Table 1. Physical outputs (mean ± SD) of different positions during three touch rugby games over a two-day international test match series.
Wing
(n = 18)
Link
(n = 33)
Middle
(n = 31)
p value Effect size
(partial η2)
Total distance (m) 1676.66 ± 444.80 † # 1311.35 ± 223.59 * 1383.52 ± 246.55 * < 0.001 0.19
Maximum velocity (m·s-1) 7.12 ± 0.70 7.09 ± 0.64 6.80 ± 0.52 0.099 0.06
Ratio of Accelerations to Decelerations
(Average acceleration: Average deceleration)
0.80 ± 0.21
(17.06: 20.67)
0.92 ± 0.28
(13.21: 15.12)
1.01 ± 0.31
(16.45: 17.13)
0.053 0.07
Distance in velocity zones (m)
zone 1 (0–1.50 m·s-1) 414.43 ± 74.47 † # 338.94 ± 73.05 * 315.65 ± 50.91 * < 0.001 0.25
zone 2 (1.50–3.00 m·s-1) 612.16 ± 227.22 † # 360.99 ± 71.25 * 383.78 ± 101.45 * < 0.001 0.38
zone 3 (3.00–4.00 m·s-1) 406.40 ± 125.75 †  328.33 ± 78.82 * 361.10 ± 74.86 0.015 0.10
zone 4 (4.00–5.50 m·s-1) 199.67 ± 86.31# 233.43 ± 57.58 # 278.32 ± 71.57 *†  0.001 0.16
zone 5 (5.50–7.00 m·s-1) 23.47 ± 15.98 30.35 ± 14.33 31.79 ± 15.26 0.164 0.05
zone 6 (> 7.00 m·s-1) 20.52 ± 19.85 19.32 ± 17.90 12.87 ± 9.66 0.163 0.05
* Statistical difference compared with wing;
†  Statistical difference compared with link;
# Statistical difference compared with middle (Bonferroni correction: p ≤ 0.017).