Tackling the Contact in Collision Sports: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Elite Rugby Collisions

Dixon, A (2026) Tackling the Contact in Collision Sports: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Elite Rugby Collisions. Doctoral thesis, Liverpool John Moores University.

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Abstract

The rugby tackle event is a physical contest whereby the tackler aims to limit territory and point scoring opportunities of a ball carrier. The tackle has gained a significant level of traction in recent research due to its proclivity to injury, given its chaotic nature and the high-level transfer of force. Despite the progress in recent literature, concussion rates in both codes remain significant, highlighting the complexity in reducing the injurious event. Moreover, the implications for long term health outcomes from sustaining concussions highlight this as an area for further investigation. Prior research has aimed to explore the tackle through a descriptive lens, without attempting to understand the lived experiences of elite stakeholders involved in training and performing it. As such, there is a substantial void in the literature for qualitative and experimental research investigating the tackle. Through four interrelated studies, this thesis addressed this gap by exploring the tackle event across both codes of rugby (league and union). Therefore, this study aims to explore the rugby tackle event, contributing to the current landscape and apply new methodologies for understanding the tackle. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the thesis comprised two different sets of focus groups with 18 elite RL players and 18 elite RU players, semi-structured interviews with 19 elite stakeholders (coaches, physiotherapists, doctors, and strength coaches) and an experimental design assessing tackle proficiency in 13 highly trained RL players. The overall findings demonstrated that controlling the ruck as a pivotal philosophical underpinning in elite rugby, as tackle type in comparison to tackle proficiency cues, were highlighted. A key interplay between mean match speed, ball in play and contact load was documented, illustrating the requirement to fully understand the unintended consequences of rule changes prior to enacting them. Finally, the socio-ecological influences on the tackle are illuminated, providing key insights for policymakers to reduce injury risk and guide future decision making on the tackle.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Collision Sports; The Tackle Event; Mixed-methods; Rugby League; Rugby Union
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Date of acceptance:	23 April 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	5 May 2026
Date Deposited:	05 May 2026 09:19
Last Modified:	05 May 2026 09:19
DOI or ID number:	10.24377/LJMU.t.00028405
Supervisors:	Close, GL, Littlewood, M, Cronin, C and Twist, C
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28405

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