The Serious Injury protocol is already one of these initiatives. Research is important to measure the outcome measures of change and effect and also provides scientific credibility to the programme.
BokSmart has already surveyed the current knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of players regarding rugby safety, injury prevention and injury management at secondary/high school level and at senior club level around the country. Measuring the change in these measures will also provide insight into whether the information provided to the coaches and referees are indeed getting to the players.
Additionally, what makes BokSmart unique in South Africa is that we have used more than 34 experts to develop the program content and that every guideline document provided has a supporting, researched evidence-base, has been peer-reviewed and edited.
Head Acceleration Events During Tackle, Ball-Carry, and Ruck Events in Professional Southern Hemisphere Men's Rugby Union Matches: A Study Using Instrumented Mouthguards
Gregory Roe, Thomas Sawczuk, Cameron Owen, James Tooby, Lindsay Starling, Mark S. Gilthorpe, Éanna Falvey, Sharief Hendricks, Karen Rasmussen, Clint Readhead, Danielle Salmon, Keith Stokes, Ross Tucker, Ben Jones
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2024; 34:e14676.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14676
SARU Girls’ Youth Week Injury Surveillance Report, 2022
Lara Paul, Clint Readhead, Wayne Viljoen, and Mike Lambert. (2024)
S Afr J Sports Med 2024;36:1-39. DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2024/v36i1a18554.
https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/sajsm/article/view/18554/21374
Injury in Starting and Replacement Players from Five Professional Men’s Rugby Unions
Simon P. Roberts, Keith A. Stokes, Sean Williams, Stephen W. West, Simon Kemp, Matt Cross, Isabel S. Moore, Charlotte Leah Bitchell, Prabhat Mathema, Ken Quarrie, Warren McDonald, Lauren Fortington, Eduardo Rubio del Castillo, Clint Readhead, Nicola Sewry, Éanna Falvey & Ross Tucker.
Sports Medicine. Published online: 12 April 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02014-3
Embracing the impact from instrumented mouthguards (iMGs): A survey of iMG managers' perceptions of staff and player interest into the technology, data and barriers to use
Gregory Roe, Sarah Whitehead, Lindsay Starling, David Allan, Matt Cross, Éanna Falvey, Simon Kemp, Cameron Owen, Clint Readhead, Danielle Salmon, Sean Scantlebury, Keith Stokes, Greg Tierney, James Tooby, Ross Tucker, Ben Jones.
Eur J Sport Sci. 2024;1–12. First published: 19 March 2024
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.12101
SA Rugby Injury and Illness Surveillance and Prevention Project (SARIISPP): The Currie Cup Premiership Competition Injury Surveillance Report 2022
Lara Paul; Clint Readhead; Wayne Viljoen; Mike Lambert
South African Journal of Sports Medicine 2023;35:1-45 | Journal article: DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2023/v35i1a16880
https://doi.org/10.17159/2078-516X/2023/v35i1a16880
Under-13 rugby: What are the issues? A panel discussion
Durandt, J., Hendricks, S., Marshall, M., Roux, A., & Hare, E. (2015).
South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 27 (3)
https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJSM.8078
SA Rugby Injury and Illness Surveillance and Prevention Project (SARIISPP): The Carling Currie Cup Premiership Competition Injury Surveillance Report 2021
Lara Paul; Clint Readhead; Wayne Viljoen; Lindsay Starling; Mike Lambert
South African Journal of Sports Medicine (2022-12-09) | Journal article: DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2022/v34i1a15259
https://doi.org/10.17159/2078-516x/2022/v34i1a15259
Legal and illegal ruck cleanouts in South African non-professional youth rugby
Stephanie Kruger, Lee Moore, Wayne Viljoen, Mike Lambert, Clint Readhead, and Wilbur Kraak
International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2022, Pg. 1–9; DOI: 10.1177/17479541221122439
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/17479541221122439
Expansion of cognitive testing for off-field concussion screening in elite rugby players: A cohort study
Gordon Ward Fuller, Andrew Gardner, Ross Tucker, Marc Douglas, Clint Readhead, Warren McDonald, Ian Murphy, Marcelo Saco, Martin Raftery, Eanna Falvey
Published: June 11, 2021 - ORIGINAL RESEARCH | Volume 24, Issue 12, P1204-1210, December 01, 2021
Team Sport Risk Exposure Framework-2 (TS-REF-2) to identify sports activities and contacts at increased SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk during the COVID-19 pandemic
Jones B, Phillips G, Beggs C, et al
British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 29 June 2021. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104225
The South African Rugby Injury and Illness Surveillance and Prevention Project (SARIISPP): SARU Girls’ Youth Week Injury Surveillance Report 2019
Paul, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W., & Lambert, M. (2021).
South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.17159/2078-516X/2021/v33i1a12487
The Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked and Carling Currie Cup Injury Surveillance Report 2020/21
Starling, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W., Paul, L. and Lambert, M. (2021)
S Afr J Sports Med 2021;33:1-39. DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2021/v33i1a11849
Tackler and ball-carrier technique during moderate and severe injuries (≥8 days lost) compared with player-matched and team-matched injury-free controls in Elite Rugby Union
Vincent Meintjes, Pip Forshaw, Steve den Hollander, Lindsay Starling, Michael Ian Lambert, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead, Sharief Hendricks (2021)
Br J Sports Med 2021;0:1–10. Published Online First: 13 July 2021. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103759
Medical care and first aid: an interassociation consensus framework for organised non-elite sport during the COVID-19 pandemic
Lisa Hodgson, Gemma Phillips, Robin Terence Saggers , Sanjay Sharma, Michael Papadakis, Clint Readhead, Charlotte M Cowie, Andrew Massey ,Richard Weiler, Prabhat Mathema, Jo Larkin, Jonathan Gordon, John Maclean, Michael Rossiter, Niall Elliott , Jonathan Hanson, Simon Spencer, Rod Jaques, Jon Patricios (2021)
Br J Sports Med 2021;0:1–12. Published Online First: 22 February 2021. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103622
SARU Youth Week Injury Surveillance Report 2019
Paul, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W. and Lambert, M. (2020).
S Afr J Sports Med 2020;32:1-28; DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2020/v32i1a9257
Ankle osteoarthritis and its association with severe ankle injuries, ankle surgeries and health-related quality of life in recently retired professional male football and rugby players: a cross-sectional observational study
Liam D. A. Paget, Haruhito Aoki, Simon Kemp, Mike Lambert, Clint Readhead, Keith A Stokes, Wayne Viljoen, Gustaaf Reurink, Johannes L Tol, Gino M M J Kerkhoffs, Vincent Gouttebarge (2020).
BMJ Open 2020;10:e036775. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036775
The Currie Cup Premiership Competition Injury Surveillance Report 2014-2019
Starling, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W. and Lambert, M. (2020).
S Afr J Sports Med 2020;32:1-43. DOI:10.17159/2078-516X/2020/v32i1a8560
Consensus on a video analysis framework of descriptors and definitions by the Rugby Union Video Analysis Consensus group
Sharief Hendricks, Kevin Till, Steve den Hollander, Trevor N Savage, Simon P Roberts, Gregory Tierney, Nicholas Burger, Hamish Kerr, Simon Kemp, Matthew Cross, Jon Patricios, Andrew J McKune, Mark Bennet, Andy Rock, Keith A Stokes, Alex Ross, Clint Readhead, Kenneth L Quarrie, Ross Tucker, Ben Jones (2019)
Br J Sports Med Epub ahead of print: doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-101293
Impact of concussion and severe musculoskeletal injuries on the onset of mental health symptoms in male professional rugby players: a 12-month study
Özgür Kilic, Phil Hopley, Gino M M J Kerkhoffs, Mike Lambert, Evert Verhagen, Wayne Viljoen, Paul Wylleman, Vincent Gouttebarge (2020)
BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2019;5:e000693. doi:10.1136/ bmjsem-2019-000693
The South African Rugby Union Youth Weeks Injury Surveillance Report 2018
Starling, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W. and Lambert, M. (2019)
S Afr J Sports Med 2019;31:1-19. DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2019/v31i1a6365
The Currie Cup Premiership Competition Injury Surveillance Report 2014 – 2018
Starling, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W. and Lambert, M. (2019).
