Objectives To compare match injury incidence, severity and burden in men's and women's elite rugby league. Design A prospective cohort epidemiological study. Methods Time loss match injury data were collected over a two-season period from all men's (11,301 exposure hours) and women's (5,244 exposure hours) Super League clubs. Results Injury incidence and burden were not different between men and women (mean[95% CI]; 54[45 to 65] vs. 60[49 to 74] per 1000 match-hours; p=0.39, and 2332[1844 to 2951] vs. 1951[1560 to 2440] days lost per 1000 match-hours; p=0.26). However, injury severity was greater for men than women (42[35-50] vs. 35[29 to 42]; p=0.01). Lower limbs accounted for 54% and 52% of injuries for men and women, with the head/face the most frequently injured location due to concussion (12[10-15] and 10[8-14] per 1000 match-hours for men and women). Injuries to the knee had the greatest burden compared to all other locations for men and women (708[268-1868] and 863[320-2328] days lost per 1000 match-hours). Being tackled was the most common injury mechanism for men and women (28% and 38%) with greater burden (p<0.01) than other injury mechanisms. Conclusion Male and female rugby league players have similar injury incidence and burden; however, injury severity was higher in men. Head/face injuries have the highest injury incidence and knee injuries have the highest burden. These injuries should be the focus for prevention initiatives at a league (via laws), player, and coach level, with equal and specific focus for both men's and women's players.
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