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Managing the Wellbeing of Elite Rugby Union Players from an Occupational Safety and Health Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Yanbing Chen

    (Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin, A94 XF34 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Conor Buggy

    (School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Seamus Kelly

    (School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

Abstract

The intense, physical contact nature of rugby union often encourages the normalization of risk-taking behaviour resulting in a relatively high acceptance of risk. This study aims to explore safety culture in rugby union from an OSH perspective, with the purpose of assisting coaches and management in their decision-making processes to improve players’ health, welfare, and long-term well-being. In terms of data collection, this study involved semi-structured interviews with senior support staff ( n = 15) in elite rugby union. Interview transcripts underwent inductive analysis prior to an abductive analysis that was guided by an established occupational-safety-and-health (OSH) framework. Rugby union players’ safety can be considered from two dimensions: management’s commitment to safety (i.e., safety prioritization, safety empowerment, and safety justice), players’ involvement in safety (i.e., safety prioritization, and trust in other players’ safety competence, and players’ safety concern for the opposition players). Within the themes identified, players’ attitude towards their opponents’ safety which has been rarely considered as a factor for injury prevention is also discussed in this study. If sport support staff (i.e., managers/coaches/medical) can become more involved in players’ performance-orientated training using OSH management processes to aid in their decision-making, their exists the capacity to benefit players’ safe return to play after injury rehabilitation. Meanwhile, directing the development of appropriate behavioural educational interventions to raise safety-awareness amongst players can improve their long-term health and well-being and provide them with the necessary safety and health information to support their own decision-making processes. As a multidisciplinary design, this study contributes new multidisciplinary insights that have the potential to advance managerial practices utilizing an OSH perspective, including decision-making supporting risk alleviation for safety and long-term health and wellbeing initiatives in competitive team sports.

Suggested Citation

  • Yanbing Chen & Conor Buggy & Seamus Kelly, 2022. "Managing the Wellbeing of Elite Rugby Union Players from an Occupational Safety and Health Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-18, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12229-:d:926194
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    References listed on IDEAS

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