This four-year study of under-19 schoolboy Rugby Union in Ireland reveals that tackling players sustain significantly more match injuries in the tackle than ball-carriers. The research, covering 50 teams and nearly 11,000 hours of match play as part of the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance Project, found that two-thirds of injuries happen during tackles – and tackler injuries occur about one-third more often than ball-carrier injuries. The study spanned across four seasons of Schoolboy Senior Cup rugby (2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24) and is the fruit of extensive engagement and commitment from the participating schools and their designated injury recorders.
The study indicates, interestingly, tacklers sustain more head and shoulder injuries, while ball-carriers suffer more knee and ankle injuries. Although the severity of injuries is similar (defined as the length of time the injured player is unable to participate), tackler injuries overall are more burdensome (defined as the interaction between how frequent and severe an injury is). Additionally, this research is the first to explore academic attendance impacted through rugby injury. Thirteen percent of all tackle-event injuries resulted in an average of one day’s absence from school. These findings highlight the need to focus on safer tackling techniques and injury prevention strategies, especially in the quest to reduce head and shoulder injuries in tackling players.
The researchers would like to acknowledge the support and enthusiasm of the 1,537 rugby players and their parents/guardians for participating in this important research, the coaches and staff of the participating schools for their engagement, and the IRFU for their funding of this important work.
To read the full article, head to the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport for full open access: https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(25)00162-8/fulltext
Guilfoyle, Lauren & Leahy, Therese & Kenny, Ian & O’Sullivan, Kieran & Purtill, Helen & Comyns, Tom. (2025). The incidence, burden and impact of tackle injuries in schoolboy Rugby Union. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 10.1016/j.jsams.2025.06.002
Lauren Guilfoyle is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Limerick. Follow on LinkedIn.
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