Abstract:
BACKGROUND : In rugby, the shoulder contributes to attack/defence during collisions, tackling,
falling, scrummaging, and mauling. We investigated the frequency, tissue, and pathology
type of shoulder injuries per player position among professional South African rugby players, and
compared injury severity in the context of momentum, intensity, and collision variables. METHODS :
A prospective study collecting shoulder injury data of 80 male Super Rugby players (>18 years)
over 4 seasons (2018–2021). Players wore a Catapult Evo GPS unit during training and match-play,
recording performance variables and collision forces during injury. We collected tissue and pathology
types of injury from players’ medical files, clinical examinations, and special investigations. RESULTS :
Shoulder injuries contributed to 17% of all injuries, ranging from 2 to 34% per year. Forwards (63%)
sustained most shoulder injuries, specifically locks (30%). Acromioclavicular (AC) joint (47%) was
mostly involved, and ligament/joint capsule (65%) was the most common tissue type injured. Injuries
with the highest average momentum resulted in players suffering minimal to mild severity injuries
(1–7 days time-loss). Backs (631.15 kgm/s) required less momentum than forwards (816.00 kgm/s)
to suffer injuries resulting in >28 days time-loss (p = 0.008). Backs encountered higher match intensity
(67.76 m/min, p = 0.031) and highest average collisions (0.28/min) without suffering more severe
(>28 days time-loss) injuries. Match intensity of >60 m/min resulted in more than 55% of shoulder
injuries. CONCLUSION : One in six injuries in this cohort was shoulder-related. Forwards, specifically
locks, sustained most shoulder injuries. The AC joint was the tissue type that mainly contributed.
Backline players were involved in higher velocity contact, game intensity, and collision frequency but
suffered fewer injuries. However, they required less momentum to sustain more severe injuries.
