Attentional style characteristics of injured professional rugby league players

Abstract

Injury is of high prevalence in rugby league and has negative physical and psychological consequences for the players that experience them (National Health and Medical Research Council, 1994). Rugby league requires players to execute a range of skills including kicking, jumping, passing, catching, and tackling. These skills require a combination of speed, agility, strength, anaerobic and aerobic power. Played by a large number of Australian male athletes, around 30% of injuries incurred playing rugby league are classified as major (Gabbett, 2001). It is generally considered that insufficient information is available on football injuries and that professional athletes should be considered separately to the general population. Psychological research of injury in rugby league is limited and psychological characteristics measured in prospective studies of rugby league injury have not previously been considered.