Chiwaridzo Matthew, Ferguson Gillian D, Smits-Engelsman Bouwien C M
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Physiotherapy Division, Observatory, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
2College of Health Sciences, Rehabilitation Department, University of Zimbabwe, P.O Box A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2020 Feb 10;12:3. doi: 10.1186/s13102-019-0155-3. eCollection 2020.
Rugby is increasingly gaining popularity among school-aged male junior players in countries hardly known for dominating international rugby, such as Zimbabwe. Given rugby combativeness, participating adolescents should possess qualities or skills commensurate with the physical demands of the sport for effective participation. This study investigated the independent and interactive effects of age category and playing standard on anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills among Zimbabwean athletes.
Two hundred and eight elite, sub-elite and non-rugby players competing at Under 16 and Under 19 age categories were assessed using the School Clinical Rugby Measure (SCRuM) test battery. Participants underwent height, sitting height, mass, skinfolds, speed, agility, upper-and-lower muscular strength and power, prolonged high-intensity intermittent running ability, tackling, passing and catching assessments in a cross-sectional experimental design.
Age categories had significant main effect on all SCRuM test items except sum of seven skinfolds ( = 0.45, ηp = 0.003). Playing standard had significant main effects for all variables except height ( = 0.40, ηp = 0.01) and sum of seven skinfolds ( = 0.11, ηp = 0.02). Specifically, upper-and-lower muscular strength and power, prolonged high-intensity intermittent running ability, tackling, passing and catching improved with increasing playing standards. However, two-way analysis of variance only demonstrated significant interactions between the effects of age category and playing standards for vertical jump height (VJ) test, 2-kg medicine ball chest throw (2-kg MBCT) test, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IRT L1), and tackling and catching tests. Yo-Yo IRT L1, VJ, tackling and catching tests demonstrated greater discriminative ability among Under 16 s, whereas the 2-kg MBCT test showed better ability in Under 19 s.
All SCRuM variables except skinfolds improved with age, highlighting relative sensitivity in differentiating older from younger athletes. However, the discriminative ability by playing standards for VJ, 2-kg MBCT, Yo-Yo IRT L1, tackling and catching ability tests was age-dependent. These findings informs on general attribute development in junior rugby players with age and on specific players attributes in need of monitoring for attainment of elite status at U16 or U19 level.
在一些并非以主导国际橄榄球赛事而闻名的国家，如津巴布韦，橄榄球在学龄期男性青少年球员中越来越受欢迎。鉴于橄榄球运动的对抗性，参与其中的青少年应具备与该运动的身体需求相匹配的素质或技能，以便有效地参与。本研究调查了年龄组别和比赛水平对津巴布韦运动员的人体测量学、生理特征以及特定橄榄球比赛技能的独立和交互作用。
使用学校临床橄榄球测量（SCRuM）测试组对208名参加16岁以下和19岁以下年龄组比赛的精英、次精英和非橄榄球运动员进行评估。参与者在横断面实验设计中接受了身高、坐高、体重、皮褶厚度、速度、敏捷性、上下肢肌肉力量和爆发力、长时间高强度间歇跑步能力、擒抱、传球和接球评估。
年龄组别对除七处皮褶厚度总和（F = 0.45，ηp² = 0.003）之外的所有SCRuM测试项目均有显著的主效应。比赛水平对除身高（F = 0.40，ηp² = 0.01）和七处皮褶厚度总和（F = 0.11，ηp² = 0.02）之外的所有变量均有显著的主效应。具体而言，随着比赛水平的提高，上下肢肌肉力量和爆发力、长时间高强度间歇跑步能力、擒抱、传球和接球能力均有所提高。然而，双因素方差分析仅表明年龄组别和比赛水平的效应之间在垂直跳高度（VJ）测试、2公斤药球胸前投掷（2-kg MBCT）测试、Yo-Yo间歇恢复测试一级（Yo-Yo IRT L1）以及擒抱和接球测试中存在显著交互作用。Yo-Yo IRT L1、VJ、擒抱和接球测试在16岁以下球员中表现出更大的区分能力，而2-kg MBCT测试在19岁以下球员中表现出更好的区分能力。
除皮褶厚度外，所有SCRuM变量均随年龄增长而改善，突出了在区分年长和年轻运动员方面的相对敏感性。然而，比赛水平对VJ、2-kg MBCT、Yo-Yo IRT L1、擒抱和接球能力测试的区分能力取决于年龄。这些发现为青少年橄榄球运动员的一般属性随年龄的发展以及在16岁或19岁水平达到精英地位所需监测的特定球员属性提供了信息。
