The Perceptions of Elite Professional Rugby League Players and Staff on the National Rugby League Annual Calendar: A Mixed-Methods Study

Lewis A. Fazackerley; Geoffrey M. Minett; James D. Clark; Vincent G. Kelly

doi:10.1186/s40798-023-00586-4

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The Perceptions of Elite Professional Rugby League Players and Staff on the National Rugby League Annual Calendar: A Mixed-Methods Study

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The Perceptions of Elite Professional Rugby League Players and Staff on the National Rugby League Annual Calendar: A Mixed-Methods Study

Lewis A. Fazackerley, Geoffrey M. Minett, James D. Clark and Vincent G. Kelly

Sports Medicine, Vol.9(1), pp.1-18

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00586-4

PMCID: PMC10262109

PMID: 37310521

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Abstract

Football

Mental health

Performance

Physical health

Well-being

Workload

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 Technology
Geoffrey M. Minett (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
James D. Clark (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Psychology
Vincent 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
PMID: 37310521; PMC10262109
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

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Web Of Science research areas: Sport Sciences