Assessing the whole-match and worst-case scenario locomotor demands of international women’s rugby union match-play

• Published in: Journal of science and medicine in sport Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 609 - 614
• Main Authors: Sheppy, Emily, Hills, Samuel P., Russell, Mark, Chambers, Ryan, Cunningham, Dan J., Shearer, David, Heffernan, Shane, Waldron, Mark, McNarry, Melitta, Kilduff, Liam P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Activity profiles; Fatigue; Global positioning systems; GPS; Microelectromechanical systems; Monitoring; Motor ability; Physiology; Rugby; Running; Software; Team sport; Velocity; Melbourne Victoria Australia; Running; Fatigue; Physiology; Activity profiles; Monitoring; Team sport
• ISSN: 1440-2440; 1878-1861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2019.12.016

To profile the distances covered during international women’s rugby union match-play and assess the duration-specific worst-case scenario locomotor demands over 60-s to 600-s epochs, whilst comparing the values determined by fixed epoch (FIXED) versus rolling average (ROLL) methods of worst-case scenario estimation and assessing positional influences. Descriptive, observational. Twenty-nine international women’s rugby union players wore 10Hz microelectromechanical systems during eight international matches (110 observations). Total, and per-half, distances were recorded, whilst relative total and high-speed (>4.4ms−1) distances were averaged using FIXED and ROLL methods over 60–600-s. Linear mixed models compared distances covered between match halves, assessed FIXED versus ROLL, and examined the influence of playing position. Players covered ∼5.8kmmatch−1, with reduced distances in the second- versus first-half (p<0.001). For worst-case scenario total (∼8–25%) and high-speed (∼10–26%) distance, FIXED underestimated ROLL. In ROLL, worst-case scenario relative total and high-speed distances reduced from ∼144−161mmin−1 and ∼30−69mmin−1 over 60-s, to ∼8089mmin−1 and ∼516mmin−1 in the 600-s epoch, respectively. Forwards performed less high-speed running over all epochs and covered less total distance during epochs of 60-s, 180-s, 420-s and 480-s, compared with backs. Front row players typically returned the lowest locomotor demands. This is the first study reporting the positional and worst-case scenario demands of international women’s rugby union, and indicates an underestimation in FIXED versus ROLL over 60-s to 600-s epochs. Knowledge of the most demanding periods of women’s rugby union match-play facilitates training specificity by enabling sessions to be tailored to such demands.