title: Influence of playing standard on the physical demands of junior rugby league tournament match-play.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the physical demands on junior rugby league players competing at three different standards of tournament match-play.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty junior rugby league players (mean ± SD age, 16.7 ± 0.7 years) participated in this study. Players were either competing in Division 1, Division 2, or Division 3 teams of the Confraternity carnival. Global positioning system (GPS) analysis was completed during 17 matches (totalling 139 appearances).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Division 1 and 2 players covered significantly (p=0.001) greater distance per minute of match play than Division 3 players (83.0 ± 12.3m/min and 81.5 ± 6.9 m/min vs. 73.3 ± 9.8m/min). The greater total distance at the higher competitive standard was achieved through greater (p=0.001) distances at low speeds, with Division 1 players also covering more (p=0.038) high speed running than Division 3 players. Expressed relative to playing time, the number of total collisions was lower (p=0.001) in Division 3 players. Division 2 players engaged in more (p=0.034) repeated high-intensity effort bouts than Division 3 players. Significant decrements in total (p=0.005) and low speed distances (p=0.006) were found, with Division 3 players showing the largest reductions in performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate that both the average intensity and the repeated high-intensity effort demands of junior rugby league tournament match-play are greater at higher playing standards. Sport scientists and conditioning staff can use these data to plan appropriate training sessions to allow players to tolerate match-play demands, and recover from the demands of competition.
authors: School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia; School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: tim_gabbett@yahoo.com.au.
authors: Tim J
authors: TJ
authors: Gabbett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology; D005538:Football / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology* / Q000592:standards*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D013996:Time and Motion Studies
keywords: Collision sport; Fitness; Match analysis; Repeated high-intensity effort; Team sport