title: Relationship Between Physical Qualities and Minutes Played in International Women's Rugby Sevens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the physical qualities that differentiate playing minutes in international-level women's rugby sevens players.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four national-level female rugby sevens players underwent measurements of anthropometry, acceleration, speed, lower- and upper-body strength, lower-body power, and aerobic fitness. Playing minutes in international competition were used to differentiate players into 2 groups, a high- or low-playing-minutes group. Playing minutes were related to team selection, which was determined by the coaching staff. Playing minutes were therefore used to differentiate performance levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Players in the high-playing-minutes group (≥70 min) were older (mean ± SD 24.3 ± 3.1 vs 21.2 ± 4.3 y, P = .05, effect size [ES] = 0.77 ± 0.66, 90% confidence limit) and had greater experience in a national-training-center environment (2.4 ± 0.8 vs 1.7 ± 0.9 y, P = .03, ES = 0.83 ± 0.65), faster 1600-m time (374.5 ± 20.4 vs 393.5 ± 29.8 s, P = .09, ES = -0.70 ± 0.68), and greater 1-repetition-maximum upper-body strength (bench press 68.4 ± 6.3 vs 62.2 ± 8.1 kg, P = .07, ES = 0.80 ± 0.70, and neutral-grip pull-up 84.0 ± 8.2 vs 79.1 ± 5.4 kg, P = .12, ES = 0.68 ± 0.72) than athletes who played fewer minutes. Age (rs = .59 ± ~.28), training experience (rs = .57 ± ~.29), bench press (r = .44 ± ~.36), and 1600-m time (r = -.43 ± ~.34) were significantly associated with playing minutes. Neutral-grip pull-up and bench press contributed significantly to a discriminant analysis. The average squared canonical correlation was .46. The discriminant analysis predicted 7 of 9 and 6 of 10 high- and low-playing-minutes athletes, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age, training experience, upper-body strength, and aerobic fitness differentiated athlete playing minutes in international women's rugby sevens.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, Victoria, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Tyler L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Goodale
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gabbett
authors.forename: Trent
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stellingwerff
authors.forename: Ming-Chang
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Jeremy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sheppard
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005538:Football / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult