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Table 1 Group comparisons for demographic characteristics and SCRuM test items by playing standards

From: Qualities or skills discriminating under 19 rugby players by playing standards: a comparative analysis of elite, sub-elite and non-rugby players using the SCRuM test battery

 

Elite

[1]

(n = 41)

Sub-elite

[2]

(n = 46)

Non-rugby

[3]

(n = 21)

One-way ANOVA

[1] vs [2].

ES

[1] vs [3]

ES

[2] vs. [3]

ES

 

Mean ± SD

Mean ± SD

Mean ± SD

F

P

Posthoc

d

d

d

Age (yrs)

17.5 ± 0.85

17.4 ± 0.87

17.6 ± 0.81

0.14

0.87

 

0.12

0.12

0.24

Playing exp. (yrs)

4.95 ± 0.74

4.89 ± 0.67

4.74 ± 0.38

1.56

0.24

 

0.09

0.36

0.28

APHV (yrs)

15.6 ± 0.60

15.8 ± 0.13

15.8 ± 0.58

1.21

0.30

 

0.46

0.34

0.00

Maturity offset (yrs)

1.93 ± 0.53

1.64 ± 0.97

1.78 ± 0.56

1.61

0.21

 

0.37

0.28

0.18

Anthropometric tests

 Body mass (kg)

77.5 ± 9.58

75.9 ± 11.6

68.5 ± 9.47

5.40

0.006*

1, 2 > 3

0.15

0.94a

0.70a

 Height (m)

1.73 ± 0.06

1.72 ± 0.08

1.71 ± 0.06

0.30

0.74

 

0.14

0.33

0.14

 Biceps (mm)

6.71 ± 3.62

6.60 ± 3.14

6.57 ± 2.27

0.02

0.98

 

0.03

0.05

0.01

 Triceps (mm)

9.44 ± 2.95

9.83 ± 4.58

8.36 ± 2.69

1.15

0.32

 

0.10

0.38

0.39

 Subscapul. (mm)wg

12.8 ± 2.74

13.5 ± 4.64

11.2 ± 2.64

3.73

0.03*

2 > 3

0.18

0.59

0.61a

 Suprailiac (mm)

8.93 ± 3.84

9.51 ± 3.93

9.52 ± 1.98

0.34

0.71

 

0.15

0.19

0.00

 Abdomen (mm)w

11.4 ± 2.85

13.3 ± 5.90

11.8 ± 2.41

1.79

0.18

 

0.45

0.15

0.33

 Thigh (mm)

9.98 ± 2.48

11.0 ± 4.83

9.08 ± 2.00

2.86

0.07

 

0.27

0.40

0.52

 Calf (mm)w

5.49 ± 1.03

6.11 ± 2.07

6.17 ± 1.29

3.08

0.05

 

0.38

0.58

0.03

 Sum of SKF (mm)w

64.7 ± 15.6

69.8 ± 24.4

62.7 ± 11.6

1.30

0.28

 

0.25

0.15

0.37

Physiological tests

 20 m speed (s)

3.25 ± 0.17

3.36 ± 0.23b

3.47 ± 0.25

8.30

< 0.001*

1 < 2, 3

0.54

1.03a

0.46

 40 m speed (s)

5.60 ± 0.29

5.84 ± 0.40b

6.10 ± 0.27

16.2

< 0.001*

1 < 2, 3; 2 < 3

0.69a

1.78a

0.76a

 L-run test (s)

6.21 ± 0.32

6.33 ± 0.33b

6.43 ± 0.25

3.65

0.03*

1 < 3

0.37

0.77a

0.34

 VJtest (cm)

47.8 ± 3.81

42.5 ± 3.84b

44.4 ± 3.85

20.5

< 0.001*

1 > 2, 3

1.39a

0.89a

0.49

 2 kg MBCT test (m)

9.23 ± 1.26

8.31 ± 1.18

7.18 ± 1.16

20.4

< 0.001*

1 > 2, 3; 2 > 3

0.75a

1.69a

0.97a

 60 s Push Up (n)

49.7 ± 9.97

43.9 ± 12.0

38.2 ± 6.50

8.95

< 0.001*

1 > 2, 3

0.53

1.37a

0.59

 WSLS test (s)wg

146.0 ± 9.72

137.5 ± 21.7

132.6 ± 7.41

18.3

< 0.001*

1 > 2, 3

0.51

1.55a

0.30

 1RM BS test (kg)