S Afr J Sports Med 2019;31:1-47. DOI:10.17159/2078-516X/2018/v31i1a6532
QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH RUGBY-RELATED SPINAL CORD INJURIES IN SOUTH AFRICA: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
M. Badenhorst, J.C Brown, M. Lambert, W. van Mechelen, E. Verhagen (2018). BMJ Open 2018; 8: e020890.
doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020890
‘IN A BLINK OF AN EYE YOUR LIFE CAN CHANGE’: EXPERIENCES OF PLAYERS SUSTAINING A RUGBY-RELATED ACUTE SPINAL CORD INJURY
M. Badenhorst, E. Verhagen, M. Lambert, W. van Mechelen, J.C Brown (2018).
Injury Prevention Published Online First: 05 July 2018. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2018-042871
The Currie Cup Premiership Competition Injury Surveillance Report 2014 – 2017
Starling, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W., Brown, J., Sewry, N., and Lambert, M. (2018).
S Afr J Sports Med 2018;30:1-42. DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2018/v30i1a5720
NON-SANCTIONING OF ILLEGAL TACKLES IN SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH COMMUNITY RUGBY
J.C. Brown, S.J. Boucher, M. Lambert, W. Viljoen, C. Readhead, S. Hendricks, W.J. Kraak (2017).
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
SYMPTOMS OF COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS IN PROFESSIONAL RUGBY: AN INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATIONAL DESCRIPTIVE STUDY
Vincent Gouttebarge, Phil Hopley, Gino Kerkhoffs, Evert Verhagen, Wayne Viljoen, Paul Wylleman, Mike I. Lambert (2017).
Published online: 2017 | Int J Sports Med.
TRENDS IN TIME-LOSS INJURIES DURING THE 2011-2016 SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY YOUTH WEEKS
Nicola Sewry, Evert Verhagen, Mike Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Jarred Marsh, Clint Readhead, Wayne Viljoen, James Brown (2018).
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. Scand J Med Sci Sports.
TACKLE TECHNIQUE OF RUGBY UNION PLAYERS DURING HEAD IMPACT TACKLES COMPARED TO INJURY FREE TACKLES
Demi Davidow, Ken Quarrie, Wayne Viljoen, Nicholas Burger, Clint Readhead, Mike Lambert, Ben Jones & Sharief Hendricks (2018).
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 21 (2018) 1025–1031.
A 12-MONTH PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY OF SYMPTOMS OF COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS AMONG PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYERS
Vincent Gouttebarge PhD, Philip Hopley PhD, Gino Kerkhoffs MD PhD, Evert Verhagen PhD, Wayne Viljoen PhD, Paul Wylleman PhD, Mike Lambert PhD (2018).
European Journal of Sport Science.
SEASONAL TIME-LOSS MATCH INJURY RATES AND BURDEN IN SOUTH AFRICAN UNDER-16 RUGBY PLAYERS
Nicola Sewry, Evert Verhagen, Mike Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Clint Readhead, Wayne Viljoen, James Brown (2018).
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (J Sci Med Sport) 2018 Jun 19. pii: S1440-2440(18)30258-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.06.007. [Epub ahead of print]
‘VisionZero’ – is it achievable for rugby-related catastrophic injuries in South Africa?
James Brown, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead, Gail Baerecke, Mike Lambert, Caroline F Finch.
BJSM Online First
A comparison of catastrophic injury incidence rates by Provincial Rugby Union in South Africa
Marelise Badenhorst, Evert A.L.M. Verhagen, Willem van Mechelen, Michael I. Lambert, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead, Gail Baerecke, James C. Brown.
J Sci Med Sport (2017)
Mechanisms and factors associated with tackle-related injuries in South African Youth Rugby Union Players
Nicholas Burger, Mike Ian Lambert, Wayne Viljoen, James Craig Brown, Clint Readhead, Steve den Hollander and Sharief Hendricks.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine, DOI: 10.1177/0363546516677548
Am J Sports Med. 2017 Feb;45(2):278-285. doi: 10.1177/0363546516677548. Epub 2016 Dec 21
Back to basics with some new tools: First ensure the safety of sporting environment
Caroline F Finch, James C Brown, Clint Readhead, Mike Lambert, Wayne Viljoen.
