Background: In rugby league (RL), the ability to repeatedly engage in the tackle, whether as a ball carrier or tackler, is essential for team success and player performance. It is also the leading cause of injury, with over 90% of total injuries occurring during the tackle in professional and amateur cohorts. To effectively reduce the risk of injury and optimise performance, establishing the extent of the `problem`, through injury surveillance or descriptive performance studies is required. Objective: The purpose of this narrative synthesis was to systematically search and synthesise tackle injury epidemiology and tackle performance frequency in RL. To achieve this objective, a systematic review was conducted. Methods: The search was limited to English-only articles published between January 1995 and October 2018. Based on the search criteria, a total of 53 studies were found: 32 focused on tackle injury epidemiology (nine cases studies) and 21 focused on tackle frequency. Results: In general, over 600 tackles may occur during an RL match. Tackle injury frequencies (both overall and time-loss injuries) ranged between 47%-94% at the professional level, and between 38%-96% for the lower levels of play. A greater proportion of injuries occurring in professional RL are severe time-loss injuries when compared to lower levels of play. Most time-loss and overall injuries occur to players who are tackled, i.e., ball carriers, across all levels of play. Conclusion: This narrative synthesis will facilitate tackle injury prevention and performance research in RL, and act as a reference document for coaches and practitioners.
© Copyright 2021 South African Journal of Sports Medicine. SA Medical Association. All rights reserved.