Table 1.
Top 50 most cited publications on rugby since 2000.
| Rank | Title | Total citations | Year of publication | Citation density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strength and power predictors of sports speed [21] | 407 | 2005 | 22.6 |
| 2 | Epidemiology of injuries in English professional rugby union: part 1 match injuries [22] | 404 | 2005 | 22.4 |
| 3 | Incidence, risk, and prevention of hamstring muscle injuries in professional rugby union [23] | 379 | 2006 | 22.3 |
| 4 | An evaluation of the physiological demands of elite rugby union using global positioning system tracking software [24] | 317 | 2009 | 22.6 |
| 5 | Neuromuscular, endocrine, and perceptual fatigue responses during different length between-match microcycles in professional rugby league players [25] | 291 | 2010 | 22.4 |
| 6 | The acute:chronic workload ratio predicts injury: high chronic workload may decrease injury risk in elite rugby league players [26] | 273 | 2016 | 39.0 |
| 7 | Physical demands of professional rugby league training and competition using microtechnology [27] | 248 | 2012 | 22.5 |
| 8 | Effects of resistance exercise combined with vascular occlusion on muscle function in athletes [28] | 244 | 2002 | 11.6 |
| 9 | Speed, change of direction speed, and reactive agility of rugby league players [29] | 233 | 2008 | 15.5 |
| 10 | Movement and physiological match demands of elite rugby league using portable global positioning systems [30] | 221 | 2011 | 18.4 |
| 11 | Effectiveness of post-match recovery strategies in rugby players [31] | 214 | 2006 | 12.6 |
| 12 | The physical demands of elite English rugby union [32] | 211 | 2008 | 14.1 |
| 13 | The effect of different warm-up stretch protocols on 20-meter sprint performance in trained rugby union players [33] | 209 | 2004 | 11.0 |
| 14 | Postactivation potentiation in professional rugby players: optimal recovery [34] | 202 | 2007 | 12.6 |
| 15 | Epidemiology of injuries in English professional rugby union: part 2 training injuries [35] | 197 | 2005 | 10.9 |
| 16 | Comparison of lower body strength, power, acceleration, speed, agility, and sprint momentum to describe and compare playing rank among professional rugby league players [36] | 196 | 2008 | 13.1 |
| 17 | Time-motion analysis of professional rugby union players during match-play [37] | 190 | 2007 | 11.9 |
| 18 | Testosterone, cortisol, and women's competition [38] | 184 | 2002 | 8.8 |
| 19 | Changes in selected biochemical, muscular strength, power, and endurance measures during deliberate overreaching and tapering in rugby league players [39] | 165 | 2007 | 10.3 |
| 20 | Physiological characteristics of junior and senior rugby league players [40] | 162 | 2002 | 7.7 |
| 21 | Time motion analysis of 2001 and 2002 super 12 rugby [41] | 160 | 2005 | 8.9 |
| 22 | A prospective study of injuries to elite Australian rugby union players [42] | 159 | 2002 | 7.6 |
| 23 | Contact events in rugby union and their propensity to cause injury [43] | 155 | 2007 | 9.7 |
| 24 | Influence of training and match intensity on injuries in rugby league [44] | 153 | 2004 | 8.1 |
| 25 | Sprint patterns in rugby union players during competition [45] | 147 | 2006 | 8.6 |
| 26 | Physical fitness qualities of professional rugby league football players: determination of positional differences [46] | 147 | 2001 | 6.7 |
| 27 | Comparison of upper-body strength and power between professional and college-aged rugby league players [47] | 147 | 2001 | 6.7 |
| 28 | Multiple effects of caffeine on simulated high-intensity team-sport performance [48] | 146 | 2005 | 8.1 |
| 29 | Relationship between training load and injury in professional rugby league players [49] | 145 | 2011 | 12.1 |
| 30 | Relationships between training load, injury, and fitness in sub-elite collision sport athletes [50] | 143 | 2007 | 8.9 |
| 31 | High school rugby players' understanding of concussion and return to play guidelines [51] | 143 | 2006 | 8.4 |
| 32 | The physical demands of super 14 rugby union [52] | 141 | 2011 | 11.8 |
| 33 | Evaluation of muscle damage after a rugby match with special reference to tackle plays [53] | 141 | 2003 | 7.1 |
| 34 | Tackle injuries in professional rugby union [54] | 139 | 2008 | 9.3 |
| 35 | Positional demands of international rugby union: evaluation of player actions and movements [55] | 138 | 2013 | 13.8 |
| 36 | The movement characteristics of English Premiership rugby union players [56] | 137 | 2013 | 13.7 |
| 37 | Monitoring for overreaching in rugby league players [57] | 136 | 2007 | 8.5 |
| 38 | Performance analysis of elite rugby league match play using global positioning systems [58] | 132 | 2011 | 11.0 |
| 39 | The prevalence, influential factors, and mechanisms of relative age effects in UK Rugby League [59] | 132 | 2010 | 10.2 |
| 40 | A series of studies on the training of high-intensity muscle power in rugby league football players [60] | 132 | 2001 | 6.0 |
| 41 | International Rugby Board Rugby World Cup 2007 injury surveillance study [61] | 129 | 2008 | 8.6 |
| 42 | The influence of in-season training loads on injury risk in professional rugby union [62] | 126 | 2016 | 18.0 |
| 43 | Biochemical and endocrine responses to impact and collision during elite rugby league match play [63] | 126 | 2011 | 10.5 |
| 44 | Inclusive masculinity theory and the gendered politics of men's rugby [64] | 126 | 2010 | 9.7 |
| 45 | A comparison of match demands between elite and semi-elite rugby league competition [65] | 126 | 2009 | 9.0 |
| 46 | Influence of fatigue on tackling technique in rugby league players [66] | 125 | 2008 | 8.3 |
| 47 | Eccentric knee flexor strength and risk of hamstring injuries in rugby union: a prospective study [67] | 124 | 2015 | 15.5 |
| 48 | Factors affecting perception of effort (session rating of perceived exertion) during rugby league training [68] | 124 | 2013 | 12.4 |
| 49 | Information-governing dynamics of attacker-defender interactions in youth rugby union [69] | 123 | 2008 | 8.2 |
| 50 | Surgical treatment of anterior instability in rugby union players: clinical and radiographic results of the Latarjet-Patte procedure with minimum 5-year follow-up [70] | 122 | 2012 | 11.1 |
Citation counts as of May 5, 2023.