High-Intensity Activity In European Vs. National Rugby Union Games In The Best 2014-2015 Team

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of competition level on running patterns for five playing position in the most successful 2014-2015 European rugby union team. Seventeen French rugby union championship and seven European rugby Champions Cup games were analysed. Global positioning system (sampling: 10 Hz) were used to determine high-speed movements, high-intensity accelerations, repeated high-intensity efforts and high-intensity micro-movements characteristics for five positional groups. During European Champions Cup games, front row forwards performed a higher number of repeated high-intensity efforts compared to National championship games (5.8 +/- 1.6 vs. 3.6 +/- 2.3; +61.1%), and back row forwards travelled greater distance both at high-speed movements (3.4 +/- 1.8 vs. 2.4 +/- 0.9 m.min(-1); +41.7%) and after high-intensity accelerations (78.2 +/- 14.0 vs. 68.1 +/- 13.4 m; +14.8%). In backs, scrum halves carried out more high-intensity accelerations (24.7 +/- 3.1 vs. 14.8 +/- 5.0; +66.3%) whereas outside backs completed a higher number of high-speed movements (62.7 +/- 25.4 vs. 48.3 +/- 17.0; +29.8%) and repeated high-intensity efforts (13.5 +/- 4.6 vs. 9.7 +/- 4.9; +39.2%). These results highlighted that the competition level affected the high-intensity activity differently among the five playing positions. Consequently, training programs in elite rugby should be tailored taking into account both the level of competition and the high-intensity running pattern of each playing position.