BJSM Online First, published on November 25, 2016 as 10.1136/bjsports-2016-097043
Exercise-Based Interventions for Injury Prevention in Tackle Collision Ball Sports: a systematic review
Nicola Sewry, Evert Verhagen, Mike Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead & James Brown.
Sports Medicine. DOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0704-4
Coach-directed education is associated with injury-prevention behaviour in players: an ecological cross-sectional study
James C Brown, Sugnet Gardner-Lubbe, Michael Ian Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Evert Verhagen.
BJSM Online First, published on November 25, 2016 as 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096757
The effectiveness of the nationwide BokSmart rugby injury prevention program on catastrophic injury rates
Brown, J.C, Verhagen, E, Knol, D, Van Mechelen, W and Lambert, M.I
Scand. J. Med Sci Sports 2015: Online 15th February
Contact technique and concussions in the South African under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week rugby tournament
Hendricks, S., O' Connor, S., Lambert, M., Brown, J. C., McFie, S., Burger, N., Readhead, C., & Viljoen, W
European Journal of Sports Sciences 2015; 15: 6.
Are we currently underestimating the risk of scrum-related neck injuries in rugby union front-row players? [CONFERENCE ABSTRACT]
Brown, JC, Lambert M, Hendricks S, Readhead C, Verhagen E, Burger N, Viljoen W.
Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48:574
Improvements in injury prevention behaviours of rugby union players associated with BokSmart intervention programme [CONFERENCE ABSTRACT]
J Brown, M Lambert, S Lubbe, W Van Mechelen, E Verhagen
Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48:574
The effectiveness of the BokSmart intervention: the association between knowledge, education and perceptions and injury prevention behaviour in rugby union players [CONFERENCE ABSTRACT]
Brown J, Lubbe S, Lambert M, Van Mechelen W, Verhagen E
Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48:574
Incidence and Factors Associated With Concussion Injuries Incidence and Factors Associated With Concussion Injuries at the 2011 to 2014 South African Rugby Youth Week Tournaments
Sarah McFie, James Brown, Sharief Hendricks, Michael Posthumus, Clint Readhead, Mike Lambert, Alison September, Wayne Viljoen
Clin J Sport Med 2015;0:1–7 DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000276
Tackle technique and tackle-related injuries in high-level South African Rugby Union under-18 players: real-match video analysis
Nicholas Burger, Michael I Lambert, Wayne Viljoen, James C Brown, Clint Readhead, Sharief Hendricks
Br J Sports Med. 2016; Online first 18 January 2016
Response to: ‘The search for size: a doping risk factor in adolescent rugby’
Clint Readhead
Br J Sports Med 2015;0:1.doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095202
The BokSmart intervention programme is associated with improvements in injury prevention behaviours of rugby union players: an ecological cross-sectional study
Brown JC, Gardner-Lubbe S, Lambert MI, Van Mechelen W, Verhagen E.
Injury Prevention 2014 Nov 21. pii: injuryprev-2014-041326. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041326. [Epub ahead of print]
Tackle-related injury rates and nature of injuries in South African Youth Week tournament rugby union players (under-13 to under-18): an observational cohort study
Nicholas Burger, Prof. Mike I. Lambert, Dr. Wayne Viljoen, Mr. James C. Brown , Mr. Clint Readhead, Dr. Sharief Hendricks
BMJ Open 2014; 4:e005556 OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE
The economic burden of time-loss injuries to elite youth players participating in week-long Rugby tournaments?
Mr. James C. Brown, Dr. Wayne Viljoen, Prof. Mike I. Lambert, Mr. Clint Readhead, Prof. Willem Van Mechelen, Ms. Chelsea Fuller, Dr. Evert Verhagen
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2014.06.015
The state of women’s rugby union in South Africa: Recommendations for long-term participant development
Michael Posthumus
S Afr J SM 2013;25(1):28-35. DOI:10.7196/SAJSM.461
BokSmart - implementing a National Rugby Safety Programme
Wayne Viljoen, Jon Patricios
S Afr J SM 2013;25(1):3-5. DOI:10.7196/SAJSM.460 This article was reproduced with permission from the BMJ Group. It was first published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: Viljoen W, Patricios J. BokSmart – implementing a National Rugby Safety Programme. Br J Sports Med 2012;46:492-493. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091278]
Are we currently underestimating the risk of scrum-related neck injuries in rugby union front-row players?
