Influence of playing standard on the physical demands of junior rugby league tournament match-play

Division 1 and 2 players covered significantly greater distances per minute than Division 3 players, with 83.0 ± 12.3 m/min for Division 1 and 81.5 ± 6.9 m/min for Division 2 compared to 73.3 ± 9.8 m/min for Division 3.

• Division 1 players also covered more high-speed running than Division 3 players.
• The greater total distance at higher competitive standards was achieved through increased distances at low speeds.
• Division 3 players had a lower number of total collisions relative to playing time.
• Division 2 players engaged in more repeated high-intensity effort bouts compared to Division 3 players.
• Significant reductions in total and low-speed distances were observed, with Division 3 players experiencing the largest performance decrements.

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