• Full Name: TEERAPAT LADDAWONG
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Than
• Country: Thailand

• Full Name: THANAREE JARATSUKSAWATD
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Than
• Country: Thailand

• Full Name: JIRASSAYA CHANGNIAM
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Than
• Country: Thailand

• Full Name: CHIRAKIT SANITNUAN
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Than
• Country: Thailand

• Full Name: CHUANPIS BOONKERD
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Than
• Country: Thailand

• Full Name: THANAWAT KITSUKSAN
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Than
• Country: Thailand

• Full Name: NIPAPORN AKKARAKITTICHOKE
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University
• Country: Thailand

• Full Name: PRINNAPAK MAHASUP
• Affiliation/Institution: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathum Than
• Country: Thailand

Background: Rugby Sevens is a high-intensity contact sport involving repeated sprinting, rapid directional changes, and frequent collisions, typically contested in condensed tournament formats. Despite growing participation in Thailand, injury-surveillance data specific to Thai rugby sevens remain limited, hindering the development of evidence-based prevention strategies.

Objectives: To determine injury incidence and tournament prevalence during the Thailand Rugby Sevens Championship 2025 and to describe injury patterns according to athlete characteristics, match context, and environmental conditions.

Study Design & Methods: This retrospective cohort injury-surveillance study analyzed official medical records and matched exposure logs from the Thailand Rugby Sevens Championship 2025 held on 3–5 and 11–13 October 2025. All registered athletes with recorded match exposure were included via total enumeration. Injury incidence rates were expressed per 1,000 player-match hours with exact Poisson 95% confidence intervals. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests (p < 0.05) were applied for group comparisons.

Results: Among 1,526 athletes, 329 injuries were documented, yielding a tournament injury prevalence of 21.6% and an incidence rate of 290 injuries per 1,000 player-match hours. Injuries were more frequent in male athletes (64.4%) and back positions (65.0%), with a mean injured athlete age of 17.19 ± 3.81 years and 40.4% reporting a prior injury within the preceding 12 months. Most injuries occurred during morning (45.9%) and afternoon sessions (44.1%), on wet grass surfaces (60.2%), and under severe heat stress (mean heat index 41.06 ± 5.93°C). Contusions were the most prevalent injury type (59.6%), followed by concussion (14.0%) and ligament sprain (13.4%). The head was the most frequently injured body region (24.9%), and tackling-related incidents predominated across all injury events. The majority of injuries were classified as minimal severity (87.5%).

Conclusions: The Thailand Rugby Sevens Championship 2025 demonstrated a high injury incidence, predominantly associated with tackling and head trauma occurring under wet and severe heat stress conditions characteristic of a tropical environment. Male athletes and backs represented the highest-risk groups, while young age and prior injury history further identified vulnerable subpopulations. These findings underscore the need for targeted injury-prevention strategies addressing contact technique, head injury risk reduction, and tournament-specific environmental risk management in Thai rugby sevens.

Disclosure: This study has been submitted for peer-reviewed journal publication. This abstract is presented at this conference with full author disclosure in accordance with research ethical standards.