Leeds Beckett University
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The match demands and physical qualities of elite women's rugby union players

thesis
posted on 2024-06-05, 09:54 authored by Caitlin Gallagher

Women’s rugby union is growing in popularity and participation internationally. However, there are still large gaps in the female evidence base, which means training and development are informed by male research despite the distinct physical and physiological differences between sexes. Information on the physical qualities and match demands of women’s rugby union players is crucial for both researchers and practitioners to aid the development of women’s rugby union. The Celtic Challenge competition was created to help develop women’s rugby in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and to provide their international players with an alternative elite domestic league to England’s Premier 15s. This study aimed to profile the physical qualities, movement demands and match characteristics of elite women’s domestic rugby in the British Isles and to compare the profile of the Premier 15s and the inaugural Celtic Challenge. Secondary fitness testing, GPS and video match data was collected from three teams in the Celtic Challenge and three teams in the 2022/23 season of the Premier 15s. Premier 15s players were found to be significantly older, more experienced, and faster than Celtic Challenge players during fitness testing and match play. The match characteristics of the two competitions were similar, aside from the number of mauls, which there were significantly more of in the Premier 15s. Findings suggest that Premier 15s players are faster than their CC counterparts; however, despite tactical differences, match characteristics are similar between the two competitions. 

History

Qualification name

  • MRes

Supervisor

Scantlebury, Sean ; Heyward, Omar

Awarding Institution

Leeds Beckett University

Completion Date

2024-04-08

Qualification level

  • Masters

Language

  • eng

Publisher

Leeds Beckett University

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