The influence of age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on career attainment outcomes in rugby league

TILL, Kevin, COBLEY, Steve, MORLEY, David, O’HARA, John, CHAPMAN, Chris and COOKE, Carlton (2015). The influence of age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on career attainment outcomes in rugby league. Journal of Sports Sciences, 34 (13), 1240-1245.

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Official URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640...
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2015.1105380

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of annual-age category, relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on the career attainment outcomes of junior rugby league players originally selected for a talent identification and development (TID) programme. Junior rugby league players (N = 580) were grouped retrospectively according to their career attainment level (i.e., amateur, academy and professional). Anthropometric (height, sitting height, body mass, sum of four skinfolds), maturational (age at peak height velocity; PHV) and fitness (power, speed, change of direction speed, estimated) characteristics were assessed at the Under 13s, 14s and 15s annual-age categories. Relative age (Q2 = 8.5% vs. Q4 = 25.5%) and playing position (Pivots = 19.5% vs. Props = 5.8%) influenced the percentage of players attaining professional status. Anthropometry and fitness had a significant effect on career attainment at the Under 14 (P = 0.002, η2 = 0.16) and 15 (P = 0.01, η2 = 0.12) annual-age categories. Findings at the Under 14s showed future professional players were significantly later maturing compared to academy and amateur players. Findings suggest that relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness can influence the career attainment of junior rugby league players. TID programmes within rugby league, and other related team sports, should be aware and acknowledge the factors influencing long-term career attainment, and not delimit development opportunities during early adolescence.

Item Type: Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Centre for Sport and Exercise Science
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2015.1105380
Page Range: 1240-1245
Depositing User: Hilary Ridgway
Date Deposited: 05 Apr 2018 11:05
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 00:23
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/19119

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