Kinesiology, Vol. 37 No. 1., 2005.
Original scientific paper
Comparisons of positional groups in terms of anthropometric, rugby-specific skills, physical and motor components among u 13, u 16, u 18 and u 19 elite rugby players
Maya Maria van Gent
Emanuel Johannes Spamer
Abstract
Rugby is a very popular sport and is played from primary school to senior level in more than a hundred countries worldwide. Certain anthropometric, physical, motor abilities and game-specific variables can distinguish between talented and less talented rugby players. However, a void still exists as to how these abilities change in growing and developing rugby players. At present the positional selection of players is left to the coaches and teachers, who do not necessarily possess the experience or knowledge for proper positional selections. The possibility to identify positional requirements by using a scientifically compiled test battery for rugby players will assist coaches and teachers in the correct positional selection of players at specific ages. The aim of this study was to compare playing groups in terms of anthropometric, rugby--specific skills, physical and motor components among U 13 (n=21), U 16 (n=22), U 18 (n=18) and U 19 (n=19) elite rugby players. These age groups were divided in four positional groups: tight forwards (props, hooker, locks), loose forwards (flankers, eight-man), halves (scrum- and fly half) and back-line (centres, wings and full back). Research on talent identification normally uses small groups because elite athletes represent only the talented or gifted players. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to establish any significant differences (d-value) between playing groups in terms of anthropometric, rugby-specific skills, physical and motor components. In conclusion it seems that forwards, and many coaches are of this opinion, develop much later in terms of anthropometric components. The back-line players reveal many more differences in terms of rugby-specific skills, physical and motor components. It is also interesting to note that the older the players, the fewer the differences that were apparent in terms of rugby-specific skills, physical and motor components. It thus seems that the positional requirements of adolescent rugby players differ among age groups, as well as among adult rugby players. Therefore it is necessary to compile scientific test batteries specifically for each age group. This might be due to better physical and motor conditioning as well as coaching of all players, irrelevant of positional groups.
Keywords
anthropometric characteristics; rugby-specific skills; physical and motor components; elite rugby players
Hrčak ID:
4146
URI
Publication date:
1.7.2005.
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