Written by the Phoenix Rehab physiotherapy and hand therapy teams. Clinically reviewed by Louise Yow, Principal Physiotherapist & Director, AHPC A1300363H. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.

Rugby injuries are mostly contact injuries: the shoulder in the tackle, the knee in the ruck, the hand in the jersey. Many of them are injuries where the first few days decide a lot, and some of them need a surgeon before they need a physiotherapist. The ones that get missed are the finger caught in an opponent’s jersey and the shoulder that “just popped back in”.

Every rugby injury, by body part

Start from where it hurts. Each linked row goes to the page that covers that injury in full. Rows marked “see a doctor first” are not ours to treat first.

Where	Injury	How rugby usually causes it
Hand and finger	Jersey finger (torn finger flexor tendon)	Grabbing a jersey as the player pulls away, often the ring finger
Hand and finger	Jammed finger (volar plate injury)	Handling and tackling
Hand and finger	Finger dislocation	A tackle
Hand and finger	Metacarpal fracture	A tackle
Hand and finger	Skier’s thumb (thumb ligament tear)	A tackle
Shoulder	Shoulder dislocation or instability	Tackling with the arm out wide
Shoulder	AC joint sprain (top of the shoulder)	Falling onto the point of the shoulder
Shoulder	SLAP (labral) tear	A tackle on an outstretched arm
Shoulder	Rotator cuff tear	A tackle
Shoulder	Collarbone fracture	Falling onto the shoulder
Shoulder	Stinger (nerve stretch at the neck)	A tackle with the head pushed to one side
Neck	Neck strain	Scrums and rucks
Neck	Pinched nerve in the neck (cervical radiculopathy)	Scrummaging
Neck	Concussion (see a doctor first)	A tackle
Neck	Neck fracture or spinal cord injury (call 995)	A scrum collapse
Upper back and ribs	Rib fracture or bruise	A tackle
Lower back	Low back strain	Scrummaging
Hip and groin	Groin strain	Change of direction
Hip and groin	Hip pointer (bruised hip bone)	A tackle to the top of the hip bone
Thigh	Hamstring strain	Sprinting
Thigh	Dead leg (thigh bruise)	A knee to the thigh
Knee	ACL tear	A sidestep, or a tackle on a planted leg
Knee	MCL sprain	A tackle to the outside of the knee
Knee	Meniscus tear	Twisting in contact
Knee	PCL injury	Falling on a bent knee
Lower leg	Calf strain	Sprinting
Ankle	High ankle sprain	A tackle with the foot planted
Ankle	Ankle sprain	Change of direction
Ankle	Ankle fracture	A tackle
Foot	Lisfranc (midfoot) injury	The foot trodden on in a ruck

The injuries we see most from rugby

Shoulder dislocation and instability

The arm forced out and back in a tackle. Young contact players are the group most likely to dislocate again after a first dislocation. See the Shoulder Dislocation and Labral Repair Recovery Program, and the Bankart lesion it often leaves behind.

AC joint injuries

A fall onto the point of the shoulder, with a painful bump where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade. Most are treated without surgery and rehabilitated back to contact. More on the collarbone.

ACL and knee ligaments

A twist with the foot planted, often in a ruck or on a side-step. See the ACL Reconstruction Recovery Program.

Jersey finger

A finger caught in an opponent’s jersey as they pull away, usually the ring finger. Afterwards the fingertip will not bend on its own. That is the deep flexor tendon pulled off its attachment, and it is a surgeon’s problem first, not a strapping problem. The tendon can retract into the palm, and repair is time-sensitive, often within days to a couple of weeks. After repair, see the Flexor Tendon Repair Recovery Program.

Hamstring strains

A grab at the back of the thigh in the sprint. Strengthened back, not stretched back, with sprinting reintroduced in stages.

A tackle that lands on the top of the hip bone bruises the bone and the muscles attached to it, so running, coughing and twisting all catch. That is a hip pointer.

Rugby: what we focus on

It popped back in. You played the second half.

The shoulder that went out in the tackle and came back on its own. You strapped it and finished the game. Now you do not put that arm into contact, and you have not told anyone. Or the finger that will not bend at the tip, which you have been taping to the next one for three weeks.

