| dc.description.abstract | The Kenya rugby scene is changing. There are now more players and stiffer competition with attendant rise in the standards of play.The increase in both public awareness and media attention makes the sport verycompetitive. Previous studies have associated higher standards of play with increased injury risk. In Kenya,sub-optimal pitch conditions, poorly conditioned players based on reduced playing time, smaller body mass indices and younger player ages create a unique environment for injury exposure and patterns.
Objective:
To survey the incidence and pattern of rugby injuries throughout the 2010 seasonamongKenya rugby football union (KRFU) registered players.
Subjects &Method:
A whole population prospective cohortstudy of injuries amongst3S2 registered Kenya rugby football union players was conductedthroughout the 2010 lS-aside season. Data on player demographics, injury occurrence and recurrence, injury patterns and pitch characteristics were collected from all the games in the division one and two leagues played in Nakuru andNairobi. The study tool used was that developed for injury surveillance by the International RugbyBoard, the RugbyInternational Consensus Group (RICG)Statement.
Results:
There were a total of 60league games for the season recording 102 injuries for2400matchplayer hours. The incidence of injuries was 42.50/1000match player hours. (44.17for forwards and40.83for backs). Lower limb injuries were the most common (41.2% of all injuries). Most injuries (63.7%) were sustained in the tackling/tackled scenario. Players were most prone to injuries at the beginning of the season (47.1% of all injuries), in the last quarter (50%) of a game and on bad pitches (41.38 injuries per 1000mph versus 23.19 injuries per 1000mph).About one tenth (10.8%) of injuries were associated with a dangerous play.
Conclusion:
The injury incidence recorded here contrast the earlier Kenyan datum as well as professional an international level of play rates. However, the rate is comparabletoamateur level incidence, uniqueness of the Kenyan environment notwithstanding. The higher rates associated with the tackle/tackled scenario, bad pitches, earlier part of the season and later part of the game, suggest interventions can target player conditioning, use of protective gear and pitch optimization,By providing the associated injury characteristics, the study has provided a platform for formulating interventions for injury prevention. | en_US |
