UL and IRFU research reveals latest injury trends in Irish rugby clubs and schools

A University of Limerick research project looking at player welfare in rugby reveals the latest injury trends in Irish rugby clubs and schools.

University of Limerick and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) have published the latest findings from the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) Project, the longest-running injury monitoring system in Irish amateur rugby.

Now starting its ninth season of data collection, the IRIS Project which is based at UL and led by principal investigators Professor Tom Comyns and Professor Ian Kenny, monitors injury trends across the adult men’s and women’s club game and schools' game.

IRIS has become a global reference point for community-level injury surveillance and prevention.

The reports from the 2025/26 season — covering 30 adult amateur men’s and women’s clubs and 15 school senior cup teams — offer the most comprehensive overview of rugby injuries across Ireland’s grassroots game.

Overall, in the Men’s All-Ireland League (AIL), a single player would have to play on average 22 matches to sustain one injury, while in the Women’s AIL, a single player would have to play 42 matches to sustain one injury. In the schools' game a single player would have to play, on average, 20 matches to sustain one injury. Professor Rod McLoughlin, IRFU Medical Director, said: “The annual IRIS reports are a valuable component of how we develop welfare policies specific to our grassroots game. Over the last three seasons, the landmark reductions in concussion and injury rates seen during the IRFU Tackle Behaviours Trial are encouraging and show the benefit of evidence-informed strategies to improve player welfare and performance.

“The ongoing commitment from Schools and Clubs nationwide allows us to accurately compare injury trends following changes to laws and the implementation of player welfare strategies. Our relationship with UL and the IRIS Project has grown over the last decade and has been central to how we shape and support the grassroots game. This relationship has been key to our delivery of IRFU player welfare strategies,” he added.

Professor Tom Comyns, Principal Investigator at UL, emphasised the scale and significance of the project:

“The IRIS Project is a model of applied research in sport. Through collaboration with the IRFU, we’re connecting high-quality injury surveillance with real-world solutions that enhance player welfare, performance and enjoyment. Translational research such as this is imperative and this work is positively influencing player health and wellbeing.”

Professor Ian Kenny, Principal Investigator at UL, added: “This year the analysis was led by researchers Shane Scanlon (schools) and Jack Hickey (clubs). Longitudinal data from schools and clubs allow us to continually monitor injury patterns from youth to adult levels. This insight is invaluable in shaping prevention programmes and education initiatives for players and coaches. We are grateful to each and every club, school, data collector, volunteer, player and staff that are part of this work.”

Launched in 2016, the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) Project is a collaboration between the IRFU and University of Limerick. It collects and analyses injury data from the amateur men’s, women’s, and schools’ games to improve player safety and performance, reduce injury risk, and support evidence-based policy across Irish rugby.

Key Insights Across Clubs and Schools from the 2025/26 season:

Club Game (Men and Women)

• Concussion and overall injury rates continue to drop since the implementation of the Tackle Behaviours Trial in 2023/24 season
• Hamstring strains were the second most common injury in the Men’s AIL
• Knee sprains remain one of the most common injuries in the Women’s AIL, and resulted in the greatest time-loss for Women’s players
• The number of tackle-related injuries decreased compared to previous seasons

Schools' Game (Senior Cup Level)

• Concussion and shoulder injuries were the most common injuries overall
• The shoulder was the most commonly injured body location, accounting for 25% of all injuries
• Shoulder dislocations / subluxations and knee ligament sprains resulted in the greatest time-loss on average