An exploratory study into the relationship between playing at home or away and concussion

ABSTRACT

Primary Objective

To investigate the effect of home and away game travel on risk of concussion across different levels of rugby union.

Research Design

Exploration study across school, university, and professional rugby teams.

Methods and Procedures

Retrospective analysis of concussion incidence and symptomology of surveillance data and prospective data collection for potential concussions via surveys. Data was collected from school rugby teams (n = 344 matches, over 2 years), a university rugby (n = 6 matches), and a professional rugby team (n = 64 matches, over two seasons).

Main Outcomes and Results

School level rugby had an increased prevalence of concussions in away matches (p = 0.02). Likewise, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in concussions at away matches in university rugby. In addition, the professional rug by team had significant differences in recovery times and symptoms with away fixtures, including longer recovery times (p < 0.01), more initial symptoms (p < 0.01), as well as greater and more severe symptoms at 48 hours (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

This research highlights an increased prevalence of concussion in school and university-aged rugby players away from home, as well as increased symptoms, symptom severity, and recovery times in professional rugby players.

KEYWORDS:

• Concussion
• travel
• rugby union
• injury
• recovery

Disclosure statement

NH works for the Concussion Legacy Foundation UK and received funding from Erasmus+ strategic partnerships program (2019-1-IE01-KA202-051555). AJW received funding from Erasmus+ strategic partnerships program (2019-1-IE01-KA202-051555). AJP currently receives partial research salary funding from Erasmus+ strategic partnerships program (2019-1-IE01-KA202-051555). JB has no disclosures. AJP has previously received partial research funding from the Sports Health Check Charity (Australia), Australian Football League, Impact Technologies Inc., and Samsung Corporation, and is remunerated for expert advice to medico-legal practices. MM has no disclosures.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.