Files and links (2)
The Perceptions of Elite Professional Rugby League Players and Staff on the National Rugby League Annual Calendar A Mixed-Methods Study1.86 MB
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
The Perceptions of Elite Professional Rugby League Players and Staff on the National Rugby League Annual Calendar: A Mixed-Methods Study
Sports Medicine, Vol.9(1), pp.1-18
2023
PMID: 37310521
Abstract
Background: In recent years, the length of elite sporting competitions has raised concerns regarding player well-being, highlighting a need to review current match calendars. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perceptions of elite National Rugby League (NRL) players and staff on the annual training and competition calendar from a player workload and well-being perspective.
Methods: This study adopted a mixed-methods approach, using a sequential explanatory design. Phase one implemented a cross-sectional survey, and phase two utilised semi-structured interviews. Four hundred and thirty-nine elite rugby league players and 46 staff completed the survey. Eighteen elite professional NRL players and six football staff were interviewed, and verbal data were analysed into pre-defined topic summaries using qualitative coding reliability methods. Topics included in-season, off-season, pre-season and well-being.
Results: Data analysis suggests that elite NRL players and staff believe players appear particularly comfortable with the current number of games; however, they are at their maximum capacity. Importantly, this study identified several minority groups that may require support to enhance player well-being. Players believe reducing the pre-season would negate fatigue experienced later in the subsequent season. Players and staff believe this timeframe still provides sufficient time to prepare for the upcoming season. Further, players were open to extending the off-season to 8-10 weeks and believed that extra time would allow for greater recovery from the previous season. Mid-season congested scheduling affects players following the intensified period and requires attention to alleviate fatigue.
Conclusion: The results of this study convey important implications for the NRL, emphasising a need to review their annual training and competitive calendar, or to implement specific strategies to enhance the well-being of minority groups. The findings from this study should be considered when discussing the ideal length and structure of the match calendar to support players' physical and mental welfare.
Details
- Title
- The Perceptions of Elite Professional Rugby League Players and Staff on the National Rugby League Annual Calendar: A Mixed-Methods Study
- Authors
- Lewis A. Fazackerley (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyGeoffrey M. Minett (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyJames D. Clark (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - PsychologyVincent G. Kelly (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Sports Medicine, Vol.9(1), pp.1-18
- Publisher
- Adis International Ltd.
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1186/s40798-023-00586-4
- ISSN
- 1179-2035; 0112-1642
- PMID
- 37310521
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Grant note
- National Rugby League Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health - Psychology
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99735298302621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
88 File views/ downloads
85 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Sport Sciences