'I Just Spiralled': a socio-ecological exploration of injury experiences in female rugby

Wright, T, McGinty-Minister, K and Swettenham, LD ORCID: 0000-0002-7010-6543 'I Just Spiralled': a socio-ecological exploration of injury experiences in female rugby. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. ISSN 1063-6161 (Accepted)

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Abstract

This qualitative study examines the psychosocial impacts of musculoskeletal (MSK) injury amongst female rugby players, an underrepresented group in research. 17 non-elite female rugby players aged 21–37 were interviewed, and their experiences were interpreted using the socio-ecological model. Reflexive thematic analysis identified ten sub-themes across four levels: individual, interpersonal, organisational, and socio-cultural. Findings show that MSK injury disrupts athletic identity, mental health, and daily functioning, often intensified by sex- (and gender) specific challenges such as caregiving responsibilities, biological differences and systemic inequities. Participants described both psychological distress and personal growth, with support from teammates, coaches, and family central to recovery. Yet the absence of integrated mental health care and female-responsive policy within rugby organisations worsened negative outcomes. The study calls for holistic, multi-disciplinary rehabilitation approaches and policy reform to better meet non-elite female rugby players’ needs, offering new insights to sport psychology literature.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	1699 Other Studies in Human Society; 4207 Sports science and exercise; 4405 Gender studies
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Human Kinetics
Date of acceptance:	6 June 2026
Date Deposited:	11 Jun 2026 14:58
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2026 14:58
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28814

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