A Comparison of the Application of Load Monitoring Metrics for Key Match Characteristics in Women’s Rugby Sevens

In rugby sevens, multiple high-speed matches in quick succession make effective workload monitoring essential to support decision-making around athlete preparedness and competition strategy. Match characteristics like score differential, player’s competition experience, match type, and opponent may influence workload. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships between match and player characteristics and three workload measures, session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE), mechanical work, and an alternative speed–deceleration–contact (SDC) model. Twenty-two female rugby sevens athletes were monitored across 103 international matches. Data from GNSS-derived playing times, speeds, accelerations, athlete mass, and self-reported ratings of perceived exertion were collected. sRPE and mechanical work were computed, and the SDC model produced predicted values. Associations between player experience, game category, opponent rank, and score differential with each workload measure were tested using ANOVAs with Tukey’s post hoc test. Player experience and match category were significant for all three workload measures. Opponent was significant associated with sRPE and the SDC model, and match outcome was only associated with sRPE. All three workload measures, sRPE, mechanical work, and the SDC model, are valuable but differ in response to contextual and experiential factors.