Mapping the Ecology of the Tackle Event: What Shapes How Elite Rugby Union Players Tackle?

Dixon, AJ, Stokes, K, Littlewood, M ORCID: 0000-0003-1881-6035, Cronin, C ORCID: 0000-0002-1687-4437, Twist, C ORCID: 0000-0001-6168-0378, Hudson, J and Close, GL ORCID: 0000-0002-7210-9553 (2026) Mapping the Ecology of the Tackle Event: What Shapes How Elite Rugby Union Players Tackle? International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. ISSN 1747-9541

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Abstract

Rugby Union is a full contact collision sport, whereby success in the tackle event, is a key marker of match outcome. Moreover, the tackle is associated with the sport's most prevalent injury, concussion. To date, we have little insight into players’ experience of the tackle. Therefore, a series of online focus groups were performed to understand elite male rugby union players’ experiences of collision. Facilitated by a moderator, focus groups were performed with eighteen elite rugby union players across four teams, utilising the Microsoft Teams platform. All players were competing in the Gallagher Premiership during the 2024/ 2025 season. Braun and Clarke's (2019) reflexive thematic analysis was employed. To assist the analysis, the ecological systems model was applied to illustrate the interlinking systems that influence the tackle event, directly or from afar. Findings generated four key themes: 1) Microsystem – People, Positions and Time Determine the Tackle, 2) Mesosystem – Where Coaching Meets the Process of Tackle Variation, 3) Exosystem – Tackle Contexts in relation to rules, refereeing and the laws of the game, and 4) Macrosystem – Wider Contexts Driving Tackle Experiences. The findings detailed here offer novel insights into the tackle event in elite men's rugby union and an ecological platform for future work.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	11 Medical and Health Sciences; 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences; 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences; 42 Health sciences; 52 Psychology
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	SAGE
Date of acceptance:	21 May 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	7 July 2026
Date Deposited:	08 Jun 2026 09:10
Last Modified:	07 Jul 2026 14:06
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28760

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