Revealed: New Zealand rugby players have a 45.7% chance of getting a serious head injury
A new study by Gambling.com has revealed the most popular extreme sports from New Zealand and analyzed the chance of injury while
partaking in each one.
This year, the Olympics included some of the most popular extreme sports like skateboarding and surfing making them even
more popular around the world. However, these sports can also be some of the most dangerous sports to get involved in.
Therefore, we wanted to find out what the most popular extreme sports are among New Zealand's adrenaline junkies by
using search volume data for locations to participate in the most extreme sports “near me” as well as the most common
types of injury within each sport. Take a look..The top sports and the likelihood of injurySportNo. of head injuriesTotal injuries% chance of your injury being a head injuryAll-terrain vehicles348244214.25%Animal rider788039.71%Cycling548391913.98%Hockey386555.80%Ice skates566568.54%Playground6718593.60%Skateboard5549911.02%Ski/Snowboard12018006.67%Snowmobile126108911.57%Other sports24675232.71%Total1,6821447411.62%RUGBY UNION ACCOUNTS FOR 4 OUT OF 5 MOST REPORTED INJURIES IN NEW ZEALAND
While cycling is at the top of our list, rugby unions account for the next four spots - with a huge 45.7% chance of
concussion. Bone and dental issues are also very common, with a 25.3% chance of a bone fracture and a 24.5% chance of a
dental problem. Rugby is an ingrained aspect of New Zealand culture, but the brute force of tackles in the game may be
enough risk to put athletes off for good.RUGBY IS NEW ZEALAND'S BIGGEST CAUSE OF HEAD INJURIES
Unsurprisingly, it is Rugby Union that leads to more head injuries than any other sport in New Zealand. A staggering
45.7% of injuries reported involve the head in comparison to other popular sports such as cycling (15.4%) and soccer
(15.3%). Head injuries may be a huge risk, but it doesn't stop fans and players alike from loving the sport - with New
Zealand acting as home to rugby stars such as Dan Carter, Sam Whitelock, and the late, great Jonah Lomu.
While it isn't always true the more extreme the sport, the more extreme the injury - rugby certainly fits this ideal as
one of the most extreme sports out there with one of the highest claims of injury. Luckily New Zealand teams are often
among the best in the world.
For the full study please visit Gambling.com here.