Relative Age Effects in Women's Rugby Union From Developmental Leagues to World Cup Tournaments. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lemez, Srdjan; MacMahon, Clare; Weir, Patricia
• Is Part Of: Research quarterly for exercise and sport. Volume 87:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 59
• Page End: 67
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: Participation -- psychology -- skill acquisition -- sport; Physical education and training -- Periodicals; Health education -- Periodicals; Recreation -- Periodicals; Physical Education and Training -- Periodicals; Sports -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; Lichamelijke opvoeding; Sport; Exercice -- Périodiques; Sports -- Périodiques; 613.7105
• DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2015.1116120
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0270-1367

Abstract

Abstract : Annual age cohort groupings promote relative age effects (RAEs), which often, inadvertently, create participation and attainment biases between relatively older and younger players within the same age cohort. In a globally evolving sport, women's rugby team selection practices may potentially bypass qualified players as a result of maturational differences.Purpose: Our study examined the prevalence of RAEs in women's rugby union.Method: Player data (age range = 4–21+ years) were gathered from the 2006 and 2010 Rugby World Cups ( n = 498) and from Canadian (n = 1, 497) and New Zealand (NZ; n = 13, 899) developmental rugby leagues.Results: Although no evidence of an RAE was found in the World Cup samples, chi-square analyses identified some typical and atypical patterns of RAEs at the developmental levels ( w ≥ .3). Younger developmental groups displayed a typical RAE patterning with a greater representation of older players (Canadian 13-year-olds, w = .58; NZ 4-year-olds, w = .35), whereas older developmental groups displayed an atypical RAE patterning with a greater representation of younger players (Canadian 19-year-olds, w = .58; NZ 17-year-olds, w = .32). Further, a traditional RAE emerged in the Canadian 11- to 15-year-old age group, χ 2 (3) = 10.92, p < .05, w = .30.Conclusion: The lack of homogeneity of traditional RAEs across the sample questions the existence of a single, clear RAE in women's rugby. Some evidence of participation inequalities at the developmental levels suggests that further RAE research in more varied sociocultural contexts may be necessary.