{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T15:42:42Z","timestamp":1769701362090,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,4]],"date-time":"2025-04-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743724800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec009\">\n<jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>To quantify peak running intensity in professional rugby union across position groups, and peak running intensity differences between bout types (i.e., whole, starter, substitute).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec010\">\n<jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Longitudinal study.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec011\">\n<jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Global positioning systems were used to assess the activity of 36 professional rugby union players. A moving average approach was used to identify the 1- to 10-minute peak intensity period distances, and time spent above 80% and 90% of individual 1-minute match peak. Differences between position groups and bout type were determined by magnitude-based inferences.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec012\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>All position groups showed <jats:italic>most likely moderate<\/jats:italic> to <jats:italic>most likely large<\/jats:italic> differences in peak intensity periods, except for tight 5 vs. backrow (<jats:italic>possibly trivial small<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>possibly small<\/jats:italic>), and half-backs vs. outside backs (<jats:italic>very likely trivial small<\/jats:italic> to <jats:italic>likely trivial small<\/jats:italic>). No position group comparison for time spent above 80% and 90% of 1-minute match peak resulted in <jats:italic>moderate<\/jats:italic> or greater differences. <jats:italic>Possibly moderate<\/jats:italic> to <jats:italic>most likely moderate<\/jats:italic> difference were observed between forwards whole vs. forward substitutes in 2- to 10-minute peak periods; <jats:italic>most likely moderate<\/jats:italic> differences were observed between forwards starters vs. forward substitutes in 10-minute peak intensity period; and <jats:italic>most likely moderate<\/jats:italic> differences were observed between backs whole vs. backs substitutes in the 1-minute peak intensity period. For time spent above 80% and 90% of 1-minute match peak all bout type comparisons resulted in <jats:italic>most likely moderate<\/jats:italic> to <jats:italic>most likely large<\/jats:italic> differences.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec013\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>There are meaningful differences between position groups in peak running intensity in professional rugby union, and substitute players perform lower peak intensity running than whole or starters.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0320286","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,4]],"date-time":"2025-04-04T17:37:50Z","timestamp":1743788270000},"page":"e0320286","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Position specific peak running demands, and influence of bout type in professional rugby union"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3317-8791","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Daniel J.","family":"Glassbrook","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lewis D.","family":"Williams","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0566-205X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kevin J.","family":"McShane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,4]]},"reference":[{"issue":"13","key":"pone.0320286.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"973","DOI":"10.2165\/00007256-200333130-00003","article-title":"Applied physiology and game analysis of rugby union","volume":"33","author":"G Duthie","year":"2003","journal-title":"Sports Med"},{"issue":"18","key":"pone.0320286.ref002","first-page":"250","article-title":"Rugby: Values and principles","volume":"1","author":"E Saraiello","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mizar Costellazione di pensieri"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0320286.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.3390\/sports8060085","article-title":"Physical and fitness characteristics of elite professional rugby union players","volume":"8","author":"L Posthumus","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sports (Basel)"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0320286.ref004","first-page":"208","article-title":"Sprint patterns in rugby union players during competition","volume":"20","author":"GM Duthie","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Strength Cond Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0320286.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e001235","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjsem-2021-001235","article-title":"A game for all shapes and sizes? 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