Injury toll of football and rugby

Rugby Union has becomce faster and tougher

Injuries to rugby players have almost doubled since the sport turned professional five years ago, according to a study.

And separate research has found that professional soccer players are likely to suffer from serious physical conditions such as arthritis later in life.

Researchers believe the rise in rugby injuries may be partly due to the protective equipment worn by players.

They believe that equipment like shin guards and ankle braces encourage players to take greater risks and gives them a false sense of security.

They say there is little evidence that such equipment protects players and they have called on rugby chiefs to place a moratorium on the development of protective equipment until they can prove it is not responsible for the increase in injuries.

If these figures are held up and accurate there must be grave concern over it

International Rugby Board

However, rugby has also become much faster and tougher since it turned professional in 1995.

Rugby union laws have also been changed to encourage more open play, leading to more forceful tackles.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined the injuries sustained by more than 800 players from clubs in the Scottish Borders, 30 of whom were professional.

They found that in the 1997-1998 season, almost half of the players had suffered an injury. This compared with just a quarter of players in the 1993-1994 season and was despite the fact that there were fewer games.

The doctors said that players suffered one episode of injury every two matches compared with one every 3.4 matches in 1994.

It is thought protective equipment may be to blame

Professional players were even more at risk. They suffered an injury for every hour of complete play and had more recurrent injuries. Nine out of 10 were injured at some point during the season.

Muscular, ligament, knee, hips and thigh damage accounted for almost half of all injuries. Most injuries were sustained as a result of a tackle.

Professor Michael Garraway, one of the authors of the report, said the problem needed to be investigated urgently.

"The advent of professionalism has resulted in more emphasis being placed on strength, speed and stamina in all players.

"The extent to which these factors may be contributing to an increase in injuries requires further investigation, but the factor that is most likely to have contributed to the increased burden on injuries and require the most urgent attention is the almost universal adoption of protective equipment."

He added: "With the exception of mouth guards, there is no good scientific evidence to support the use of any of the other protective equipment for players that has been introduced into competitive matches in recent years."

A spokesman for the International Rugby Board (IRB) said the findings would be studied.

"If these figures are held up and accurate there must be grave concern over it and anything like this will be seriously reviewed by the IRB."

Football study

Meanwhile, in a separate study published in the same journal researchers at the University of Coventry found that professional soccer players are likely to suffer from serious physical conditions later in life.

Their study of 300 former professional footballers found that half suffered from osteoarthritis and one in three had undergone surgery to correct joint problems, including hip replacements.

Former Liverpool player Tommy Smith is among those who have been left disabled

Sufferers said they had been forced to stop careers in coaching and to take early retirement. They were also more prone to feelings of depression.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is caused by damage to the cartilage of joints, causing pain, stiffness and swelling.

It tends to affect people in their 60s, particularly in their hips, knees and lower back.

There is no cure, but hip and knee replacements can ease the pain and disability of the condition.

The researchers questioned former UK professional footballers who were 56 years old on average, and were about 32 when they retired.

They found that 49% of the former professional footballers questioned said they had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in at least one joint, most commonly the knee.

Sufferers were, on average, 40 when they were diagnosed with the condition, much younger than normal sufferers.

Report author Andy Turner said: "Results suggest that the long-term impact of playing professional football is considerable, with many respondents requiring medical treatment for injuries after their career had ended."

The Football Association is conducting a two-year research project, auditing all injuries to professional players in England and Wales, in a bid to develop injury prevention strategies.