University of Derby leads research on rugby injuries

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RUGBY players who suffer injuries similar to car-crash victims while playing the sport have been offered a better chance of recovery, thanks to research led by the University of Derby.

Professor Nick Draper, university head of life sciences, and PhD student Angus Lindsay have designed a way of testing the impact on the players themselves.

The project – a collaboration between the University of Derby and University of Canterbury in New Zealand – has been investigating the impact on Canterbury rugby players for two years, working with researchers at the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Canterbury Health laboratories.

The New Zealand team found damage to Canterbury rugby players after games were in the range expected from serious trauma.

A set of biochemical tests was carried out to measure the level of damage using only urine and saliva, eradicating the need for blood tests, enabling them to investigate 44 samples per game – before and after the game for each player.

Prof Draper said: “Our research measured several bio-chemicals in the urine and saliva to gain a global view of how players responded to the physical stress of an individual game. For instance, when a player damages a muscle, a bio-chemical marker of this damage can be traced in the urine using high-performance liquid chromatography.

“We can then interpret this to examine the extent of such damage.

“During the research, the measurements tested the level of muscle damage, inflammation, immune resistance and mental stress. The measurements can be used to assist coaches and medical staff to manage players’ recovery and training during different phases of competition.”

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/239007.html

University of Derby leads research on rugby injuries

Humphreys calling for time as Gloucester Rugby look to start anew

After a disappointing season that saw the Cherry Whites finish ninth, Nigel Davies was shown the exit door after just one campaign in charge.

Replacing him in the hotseat is former Ireland fly-half Humphreys, who ended a 22-year association with Ulster as first player and then director of rugby to head the Gloucester revival project.

But with 26 players coming in to the squad and a new coaching team hastily assembled since he was appointed to the job in June, the 42-year-old warns an immediate return to the upper echelons of the Aviva Premiership won’t happen overnight.

“We’d love to get off to a flying start and you need a little bit of luck to do that,” Humphreys said.

“Nobody knows how long it will take for 26 new players, eight new members of staff, to come together.

“So far, so good – the experience that a lot of the players have brought coming in is of international quality, and a lot of the coaches have experience in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

“We’re all aware of what’s required, we’d probably like another month of pre-season but we’ve just got get on with it now – there’s no excuses.

“Laurie Fisher comes to us having also been at Munster for three years so he’s well aware of the Northern Hemisphere game, he’s played against teams in Europe we’ll be playing against over the next few weeks.

“But he’s got a way of playing, I’ve got a view of how we play, John Muggleton’s got his and Nick Walshe has too. Our players have a certain style they’re used to and the new ones coming in do too, so all these things and how we’re going to put them together will take time.

“But the quality of players coming in will allow you to overcome some of those deficiencies and do enough to compete.”

And as he looks to turn the club’s fortunes around, Humphreys insists he has been giving a helping hand by those who came before him.

“Some of the issues that Gloucester had last year have been addressed and that’s some credit to the previous administration in terms of who they’ve signed,” he added.

“Richard Hibbard and (John) Afoa have come in, (Mariano) Galarza the Argentine hasn’t yet arrived but again the front five, there’s power there. And then Greig (Laidlaw) and James (Hook) are international quality players, they’ve been successful at all levels.

“They’ve performed well in the games so far and I have no doubt they’ll be both influential and successful in the Aviva Premiership. They all might well make an impact straight away, what we need to make sure that impact is complementing the whole team.”

The Aviva Premiership Rugby season kicks off on Friday 5 September. To buy tickets for any match click here.

GLOUCESTER RUGBY’S OPENING FIXTURES

September 6: Northampton Saints v Gloucester Rugby

September 13: Gloucester Rugby v Sale Sharks

September 19: Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs

September 26: London Welsh v Gloucester Rugby

October 4: Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers

October 11: Saracens v Gloucester Rugby

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/239007.html

Humphreys calling for time as Gloucester Rugby look to start anew

Crews called to Blackbrook rugby club fire

Crews were called in the early hours

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FIREFIGHTERS were called to a blaze at an amateur rugby club’s home in the early hours of this morning (Sunday, August 31).

Crews from St Helens and Whiston Fire Stations attended Blackbrook Amateur Rugby League Rugby Club on Boardmans Lane, Blackbrook shortly after 1.30am.

The exact location of the fire and the cause are unclear at this stage. However, it is believed that a shelter nearby the clubhouse suffered serious damage and that the club itself suffered minor damage from the heat of the fire.

