The Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance (IRIS) Project is a joint collaboration between the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the University of Limerick (UL) investigating the incidence, nature and mechanism of injuries occurring across the domestic game in Ireland.

The IRIS Project was a fundamental component of our Tackle Behaviours Trial and we are one of few Unions to be able to accurately compare injury trends before the trial, to afterwards. This is a real strength to the work that we do, and would not be possible without the support of our participating clubs and schools – Thank you.

Since 2017 the IRIS Project have published annual season reports in the senior men’s and women’s club game, and the schoolboy game. There is no 2020-2021 club or school reports due to the impact of COVID-19 on the domestic game. While the club season resumed in 2021-2022, the school’s game was still largely impacted, so a combined summary of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school seasons is presented below.

For information on the World Rugby Research Programme visit https://playerwelfare.worldrugby.org/?subsection=72

The IRFU has a proactive approach to research, and looks to make real world impact through evidence-informed practices. The IRFU has developed strong research links with a number of Irish universities, both centrally and provincially. Although we actively engage with research partners in both academia and industry, we maintain a transparent and inclusive process to deliver research. We will give all applications the same attention and opportunity to engage with research in Irish Rugby.

Application Process

The IRFU Research Advisory Committee review process operates on a quarterly application cycle. Applications should be submitted using the standard research application form and must be received by the relevant deadline to enter that review cycle.

Applications are accepted against four annual deadlines:

• Quarter 1: April 1^st 
• Quarter 2: July 1^st 
• Quarter 3: October 15^th
• Quarter 4: December 1^st

Our application process comprises four stages:

1. Application form completed by researcher and sent to research@irfu.ie
2. IRFU Research and Innovation Unit value assessment.
3. Research Advisory Committee independent review.
4. Outcome communicated to research applicant to progress.

A decision will be communicated to the applicant within three weeks of the application deadline. While we would like to support all high-quality research projects, it is important that we manage both our own capacity and that of our players. Consequently, not all applications can be accepted, including those that meet a high standard of quality.

When making an application as part of an Undergraduate or Master’s degree programme following a traditional academic year, applicants should ensure that a form is submitted in time for the Q1 deadline at the latest. Applicants should allow additional time, where applicable, for data sharing agreements, data transfers and any other related processes.

Download the IRFU Research Application Form here

Only completed application forms will be considered in our review process. Please submit your application form to research@irfu.ie

Please note that the IRFU Research and Innovation Unit and the IRFU Research Advisory Committee are not ethics committees. You will need to get appropriate ethical approval from a recognised Ethics Committee, usually through your academic institution. This can be done concurrently with an IRFU research application.

If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact research@irfu.ie for further information.