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Table 3 Two-way ANOVA results examining annual age category, playing standards and interaction effects on anthropometrics, physiological and rugby-specific game skills

From: Anthropometric, physiological characteristics and rugby-specific game skills of schoolboy players of different age categories and playing standards

Characteristic

Age-category

 

Playing standard

 

Age-category × playing standard

 

F

P

η2p

Comparisons

F

P

η2p

Pairwise

F

p

η2p

Chronological age (years)

752.2

< 0.001

0.79

U19 s > U16 s

0.50

0.61

0.01

–

0.08

0.92

0.00

Playing experience (years)

642.8

< 0.001

0.76

U19 s > U16 s

4.20

0.02

0.04

E, SE > NR

3.77

0.03

0.04

YPHV (years)

201.2

< 0.001

0.50

U19 s > U16 s

8.08

< 0.001

0.07

E > NR

2.12

0.12

0.02

Anthropometrics

 Body mass (kg)

77.3

< 0.001

0.28

U19 s > U16 s

9.23

< 0.001

0.08

E, SE > NR

0.18

0.84

0.00

 Height (m)

26.4

< 0.001

0.12

U19 s > U16 s

0.92

0.40

0.01

–

0.26

0.77

0.00

 Sum of skinfolds (mm)

0.56

0.45

0.00

–

2.26

0.11

0.02

–

0.45

0.63

0.00

Physiological tests

 20 m speed test (s)

36.0

< 0.001

0.16

U19 s < U16 s

9.61

< 0.001

0.09

E, SE < NR

0.72

0.49

0.01

 40 m speed test (s)

51.1

< 0.001

0.21

U19 s < U16 s

16.1

< 0.001

0.14

E, SE < NR

1.02

0.36

0.01

 L-run agility test (s)

31.0

< 0.001

0.14

U19 s < U16 s

5.77

0.004

0.06

E < NR

0.10

0.91

0.00

 Vertical jump test (cm)

369.3

< 0.001

0.65

U19 s > U16 s

39.8

< 0.001

0.28

E > SE > NR

5.13

0.01

0.05

 2 kg MBCT test (m)

185.4

< 0.001

0.48

U19 s > U16 s

40.2

< 0.001

0.29

E > SE > NR

4.39

0.01

0.04

 60s Push Up test (n)

35.7

< 0.001

0.15

U19 s > U16 s

12.4

< 0.001

0.11

E, SE > NR

1.34

0.27

0.01

 Wall sit length strength (s)

35.9

< 0.001

0.15

U19 s > U16 s

11.3

< 0.001

0.10

E, SE > NR

0.14

0.87

0.00

 Yo-Yo IRT L1 (m)

73.4

< 0.001

0.27

U19 s > U16 s

66.2

< 0.001

0.40

E > SE > NR

7.31

< 0.001

0.07

Game skills

 Tackling proficiency (%) †

62.0

< 0.001

0.29

U19 s > U16 s

43.5

< 0.001

0.22

E > SE

18.3

< 0.001

0.11

 Passing ability (au)†

210.4

< 0.001

0.58

U19 s > U16 s

12.5

< 0.001

0.08

E > SE

2.58

0.12

0.02

 Running-and-catching ability (au)†

166.9

< 0.001

0.52

U19 s > U16 s

46.7

< 0.001

0.23

E > SE

25.1

< 0.001

0.14

  1. ×Interaction; η2p = partial eta squared; E = elite rugby players; SE = sub-elite rugby players; NR = non-rugby players; 2 kg MBCT = 2 kg medicine ball chest throw; Yo-Yo IRT L1 = Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1; YPHV = years from peak height velocity representing maturity offset years; U19 s = Under 19 s; U16 s = Under 16 s; au = arbitrary units; † = 2*2 factorial ANOVA was conducted (age category = U19 vs. U16; Playing standard = elite vs. sub-elite); Pairwise = posthoc test results; One repetition maximum bench press and back squat tests, and repeated high intensity exercise performance ability test are removed from this analysis as there were performed only by U19 rugby athletes and can only be compared between U19 elite and U19 sub-elite