Body protection clothing may not protect rugby players from serious injuries, according to a new Otago University study supported by the NZRFU, ACC and Sports Science New Zealand.

The study also makes a strong call against the use of protective clothing as either an "offensive weapon" in tackles or to engender a feeling of "invulnerability" in players that may expose them to a higher risk of serious injury.

Padded clothing is commonly worn by rugby players from international right down to club and schoolboy level, mainly to protect the shoulder region in tackle situations. The study found that:

The main researchers in the study were Professor Peter Milburn (School of Physiotherapy), Dr Barry Wilson (School of Physical Education) and Dr David Chalmers (Injury Prevention Research Unit).

"The aim of the study was to provide definitive information on the ability of commonly used protective clothing to absorb the impact of forces involved in tackling," Professor Milburn says.

"The study was prompted by concerns expressed in the media by schoolboy rugby administrators that, since the introduction of professionalism, rugby has become more gladiatorial and more a physical confrontation than a test of skills.

"The perception is that kids are going into games thinking that because they have padding on, they're less likely to be injured, so they go into tackles harder and more aggressively." Professor Milburn says there is evidence that the frequency of injury, up to and including international level, is increasing because players wearing padding think they are "bullet-proof".

He quotes recent research by a leading British expert, Professor Michael Garraway, who said the factor most contributing to "the increased burden of injuries in competitive play is the almost universal adoption of protective equipment in rugby."

Professor Garraway suspected the use of protective clothing was making players more, rather than less, vulnerable and that the equipment may be giving them a psychological edge when "using their increased physical presence to tackle opponents". He added that amateur players were increasingly following professional players' example.

"The big concern is that players are tackling differently than they used to, particularly in the use of smother tackles that are designed to prevent opponents releasing the ball," Professor Milburn says.

"Our research into tackling shows that many injuries are occurring in smother tackles and upper body tackles that are really collisions. Players can generate forces of between one third and a quarter of a tonne in these tackle situations. So if players are going into tackles feeling that they are 'invulnerable' because they're wearing padded clothing, they may adopt unsafe techniques and suffer more serious injuries."

The Otago University research looked at a range of IRB-approved products available through sporting goods outlets. Tests were conducted that simulated impact force in tackling, using a padded weight dropped onto a fibreglass-reinforced mannequin wearing the product. The mannequin was mounted on a force plate which measured the size and duration of the impact force.

Results from the research project have been sent to the NZRFU, Sports Science New Zealand and NZ Accident Rehabilitation and Insurance (ACC), who funded the study.

For further information, contact:

Professor Peter Milburn
School of Physiotherapy
University of Otago
Tel 03 479 7455
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