The IRFU Medical Department are committed to undertaking and supporting medical research in rugby union and the dissemination of this work to improve player welfare. Our medical team members are actively involved in research activities and we welcome research proposals/queries.

Your research proposal should include information on:

• the institute you are associated with (University/ IT etc.)
• the name and position of all researchers or investigators involved in your study
• whether or not you have ethics approval
• what support you wish to get from the IRFU

Those involved in academic research should have conducted a recent review of the literature relevant to the area they wish to research.

For more information on our research activities please email Mairead Liston

Publications

Below are references and links to some IRFU supported publications.

RISUS

Archbold HAP, Rankin AT, Webb M, et al RISUS study: Rugby Injury Surveillance in Ulster Schools Br J Sports Med

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2015/12/23/bjsports-2015-095491

Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) Project

In summer 2018 the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the University of Limerick (UL) released the first findings from the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) research project which looks at injury incidence in both the men's and women's All Ireland League (AIL) during the 2017/18 season.

Click here to download the report

Yeomans, C; Comyns, T.; Cahalan, R. Kenny, I. (2018) Current injury monitoring and player education practices in Irish amateur rugby union. Physical therapy in sport: official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine 33 June

Yeomans, C; Kenny, I.; Cahalan, R.; Warrington, G.; Harrison, A.; Hayes, K.; Lyons, M.; Comyns, T. (2017) The Incidence of Injury in Amateur Male Rugby Union: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med

World Rugby Research Programme

For information on the World Rugby Research Programme visit https://playerwelfare.worldrugby.org/?subsection=72