TY - JOUR
T1 - Insights into breast health issues in women’s rugby
AU - Wakefield-Scurr, Joanna
AU - St John, Edward
AU - Bibby, K.
AU - Renwick, Nichola Helen
AU - Smith, Neal
AU - Hobbs, Samantha
AU - Brown, Nicola
PY - 2024/7/1
Y1 - 2024/7/1
N2 - World RugbyTM support dedicated women’s welfare, injury surveillance, and medical/technical interventions, yet breast health has received limited attention. This article aims to provide insights into breast health issues in rugby, including breast impacts and injuries. We discuss how breast anatomy and position may be problematic in rugby. Breast volume relates to body size, which may be increasing in women’s rugby, suggesting increased breast surface area and mass, potentially increasing injury risk. Breast health issues in rugby have been reported previously, with 58% of contact footballers (including rugby) experiencing breast injuries. There are damaging effects related to these breast health issues, with breast impacts often causing pain and swelling. Breast impacts may lead to haematomas, cysts and fat necrosis which can calcify over time making them difficult to distinguish from breast carcinoma, causing further investigation and anxiety. In sport, poor bra fit and insufficient support is associated with pain, skin strain, and performance decrements. This article reports the potential implications of these breast health issues on performance in rugby. Recent breast related projects supported by rugby communities may address recommendations identified in the literature for robust breast injury classifications, updated injury surveillance systems, and prospective data collection on breast injury prevalence, severity and impact in rugby. These data should inform breast injury care pathways and intervention research, including evidence-based bra design. Understanding the implications of breast impacts on tissue properties, health and wellbeing is vital. Finally, data should inform rugby specific breast education, raising awareness of this aspect of athlete health.
AB - World RugbyTM support dedicated women’s welfare, injury surveillance, and medical/technical interventions, yet breast health has received limited attention. This article aims to provide insights into breast health issues in rugby, including breast impacts and injuries. We discuss how breast anatomy and position may be problematic in rugby. Breast volume relates to body size, which may be increasing in women’s rugby, suggesting increased breast surface area and mass, potentially increasing injury risk. Breast health issues in rugby have been reported previously, with 58% of contact footballers (including rugby) experiencing breast injuries. There are damaging effects related to these breast health issues, with breast impacts often causing pain and swelling. Breast impacts may lead to haematomas, cysts and fat necrosis which can calcify over time making them difficult to distinguish from breast carcinoma, causing further investigation and anxiety. In sport, poor bra fit and insufficient support is associated with pain, skin strain, and performance decrements. This article reports the potential implications of these breast health issues on performance in rugby. Recent breast related projects supported by rugby communities may address recommendations identified in the literature for robust breast injury classifications, updated injury surveillance systems, and prospective data collection on breast injury prevalence, severity and impact in rugby. These data should inform breast injury care pathways and intervention research, including evidence-based bra design. Understanding the implications of breast impacts on tissue properties, health and wellbeing is vital. Finally, data should inform rugby specific breast education, raising awareness of this aspect of athlete health.
KW - gender
KW - health
KW - medicine
KW - support
KW - team sport
UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15367290
U2 - 10.1002/ejsc.12128
DO - 10.1002/ejsc.12128
M3 - Article
SN - 1746-1391
JO - European Journal of Sport Science
JF - European Journal of Sport Science
ER -