The most common rugby league injuries affect the lower body, especially ankles, knees and hamstrings, along with head, face and shoulder injuries from tackles. You can lower your risk with cross-training, a good warm-up, protective gear, safe tackling technique and enough rest, and sports physiotherapy can help you recover if you do get hurt.
NRL is an extremely physically demanding sport, and depending on who you follow, it might be emotionally demanding to watch. While we can’t help your NRL team reach the finals, our sports physiotherapy can help you reduce your risk of common rugby league injuries and treat them if they happen.
Playing NRL is hard on the body; you’re tackling, passing and sprinting, often all at once, for extended periods. You also come into regular and rough contact with other players. Combine this with the several kilometres of running required during a game, and your injury risk goes up.
There are things you can do to help prepare for your games, and if you do get injured, our physiotherapists can help you get back out there.
What are the most common NRL injuries?
Many rugby league injuries happen in the lower parts of the body, such as your ankles, hamstrings and knees.
The physicality of NRL – the tackling, diving, and falling over – means that head injuries are also common. These can vary from cuts and bruises to concussion and facial fractures. Anyone with a suspected concussion should stop playing straight away and see a doctor before returning to the game.
If you find yourself injured after a game, we have physiotherapists who have substantial experience working with sports and spinal injuries.
Some other common NRL injuries include:
- Ankle sprains
- Hamstring tears
- Jumper’s knee
- Dislocated shoulders
- Shin splints
How can I prevent common NRL injuries?
Cross-training
Training is essential for performing well on the field. It goes without saying that you should train with your specific sport in mind, but to reduce your risk of injury, you also need to be cross-training.
Cross-training means doing activities not specifically related to your focus sport, working muscles you don’t normally work on, and giving your other muscles a chance to recover. You’ll get fitter overall, and most importantly, lower your risk of injury.
To help reduce some of the most common NRL injuries, like ankle injuries, work on your balance and strength through cross-training exercises. This could be doing yoga or specific strength-based exercises that will support your stability on the field. A session with our physiotherapist is also a great way to make sure you train well.
Warm up and down
Hamstring tears are one of the most common NRL injuries. They usually happen when you move suddenly, when you’re changing direction, or when you go from a jog to a sprint.
To help reduce the risk of hamstring (and other) injuries, it’s important to warm up and warm down before and after a game and prepare your muscles and tendons for the physical demands of an NRL game. Our physiotherapists can provide a warm-up and down program that supports your training.
Wear protective gear
You’ll see many professional NRL players wearing protective gear, and there’s a good reason – adding a layer of protection makes sense when it comes to injury. Here are some ways to protect yourself:
- Headgear: can help protect against cuts and some knocks to the head (it does not prevent concussion).
- Mouthguards: these help protect against broken teeth and mouth injuries.
- Shin guards: your shin bone is very exposed, and wearing shin guards adds an extra layer of protection.
You might also notice some players wearing body braces or tape. Taping and bracing can help support previously injured areas. Our physiotherapists can show you how to tape up previous injuries.
Tackling technique
In a professional game, there are hundreds of tackles – so tackling correctly is essential for winning a game of rugby league.
An incorrectly executed tackle not only leads to loss of possession or a game, but it can also lead to injury, and tackles are one of the leading causes of injury for NRL players.
Keep fit, but also rest
Balance is key with most things, and overdoing it with either training or games can lead to fatigue, which increases your risk of injury. Work with our physiotherapist to balance your training schedule with rest days and cross-training.
Practice makes perfect, and it also helps to reduce injury. Before you get out on the field, make sure you’ve done enough training and that the training you’re doing mimics a real-game scenario. During an NRL game, there are high-intensity moments and short breaks, and you also need upper body strength. Work with a coach or a physiotherapist to balance aerobic, strength and cross-training exercises.
How sports physiotherapy can help with injury recovery
Physiotherapists who have substantial experience working in sports injuries can help you get the most out of your chosen sport.
Sports injury physiotherapy can help with:
- Creating preventative exercise programs that aim to reduce the risk of injury, for example, providing you with cross-training exercises to support your NRL-specific training.
- Working with you to strengthen previous injuries to lower the chance of them becoming recurring issues.
- Creating targeted rehabilitation plans to help you manage and recover from an injury.
*All information is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Physionorth can consult with you to confirm if this advice is right for you.
