Anthropometric and physical performance profiles of elite junior rugby union players in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Rugby union has been a professional sport for many years. Along with the growing professionalism of the sport, there has been increasing scientific interest in the physical profiles of rugby players as such profiling may inform player selection, conditioning, monitoring, and injury prevention strategies. This descriptive cross-sectional study compared elite junior rugby union players' anthropometric and physical performance profiles according to specific playing positions. One hundred and eighty-four under-21 rugby players (age 19.58 ± 0.88 years) participated during their pre-season (forwards, n = 91; backs, n = 93). Anthropometry and physical performance assessments included body mass, height, speed (10 and 30 metres [m]), reactive agility time (RAT), and single-leg hop for distance (SHD). Data analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with the level of statistical significance set at p<0.05. Significant differences were found between forwards and backs for body mass, height, speed (10 m and 30 m), and RAT. The forwards’ profiles demonstrated more significant differences between specific playing positions than backline players. The observed differences between forwards and backs are mainly due to the specific game demands and because backline players are more adaptable to different playing positions than forwards. This study provides up-to-date confirmation of the variation in specific playing position profiles and skills according to specific game demands at the junior elite level.

Keywords: Specific playing positions, reactive agility time, speed, anthropometry.