Table 1: Match Activities Recorded During Match Play

Table 1: Match activities recorded during match play.

Abbreviation / Match play Activity / Description
ST / Standing / Standing or laying on the ground without being involved in pushing or any other game activities.
FW / Forward Walking / Walking forwards slowly with purpose. One foot in contact with the ground at all times.
BW / Backward Walking / Walking backwards slowly with purpose. One foot in contact with the ground at all times.
FJ / Forward Jogging / Jogging forwards slowly in order to change field position, involves a flight phase, with minimal arm swing, but with no particular haste.
BJ / Backward Jogging / Jogging backwards slowly in order to change field position, involves a flight phase, with minimal arm swing, but with no particular haste.
FSt / Forward Striding / Running with manifest purpose and effort, accelerating with long strides, yet not at maximal effort (3/4 pace) e.g. running into a back line to receive the ball.
FSp / Forward Sprinting / Running with maximal effort. Discernible from striding by maximal arm and stride movements.
LAT / Lateral Movement / Shuffling sideways (transverse), in order to change field position. Usually a defensive or repositioning movement.
TACK / Tackling / A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and is brought to ground.
KICK / Kicking / Any kick in play including; kick-off, kick to touch, chip-kick, punt, and field goal.
SH / Static Holds / The involvement of lifting a player in a lineout movement.
SCR / Scrummaging / A player is attached to an active scrum, ruck or maul. Once the ball exits the scrum, ruck or maul, or the referee calls the end of the play, the player is no longer considered to be engaged in a scrum, ruck or maul.

Table 2: Mean ± SD absolute distances (m) and relative distances (%) covered in the different locomotor activities during seven games for players in the four positional groups. Total mean ± SD distance covered in match-play is also shown.

FR / BR / IB / OB
Mode / Variable / Mean ± SD / Mean ± SD / Mean ± SD / Mean ± SD
Forward Walking / Absolute distance (m) / 1271± 154 * / 1422± 83 / 1643± 122 † / 1538± 297
Relative distance (%) / 27± 2 / 27± 1 / 27± 1 / 33± 2
Backward Walking / Absolute distance (m) / 85± 16 ‡*# / 132± 11†# / 132± 4†# / 250± 95†‡*
Relative distance (%) / 2± 1 / 3± 0 / 2± 0 / 5± 2
Forward Jogging / Absolute distance (m) / 1757± 236 # / 1886± 212 # / 1741± 286 / 1204± 251†‡
Relative distance (%) / 38± 0 / 36± 4 / 29± 5 / 26± 6
Backward Jogging / Absolute distance (m) / 45± 12 / 54± 17 / 107± 131 / 76± 45
Relative distance (%) / 1± 0 / 1± 0 / 2± 2 / 1± 1
Forward Striding / Absolute distance (m) / 974± 198‡ / 1163± 102†# / 1410± 72 / 942± 275‡
Relative distance (%) / 21± 2 / 22± 2 / 23± 2 / 19± 2
Forward Sprinting / Absolute distance (m) / 483± 121* / 538± 48 / 907± 180† / 631± 236
Relative distance (%) / 10± 2 / 10± 1 / 15± 3 / 14± 3
Lateral / Absolute distance (m) / 47± 9 * / 62± 15* / 149± 55†‡ / 115± 32
Relative distance (%) / 1± 0 / 1± 0 / 2± 1 / 2± 0
Match / Absolute distance (m) / 4662± 659 * / 5257± 127 / 6089± 203†# / 4756± 1017 *

† significant difference (P <0.05) compared to front row forward. ‡ significant difference (P <0.05) compared to back row. * significant difference (P <0.05) compared to inside backs. # significant difference (P <0.05) compared to outside back. (FR: front row forwards, BR: back row forwards, IB: inside backs, OB: outside backs).

Table 3: Mean ± SD absolute time (s) and relative time (%) covered in the different locomotor activities during seven games for players in the four positional groups. Total mean ± SD time in high- and low-intensity activities during match-play is also shown.