98.4 ± 14.8

89.5 ± 16.3

–

2.68c

0.009*

 

0.57

–

–

 Relative BS (kg/kg−1)

1.27 ± 0.04

1.17 ± 0.06

–

8.77c

< 0.001*

 

1.96a

–

–

 1RM BP test (kg)

90.5 ± 16.4

80.6 ± 15.9

–

2.86c

0.005*

 

0.61a

–

–

 Relative BP (kg/kg−1)

1.16 ± 0.08

1.06 ± 0.06

–

6.98c

< 0.001*

 

1.41a

–

–

 RHIE 1st sprint test (s)

10.2 ± 0.77

10.5 ± 0.81b

–

1.87c

0.07

 

0.38

–

–

 RHIE 2nd sprint test (s)

13.0 ± 1.02

13.2 ± 0.96b

–

0.76c

0.45

 

0.20

–

–

 RHIE 3rd sprint test (s)

16.1 ± 1.49

18.2 ± 1.64b

–

6.32c

< 0.001*

 

1.34a

–

–

 RHIE total sprint test (s)

39.3 ± 2.96

41.9 ± 2.97b

–

4.04c

< 0.001*

 

0.88a

–

–

 Decrement in RHIE (s)

5.92 ± 1.17

7.76 ± 1.31b

–

6.81c

< 0.001*

 

1.48a

–

–

 Yo–Yo IRT (m)wg

1505.9 ± 75.8

1443.6 ± 259.1b

1053.3 ± 148.8

84.5

< 0.001*

1, 2 > 3

0.33

3.83a

1.85a

Rugby-specific tests

 Tackling test (%)

87.9 ± 8.44

84.8 ± 8.16

–

1.77c

0.08

 

0.37

–

–

 Passing ability test (au)wg

116.2 ± 2.13

113.0 ± 4.07

–

4.60c

< 0.001*

 

0.99a

–

–

 Catching ability test (au)wg

74.0 ± 1.07

73.5 ± 1.35

–

1.98c

0.05

 

0.41

–

–

  1. [1], Elite group; [2], Sub-elite group; [3], Non-rugby group; Playing exp., Number of years playing competitive schoolboy sport either rugby or cricket; Subscapul. (mm), Subscapular (mm); SKF, Skinfolds; catching ability, running and catching ability test expressed in arbitrary units; SD, standard deviation; F, F test for ANOVA reporting the p value; wg, Welch F test reported and Games Howell test used for the post hoc analysis; w, Welch test results reported because of a significant Levene’s test result based on the mean; 2 kg MBCT, 2 kg medicine ball chest throw test; WSLS, Wall sit leg strength test; Yo–Yo IRT, Yo–Yo intermittent recovery test; Tackling proficiency (%), Tackling test expressed as a percentage; 1RM, one repetition maximum; 1RM BS and BP, one repetition maximum bench squat and press respectively; RHIE, repeated high intensity exercise test measured in seconds; no cricket players were allowed to perform 1RM BP, 1RM BS and RHIE because of lack of training exposure to these physically demanding tests; au, arbitrary units
  2. a Denotes moderate to large effect sizes for within age-group comparison using the Cohen d; d, effect size APHV, predicted age at peak height velocity based on prediction equations reflecting the estimated age at maximal velocity of growth in height during the adolescent spurt; Maturity offset (years), predicted years before or after age peak height velocity (APHV). The chronological age (CA) at prediction minus offset provides an estimate of APHV; VJ test, vertical jump test
  3. b, sample size was 44 for the specified running tests
  4. c, t-test independent samples test results comparing two groups; Posthoc, refers to the Scheffe or games Howell test results; Decrement in RHIE, Decrement in RHIE sprint performance calculated as the difference in time taken (seconds) to complete the third set of sprints (sprints 7–9) compared with the total time taken to complete the first set of 3 sprints (sprints 1 − 3) denoting fatigue time; d sample size was 26 for the respective tests; ES, effect size; One-way ANOVA, one way analysis of variance
  5. * Significant p values for the ANOVA F test; 5 m speed, 10 m speed, sit and reach tests and passing for accuracy tests were found unreliable in a preliminary study involves two repeated measures. U19 cricket players did not perform game skills due to the physically and technically demanding nature of these tests and local cricket coaches’ had reservations on U19 cricket players performing rugby-oriented technical skills
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BMC Research Notes

ISSN: 1756-0500

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