Collision sports like rugby have a high incidence of injuries, with some reports of 91 injuries per 1000 hours of play, with an average absence of 18 days.
45% of all injuries are sustained within the tackle.
Shoulder injuries account for 9-11% of all injuries with reports of 75% being recurrent.
This presentation looks at the mechanisms of shoulder injury within rugby football and discusses what make a robust “rugby shoulder”, proposes useful assessment tests and considerations for rehabilitation (and preparation ) back to full training and play.
 
Ian Horsley PhD is Clinical Director of Back In Action Rehabilitation in Wakefield UK, and Technical lead Physiotherapist for the English Institute of Sport. He completed his PhD in 2013 which analysed the causative factors of shoulder injuries in professional rugby, and has publish several papers in peer reviewed journals on the management of shoulder injuries within sport. He has attended 2 Olympic Games as a member of the GB team and 2 Commonwealth Games as a member of Team England. Prior to this he spent 10 years working as a contractor physiotherapist for the Rugby Football Union