HOW DOES THE PRODUCTIVITY OF RUGBY LEAGUE ACADEMIES RELATE TO DIFFERENCES IN THEIR PHYSICAL QUALITIES AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT?

Different talent development environments exhibit varying training practices in the rugby league TIDS, which may influence rates of talent development and subsequent productivity of each TDE. This study aimed to compare physical qualities and rates of physical development between different rugby league TDEs within the same TIDS, alongside differences between groups of TDEs based on their level of productivity. A sample of 261 youth rugby league players from six academy teams (i.e., TDEs) within the professional TIDS were tested as part of a league-wide fitness testing battery for measures of anthropometrics, strength, power, speed, and cardiovascular fitness. Linear mixed models revealed medium, significant differences in maximum sprint velocity at the beginning of the season (η2=0.05, p=0.03) and large, significant differences in the development of prone Yo-Yo IR1 distance over time (η2=0.14-0.18, p<0.001) between TDEs. No significant differences between groups of TDEs based on their productivity were found. These findings indicate that possible variability in the practices of TDEs mostly leads to small or trivial differences in physical qualities and physical development. Differences in physical qualities and physical development do not appear to relate to the productivity of TDEs, therefore TDEs should focus on holistic development to maximise productivity.