Science and rugby union

Stephen Mellalieu, Grant Trewartha, Keith Stokes

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorialpeer-review

Abstract

Since the declaration by the International Rugby Board (IRB) in August 1995 that the game of rugby union would become professional, the sport has undergone considerable change both on and off the field. Indeed, the recent 2007 Rugby World Cup in France was the world's third largest sporting event after the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, attracting over two million spectators and viewed by a worldwide audience of over three billion people. Such is the nature of the sport that lucrative contracts are now attainable for elite players, coaches, and management staff. Indeed, domestic clubs and national governing bodies have been compelled to amend both their playing and business strategies to compete with performance standards at the highest level. The last decade has therefore been a period of enormous change, as the sport has adapted to its new professional structure (McMillan,
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)791-794
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Sports Sciences
Volume26
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 May 2008
Externally publishedYes

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