In a statement Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: “On arrival fire crews used a main branch to deal with a fire.

“The exterior of the club house sustained minor damage caused by the heat from the fire. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.”

Full story to follow

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Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/239007.html

Crews called to Blackbrook rugby club fire

Wales reveal training bases for next year"s Rugby World Cup

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WALES’S two training bases for next year’s Rugby World Cup will be in Cardiff and London.

The Vale Resort on the outskirts of Cardiff and London Irish RFC will be home to Warren Gatland’s side during the competition.

Gatland’s squad, who reached the semi-finals of the competition in New Zealand three years ago, will spend their time between the two venues for the duration of their four pool encounters.

“A great deal of effort has been put in to select the approved bases and we are very pleased to be based at two excellent sporting venues,” said Wales’s head coach.

“The selection of team bases are extremely important for the squad’s preparation and we were very impressed with the packages on offer from the approved venues.

“We are very familiar with the Vale and their pedigree for hosting sporting teams is second to none. In addition, London Irish’s new complex at Hazelwood, which they moved into this summer is another great base, which really suits our needs.

“The tournament is only just around the corner and all of our preparations are focused on the next 12 months.”

Wales will kick off their World Cup campaign at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday, September 20 when they will face the winner of the two-leg repechage final between Russia and Uruguay.

England lie in wait for the second pool fixture at Twickenham six days later before Wales return to Cardiff to face Fiji on October 1.

Wales’s final pool game is against Australia on October 10 at Twickenham.

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/239007.html

Wales reveal training bases for next year"s Rugby World Cup

England crush Spain 45-5 to record their second successive victory ahead of ...

If the victory over Samoa had been based on the pace of the likes of Thompson

and Natasha Hunt, Tuesday’s win was founded on their superiority in the

forward exchanges.

Flanker Marlie Packer led the way with two tries in a display that will give

Street food for thought when he selects his side to face Canada, who are

also unbeaten after wins over Spain and Samoa.

Laurie Keates was another forward who crossed the line while front-foot ball

and the control from fly-half by Ceri Large also created the momentum for

Kay Wilson, Danielle Waterman and Claire Allan to score tries.

^{Pivotal: Ceri Large makes a break from fly-half}

Street, who had the luxury of resting 10 players from the Samoa win, will now

be picking from a position of strength when preparing for the Canada game as

England look to secure their place in the knock-out stages.

England have scored a total of 16 tries and over 100 points in their first two

Pool A games and the consolation score by Spain’s Marina Bravo on Tuesday

has been their only defensive slip.

“We had a plan going into these first two games: we wanted to give

everyone a chance and we wanted to see all 26 players in action,”

Street said. “I thought that we started quite slowly today but we knew

that we would have to be patient, and that proved to be the case. Space

eventually came our way and we got ourselves into some good positions.

“Looking ahead to Canada, we have some fresh legs who will come into

contention, but there will be some tough calls to make ahead of what

promises to be a very difficult game.”

A moment of sublime play had broken the deadlock for England after a scrappy

first quarter with Large nudging a perfectly-weighted chip kick though for

Wilson to score after Waterman had ghosted up the left touchline.

Waterman’s quick feet took her over for England’s second try just before

half-time before the forwards turned the screw after the break.

An impressive driving maul culminating in a try for Keates, a second-half

replacement, and the bonus point was secured moments later, with Allan, the

makeshift wing in Thompson’s absence, going over after a break by Large and

support by Amber Reed, Packer and Sarah Hunter.

It marked the end of any effective Spanish resistance. Packer scored the fifth

try with a remarkably powerful burst that took her through six defenders.

A raft of changes from the bench allowed Spain to capitalise from some sloppy

defending as Bravo cut inside from a tapped penalty to score the first try

England have conceded in the tournament.

While England could not quite maintain their momentum, appropriately the final

say was left to the forwards, with Packer driven over for her second try

from marching maul.

Wales saw their semi-final hopes ended in an emphatic 25-2 defeat by Australia

in Marcoussis. Wales, who were convincingly beaten by hosts France in their

opening game, were no match for the Australian side.

Sharni Williams and Tricia Brown scored tries as Australia built a 17-0

interval lead, and Brown then added a second touchdown, with Wales replying

through a solitary Robyn Wilkins penalty.

Wales wind up their campaign against South Africa on Saturday, while Australia

face a group decider against France.