FR / BR / IB / OB
Mode / Variable / Mean ± SD / Mean ± SD / Mean ± SD / Mean ± SD
Standing / Absolute time (s) / 1880± 206 # / 2022± 374 # / 1876± 197# / 1103± 327 †‡*
Relative time (%) / 38 ± 3 / 36 ± 5 / 36 ± 3 / 29 ± 4
Forward Walking / Absolute time (s) / 1195± 115 / 1591± 539 / 1566± 103 / 1470± 383
Relative time (%) / 24 ± 1 / 28 ± 7 / 30 ± 3 / 38 ± 4
Backward Walking / Absolute time (s) / 86± 31 ‡# / 142 ± 16 *# / 132± 8 ‡# / 421 ± 150†‡*
Relative time (%) / 2 ± 1 / 3 ± 0 / 3 ± 0 / 11 ± 2
Forward Jogging / Absolute time (s) / 731± 115 / 716± 140 / 675± 103 / 506 ± 158
Relative time (%) / 15 ± 1 / 13 ± 2 / 13 ± 2 / 13 ± 2
Backward Jogging / Absolute time (s) / 23± 3 / 40± 13 / 108± 63 / 59± 36
Relative time (%) / 0 ± 0 / 1 ± 0 / 2 ± 1 / 1 ± 1
Forward Striding / Absolute time (s) / 295± 54 ‡ / 348± 12 †# / 426± 13 / 284± 87 ‡
Relative time (%) / 6 ± 1 / 6 ± 1 / 8 ± 0 / 7 ± 1
Forward Sprinting / Absolute time (s) / 116± 27 * / 139± 8 / 202± 34 † / 149± 59
Relative time (%) / 2 ± 0 / 2 ± 0 / 4 ± 1 / 4 ± 1
Lateral / Absolute time (s) / 44± 5 * / 54± 10 / 126± 36 † / 106± 39
Relative time (%) / 1 ± 0 / 1 ± 0 / 2 ± 1 / 2 ± 1
Tackling / Absolute time (s) / 57 ± 3 / 80± 3 / 82± 21 / 74± 13
Relative time (%) / 1 ± 0 / 1 ± 0 / 2 ± 0 / 2 ± 0
Static holds (Lifts) / Absolute time (s) / 15± 7 *# / 15± 7 *# / 0± 0 †‡ / 0± 0 †‡
Relative time (%) / 0 ± 0 / 0 ± 0 / 0 ± 0 / 0 ± 0
Scrum/Rucks/Maul / Absolute time (s) / 590± 119 *# / 637± 144 *# / 159± 12 †‡ / 134± 42†‡
Relative time (%) / 12 ± 2 / 11 ± 3 / 3 ± 0 / 3 ± 1
Total / 5029 ± 605 / 5785± 683 / 5351± 642 / 4306± 476
High-intensity / Absolute time (s) / 1071 ± 235 / 1220 ± 253 / 869 ± 161 / 641 ± 105
Relative time (%) / 21 ± 5 / 21 ± 4 / 16 ± 3 / 15 ± 2
Low-intensity / Absolute time (s) / 3958 ± 761 / 4565 ± 858 / 4482 ± 790 / 3665 ± 564
Relative time (%) / 79 ± 15 / 79 ± 15 / 84 ± 15 / 85 ± 13

Table 4: Mean ± SD frequency of striding and sprinting for the four positional groups.

FR / BR / IB / OB
Distance / Striding / Sprinting / Striding / Sprinting / Striding / Sprinting / Striding / Sprinting
0-5m / 13± 2# / 6± 1# / 8± 2# / 6 ± 1# / 13 ± 1# / 5 ± 1# / 5 ± 1†‡* / 3 ± 1†‡*
6-10m / 22± 2 / 8± 2 / 31± 6 / 10 ± 3 / 26 ± 2 / 15 ± 2 / 17 ± 6 / 13 ± 3
11-20m / 30± 1 / 12± 2 / 31± 8 / 12 ± 3 / 22 ± 6†‡# / 20 ± 3 / 16 ± 9 / 14 ± 9
21-30m / 17± 4 / 4± 1 / 14± 5 / 7 ± 1 / 20 ± 2 / 6 ± 2 / 25 ± 6 / 6 ± 2
31-40m / 11± 4 / 2± 1 / 8± 5 / 3 ± 1 / 9 ± 4 / 4 ± 1 / 13 ± 2 / 4 ± 2
40m+ / 6± 5# / 1± 1# / 8± 3# / 1 ± 1# / 11 ± 1†‡ / 3 ± 1 / 15 ± 1†‡ / 4 ± 2†‡