Rugby World Cup: why hamstring injuries are so prevalent in the sport

• Soft tissue injuries, particularly hamstring injuries, have already ruled several players out of the World Cup, raising questions about why such incidents are so common.
• And hamstring strains are the most common, contributing to 15% of all injuries in rugby union.
• In the previous Rugby World Cup in 2019, hamstring injuries were the second most common match injury after concussion and accounted for nearly 50% of all missed training or playing days.

Anatomy of the hamstring muscles

• Pushing these muscles beyond their limits through stretching or overloading can lead to painful injuries, with the muscles potentially tearing.
• Muscles often work in pairs and some experts believe that an imbalance between the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh and the hamstring muscles at the back could also contribute to the problem.

What we found

• We discovered that the hamstring muscles of rugby players showed greater stiffness compared to the other group.
• So, as expected, our MRI analysis showed that the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh were significantly larger in rugby players relative to body size.
• But our research points to an interesting discrepancy – rugby players displayed an imbalance in size between their quadriceps and hamstring muscles.

Is there a solution?

• For instance, it’s important to keep an eye on older athletes and those with previous hamstring injuries, and manage fatigue appropriately.
• Encouraging athletes to have a comprehensive warm-up routine is also crucial.
• When muscles warm, they become more elastic, which might help them handle strain better and potentially prevent tearing.
• This exercise has been suggested to cut the rate of hamstring injuries in half among athletes in team sports.