ABSTRACT
Many authors have assessed pre-season muscle strength and flexibility and investigated their relation to injury during the competitive season. While the results of such studies are often conflicting, it is generally accepted that low Hamstrings:Quadriceps (H:Q) ratios over a range of movement speeds and poor flexibility are high risk factors in hamstring injury (Jonhagen et al., 1994). In Australian Rules Football for example, Orchard et al. (1997) found that players who had a low isokinetic H:Q ratio of around 0.55 at 60° s−1 (1.05 rad s−1) were more likely to suffer an injury than those who had a ratio of around 0.66. Generally, a ratio of around 0.60 is thought to be sufficient to reduce the risk of injury (Orchard et al., 1997). Rugby Union players have also been reported to have a high incidence of hamstring strains. Upton et al. (1996) observed that 80% of match and training time lost due to injury was a direct result of hamstring strain and reported a rate of 57 injuries per 1000 h of play. The causes of high levels of hamstring strains in Australian Rules Football were suggested to be due to repetitive punt kicking and repeated sprinting efforts during a game. Considering the similar nature of the game, it is likely that such actions are also major causes of hamstring strain in Rugby Union.