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2014-15/rugby/story/239007.html

England crush Spain 45-5 to record their second successive victory ahead of ...

Irish women"s rugby captain found the sport "boring" at university

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Irish women"s rugby captain found the sport "boring" at university

Whistling while she works. Rugby ref Sara has her sights set on Rio in 2016

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She’s the only English, female referee on the international rugby sevens circuit – and she’s got an eye firmly on the next Olympics.

As well as ref-ing for the seven-a-side game, Sara Cox, 24, from Broadclyst in East Devon, is also one of two women, English referees on the international 15s circuit.

As well as these coveted roles, she also referees for the National League 3 South West Men’s 15s and is aiming to referee at the 2016 Olympics when the sport of rugby sevens makes its debut. The other thing she wants is to see more women involved in the sport, but she is adamant that it’s attitude, not gender, which is the determining factor.

“It takes a certain type of personality to be a referee,” she says. “You have to be able to take angry coaches screaming at you and keep your level of fitness high. I’ve had it all – the wolf whistles, men asking me, ‘should you really be doing this?’ and heard the whispers ‘it’s always been a gentleman’s sport. It’s only recently that women have put their stamp on it.’

“But this attitude is becoming less and less common. And I let my refereeing do the talking – it does everything I need it to do. I’m a referee, not a female referee. There are no barriers that prevent women from being referees. It’s for you to prove as a person you can do it; gender doesn’t come into it.”

As a teenager the former Clyst Vale Community College student played for Exeter Saracens and Cullompton and had honours at county and regional level, three times trialling for England Under-21s, deciding on her third go, aged just 17, to try her hand at refereeing.

“I was too young to go into coaching so I thought, what can I do next?” she continues. “I was always quite lippy on the pitch, so I thought what better way to continue to be involved than to pick up a whistle and have a go? For whatever reason, I really, really loved it.”

From refereeing on the Sevens Women’s Grand Prix circuit, a Europe-wide competition, Sara was trialled by the Rugby and Football Union and then scouted by the International Rugby Board while refereeing at a game at Twickenham.

Over the last 12 months her role has taken her from Australia, Dubai, France, Spain and Brazil to Atlanta, Amsterdam and Moscow for both Euro and World Cup games predominantly as an International Women’s Rugby Sevens referee.

“I love sevens,” she reveals. “It’s so fast, and it’s 14 minutes to concentrate instead of 80! I’m built for speed and I like the intensity. For me it’s the excitement of those 14 minutes where everyone on the pitch has the same aim and I’m facilitating it. The buzz and the reaction of the players and the crowd, and the atmosphere … you can’t beat it.”

Sara has to be on top of her game, keeping up with the players physically but also mentally – knowing where the ball is, having the law book at the forefront of her mind, working out if one has been broken and, if so, what to do about it, all in a split second.

“A decision can change a game,” she says. “There are times when you don’t get it right, but it’s about getting that margin of error closer. These players are playing for titles and funding and, when the Olympics come, medals for their country – I have to make sure I’m top of my game.

“We make mistakes, and if anyone says they don’t they’re lying because we’re human. I’ve gone out in front of 20,000 spectators at Twickenham, aired on Sky TV and made a wrong call. You can make an howler at this level; it’s the way you deal with it.

“The most important thing is to put your hand up. Players will forgive you, until it becomes a pattern. But it’s a learning point; you learn and the players learn and you have to make sure you don’t do it again.”

Sara also has to keep her eye on players who cheat. “Players will always try to cheat – they want to see what they can get away with – but it’s for me to set that boundary and not let them get away with it.”

With no funding or pay, Sara is in it purely for the love of the sport, and she intends to be at the Rio Games in two years.

“Selection has already started,” she says. “It’s not a given that anyone performing well now will be selected. I’ve got to stay fit, get the game experience and tick the right boxes. I can’t control their decision but I can control how fit I am and the way I perform. It means everything to get there.”

By day, Sara is a marketing executive for Coastal Recycling at Marsh Barton, where the bosses have been hugely supportive. But despite her success on the international circuit, the refereeing Sara continues to do locally with young people still means as much to her.

“When one of the young players storms ahead and scores a try,” she adds, “that for them is their World Cup. To have facilitated that and be a part of their legacy with the game – what more could you want?”

Article source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/8794781/Yarde-to-make-England-debut-Eastmond-starts

Whistling while she works. Rugby ref Sara has her sights set on Rio in 2016