RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Describe medical-attention and time-loss injuries during matches and training in a Welsh Premiership Rugby Union team. DESIGN: Prospective cohort observational study. METHODS: Injury incidence, severity, burden, location, type, and cause were determined in sixty-nine players from one semi-professional Rugby Union team. RESULTS: Medical-attention and time-loss injury incidence was greater for matches (incidence, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯122.8, 108.9-138.4 and 99.8, 87.3-114.0) than training (incidence, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯2.2, 1.8-2.6 and 1.7, 1.4-2.1) per 1000 player-hours. Injury severity was similar for matches (time-loss ± standard deviationâ¯=â¯24.9 ± 30.8 days) and training (time-loss ± SDâ¯=â¯22.4 ± 29.1 days), with injury burden greater for matches (burden, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯3148.8, 3019.8-6479.2) than training (burden, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯49.7, 36.7-129.6). Lower-limb time-loss injuries were most common during matches (incidence, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯46.0, 37.9-55.9) and training (incidence, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯1.3, 1.0-1.7) per 1000 player-hours, whilst upper-limb injuries were most severe in matches (time-loss, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯38.8, 28.3-44.4 days) and training (time-loss, 95% confidence intervalâ¯=â¯45.9, 17.5-52.7 days). The prevalent cause of contact-injury was tackling (31%) with running (11%) the common cause of non-contact injury. CONCLUSIONS: Time-loss match-injury incidence, severity, and burden were similar to data reported in the professional tier, with similar patterns of injuries for location, type, and inciting event. These figures are greater than previously reported for semi-professional Rugby Union, warranting further investigation at this level of play.