identity previously utilised and accepted in much of the literature is shown to be overly simplistic. Furthermore, other factors are shown to shape and affect local and national sporting identification in meaningful ways, which are often overlooked at the expense of seeking out the `national' explanation.