Talent Identification in an English Premiership Rugby Union Academy
Multidisciplinary Characteristics of Selected and Non-selected Male Under-15 Players
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5285319 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Francesco Dimundo (0000-0003-3689-5216, Birmingham City University, corresponding author), Matthew Cole (0000-0001-6951-2926, Birmingham City University), Richard C Blagrove (0000-0002-7057-8073, Loughborough University), Alexander B T Mcauley, A Mcauley (0000-0001-5473-8877, Birmingham City University), Kevin Till (0000-0002-9686-0536, Leeds Beckett University), Adam L Kelly (0000-0003-4929-1067, Birmingham City University) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Pages | 688143-688143 |
| Publication date | 2021-06-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2624-9367 • E-ISSN: 2624-9367 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fspor.2021.688143 |
| PMID | 34179777 |
| OpenAlex | W3167834771 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 42 |
Entry into an academy can be a defining moment for a promising young player. The aim of this study was to explore the multidimensional characteristics that differentiated selected and non-selected male under-15 rugby union players at an English Premiership academy. Seventy-four players (mean age 14.6 ± 0.3 years: selected n = 29; non-selected n = 45) were measured across nine characteristics from four overarching factors: (a) anthropometric (n = 2), (b) physiological (n = 5), (c) cognitive (n = 1), and (d) birth quartile. An ANOVA compared differences between groups (selected vs. non-selected), whilst a Welch's t-test and Cohen's d were used for further comparisons. A multivariate logistic regression was also used to predict selection. Results showed significant differences between selected and non-selected players for anthropometric (P = 0.021) and physiological factors (P < 0.001). Moreover, relatively older players were overrepresented with 65% born in the first half of the year, whereas no significant differences were apparent for the cognitive test. More specifically, selected players possessed greater body mass (P = 0.022, d = 0.5) and handgrip strength (P = 0.020, d = 0.5) compared to non-selected players, whilst multivariate analysis showed the 20 m sprint explained 25.4% of the variance (P = 0.001). Overall, it appears selection into an English Premiership rugby union academy may be due to enhanced physical attributes rather than cognitive abilities
Analysis of variance · Anthropometry · Biology · Cognition · Confidence interval · Logistic regression · Multivariate analysis of variance · Physical therapy · Quartile · Sprint · Statistics · Test (biology · Demography · Mathematics · Medicine · Psychology · Sport Psychology and Performance · Sports injuries and prevention · Sports Performance and Training · Gerontology · Internal Medicine
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| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |