Journal
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
Volume 37, Issue 22, Pages 2578-2587Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2019.1648121
Keywords
Contact technique; skill assessment; testing; training
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Funding
- National Research Foundation
- Frank Foreman Grant
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This study examined the validity of a tool that assesses tackle and ruck technique in training and established reference data for tackle, ball-carry and ruck technique at different levels of play in rugby union. One hundred and thirty-one amateur rugby union players; 37 senior, 51 first-grade academy and 43 second-grade academy players, participated in a two-on-two contact drill. The drill was filmed and the players' tackle, ball-carry and ruck technique were assessed using standardized technical criteria. Senior level players scored significantly higher in all three assessments; tackle technique senior vs academy 1(st) (p < 0.01, effect size (ES) = 0.7, moderate), senior vs academy 2(nd) (p < 0.01, ES = 0.7, moderate); ball-carry technique senior vs academy 1(st) (p < 0.01, ES = 0.6, moderate), senior vs academy 2(nd) (p < 0.01, ES = 0.8, moderate); ruck technique senior vs academy 1(st) (p < 0.01, ES = 0.7, moderate), senior vs academy 2(nd) (p < 0.01, ES = 0.4, small). These findings emphasize the importance of developing contact technique to allow players to progress to higher levels, and provide validity to an assessment tool which can facilitate this process.
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