James C Brown, Mike I Lambert, Sharief Hendricks, Clint Readhead, Evert Verhagen, Nicholas Burger, Wayne Viljoen 2014
Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092869
An evidence-driven approach to scrum law modifications in amateur rugby played in South Africa
Sharief Hendricks, Mike I Lambert, James C Brown, Clint Readhead, Wayne Viljoen
Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092877
The incidence and severity of injuries at the 2011 South African Rugby Union (SARU) Youth Week tournaments
James C Brown, Evert Verhagen, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead, Willem Van Mechelen, Sharief Hendricks, Mike I Lambert (2012).
S Afr J SM 2012;24(2):49-54.
BokSmart – implementing a National Rugby Safety Programme
Viljoen W and Patricios J
BJSM Online. First, published on May 19, 2012 as 10.1136/bjsports-2012-0912785
BokSmart: Pre-participation screening of rugby players by coaches based on internationally accepted medical standards
JS Patricios, MB BCh, MMedSci (Sheffield), FACSM, FFSEM (UK), RM Collins, MB BCh, MSc (Sports Med)
SAJSM Vol 22, No. 3, 2010, pg. 62-65
Long-term player development in rugby – how are we doing in South Africa?
Mike I Lambert, PhD, Justin Durandt, BSc (Med) Hons (Exercise Science) Biokinetics
SAJSM Vol 22, No. 3, 2010, pg. 67-68
Training volume and injury incidence in a professional rugby union team
Wayne Viljoen (PhD, CSCS)
Colleen J Saunders (BSc (Med) Hons (Exercise Science))
Greg D Hechter (BA Hons (Biokinetics))
Kerith D Aginsky (PhD)
Helen B Millson (MPhil (Sports Physiotherapy))
SAJSM vol 21 No. 3 2009
BokSmart: Safe and effective techniques in rugby union
Michael Posthumus (BSc(Med)(Hon) Exercise Science)
Wayne Viljoen (PhD)
SAJSM vol 20 No. 3 2008
BokSmart: Preventive rehabilitation for rugby injuries to the lower back and core
Neil Hopkins (BSc (Med) (Hons) Exercise Science (Biokinetics))
Wayne Viljoen (PhD)
SAJSM vol 20 No. 4 2008
BokSmart: medical management of suspected serious acute spinal cord injuries in rugby players
Robert N Dunn (MB ChB, MMed (Orth), FCS(SA) Orth)
SAJSM vol 21 No. 3 2009
The incidence of rugby-related catastrophic injuries (including cardiac events) in South Africa from 2008 to 2011: a cohort study
James Craig Brown, Mike I Lambert, Evert Verhagen, Clint Readhead, Willem van Mechelen, Wayne Viljoen (2013)
BMJ Open 2013; 3:e002475 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002475
Characteristics of an ‘effective’ tackle outcome in Six Nations rugby
Michele van Rooyen, Nabeel Yasin and Wayne Viljoen 2012
European Journal of Sport Science, DOI:10.1080/17461391.2012.738710
More than 50% of players sustained a time-loss injury (>1 day of lost training or playing time) during the 2012 Super Rugby Union Tournament a prospective cohort study of 17 340 player-hours
Martin P Schwellnus, Alan Thomson, Wayne Derman, Esme Jordaan, Clint Readhead, Rob Collins, Ian Morris, Org Strauss, Ewoudt Van der Linde, Arthur Williams
BJSM Online First, published on June 30, 2014 as 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093745
Trainability of Junior Rugby Union players
S Hendricks 2012
South African Journal of Sports Medicine
Elite athletes travelling to international destinations >5 time zone differences from their home country have a 2-3 fold increased risk of illness
Schwellnus M, Derman W, Lambert M, Readhead C et al. 2012
British Journal of Sports Medicine
Illness during the 2010 Super 14 Rugby Union Tournament – A prospective study involving 22676 player days
Schwellnus M, Derman W, Lambert M, Readhead C et al. 2012
British Journal of Sports Medicine
