2006 Women’s World Cup, Edmonton, Alberta

• 3rd IRB official World Cup
• 3 Edmonton venues
• 12 teams
• 339 athletes (all consented to participate)

WRWC Format

• 5 games over 20 days
• 3 ‘Pool’ and 2 ‘placing’ games
• 5881 player hours (1200 match and 4681 practice)

Injury Definition

• Time loss injury was defined as the inability to participate fully in training or match play after an injury that occurred during either rugby training or game according to a recent iRB injury definition consensus statement.

Methods

• Prior to tournament information sent to all teams
• Meeting with managers and medical team
• Meeting with each team to obtain consent, age, height, weight
• Information sheets to medical staff
• Collected information sheets from medical staff after each game

Players

Injury Rates WRWC 06

• 55 players suffered at least one injury (16%)
• 59 total number of injuries (10/1000 PH)
• 45 match injuries (37.5/1000 PH)
• 14 practice injuries(2.99/1000 PH)

Forwards – 38.29 injuries/1000 PH

Backs – 42.19 injuries/1000 PH

• 86% of injuries caused by contact
• 63% in the tackle

Injuries by Body Region

Injury Type

Emergency Services

• 1 suspected cervical injury
• Transported by ambulance and cleared

Comparison to Men’s RWC Injuries/1000 PH

¹Jakoet & Noakes, SAMJ 1998
²Best et al, BJSM 2005

Other Comparisons (per 1000 PH)

¹Carson et al, CJSM 1999
²Brooks et al, BJSM 2005

Comparisons With Other Women’s Sports

¹Schick and Meeuwisse, AJSM 2003
²de Loes M, IJSM, 1995

Conclusions

• Injury rate compared to other women sports not much higher
• Lower injury rate to men
• High rate of injury in front row forwards which is unusual compared to the men
• This study is the start of the IRB injury surveillance studies for games it sponsors