Grier, Leesa Anne, Meyer, Amanda Jane, and Leicht, Anthony (2026) Athletic movement competency of semi-elite, adolescent, female, rugby league athletes. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. (In Press)

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Abstract

Objectives: To quantify movement competency in adolescent female rugby league athletes using the Athlete Ability Assessment and compare outcomes with age-matched male athletes to identify sex-specific differences.

Design: Observational, cross-sectional study.

Methods: Thirty female athletes (16.0 ±1.0 years) competing in the Queensland rugby league competition completed the Athlete Ability Assessment (AAA), comprising six tasks, overhead squat, lunge, single-leg Romanian deadlift, and push-up. Task scores and total AAA scores (mean ±SD) were compared with a previously assessed age-matched males. k-means cluster analysis using the six task scores classified female athletes into lower- and higher-skilled groups. Between sex and -group differences were assessed using Mann–Whitney U tests. Effect sizes were calculated using rank-biserial correlation coefficients (r) and interpreted as small (<0.30), moderate (0.30–0.49), or large (≥0.50). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: Females demonstrated significantly lower total AAA scores than males (30.0±7.9 vs. 34.7 ±4.1, p < 0.001), with lower scores across all tasks except push-ups. Females scored higher on left and right single-leg lunge tasks (p < 0.001). Sex comparisons revealed moderate to large effect sizes across tasks. Sub-analysis identified distinct lower and higher-skilled females, differentiated by overhead squat (r=0.955), single-leg lunge (left r =0.783, right r =0.819), and total AAA score (r=0.814).

Conclusion: At entry to the talent development pathway, female rugby league athletes exhibited lower movement competency than males, alongside substantial inter-individual variability. These findings support movement-competency-led, sex-specific strength and conditioning approaches. The AAA provides a practical tool to stratify athletes and guide safe progression toward higher-load strength and power training.

Item ID:	91931
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2048-397X
Copyright Information:	© The Author(s) 2026. CC By-NC.
Date Deposited:	13 May 2026 00:06
FoR Codes:	42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4207 Sports science and exercise > 420799 Sports science and exercise not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2099 Other health > 209999 Other health not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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