Shoulder. Strength and control in the tackle position, tested against the other side before contact: the Shoulder Dislocation and Labral Repair Recovery Program.
Knee. ACL rehabilitation and return to contact on hop testing: the ACL Reconstruction Recovery Program.
Hands. Jersey finger repairs, finger fractures and dislocations, managed by our hand therapy team: the Flexor Tendon Repair Recovery Program and the Finger and Metacarpal Fracture Recovery Program.
Hamstring. Eccentric strength and a staged return to sprinting.

Tested, not dated. You go back to contact when the measures say so: shoulder rotation strength, hop distance and sprint tolerance against your other side. Pain is the first thing to leave. Strength is the last to train and recover.

WhatsApp us · Get Assessed & Treated · One 45-minute appointment, $230, nett, no GST.

When to see a doctor first

Call 995 or go to the emergency department now after any head knock followed by confusion, vomiting, worsening headache, drowsiness or a seizure, or any neck injury with numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or legs. Do not move a player with a suspected neck injury. Emergency department now if the shoulder is still out of the joint or the arm is cold or numb. See a doctor the same day if a fingertip will not bend on its own after it was caught in a jersey. Doctor the same day if the knee swelled within hours of a twist.

A tackle that leaves the front of the armpit flatter, with bruising down the arm, can be a torn pec major. See pec strain or torn pec major.

Where are you with this right now?

1. It is settling on its own

A bruise or a mild strain that is easier each week, with full movement and strength coming back, is on the right road. You do not need us for this, and we would rather say so.

2. It has stopped improving

The shoulder still does not feel safe in the tackle. The knee does not trust the side-step. The finger has stopped improving. That is worth measuring before the next season. Every first visit is one 45-minute Assessment & Treatment, $230, nett, no GST. If it has been months, the Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same therapist, $690.

3. You have had surgery, or you have a date

Shoulder stabilization, ACL reconstruction and tendon repair all have a shape, with criteria at each stage. See the recovery programs or physiotherapy after surgery. All of it runs on the four stages of the Phoenix Recovery Protocol.

Clinics across Singapore

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What our patients say

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   Micah 
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Amazing experience with Phoenix Rehab, was assisted by Mavis. She’s very kind and professional and did thorough check on my wrist. I feel very comfortable during the process.

I went in for thermoplastic splint, and everything went smoothly. She was able to address my needs on my left wrist sprain.

They were prompt with appointment process and inquiry. Also the clinic is very close to Tanjong Pagar MRT. I highly recommend!
  
 
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 44 days ago
 
 
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Fist time doing ultrasound for my tennis elbow!! Let’s hope it gets better the next few weeks!! Thank Mavis Tham!!
  
 
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   XIN WANG 
 61 days ago
 
 
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Great treatment from my therapist. My painful wrist felt a lot of relief after the session. I’m glad I can slowly get back to doing my usual activities without constant pain.
  
 
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Very helpful and friendly !
  
 
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The masseur is very professional and provides excellent service ，yati is very good!
  
 
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   Tra Nguyen 
 206 days ago
 
 
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I wasn’t able to close my fingers due to an injury. Nurul at Phoenix Rehab has helped me tremendously with my recovery process. I have been able to resume my daily activities and exercises after only a few sessions. Nurul has been very professional and positive throughout the entire process. Thank you so much for your help!
  
 
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   Juzer K 
 244 days ago
 
 
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Huge shoutout to Yuna Zhang from Phoenix Rehab for helping in my recovery from golfer’s elbow 🙌

I walked in with persistent elbow pain that was affecting workouts and everyday tasks, and Yuna immediately made me feel confident I was in the right hands. She took the time to properly assess my condition, explain the root cause, and tailor a treatment plan to my specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

What I really appreciated was how personalised every session felt. The exercises she gave me were practical, easy to follow, and actually worked. Within a short time, the pain reduced significantly and my strength and mobility improved much faster than I expected.

On top of that, the pricing is very reasonable and affordable, which made committing to recovery much easier.

Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring — highly recommend Yuna at Phoenix Rehab if you’re dealing with hand-related sports injuries 💪
  
 
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   Fazal Hanafi Chaudhry 
 328 days ago
 
 
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I enjoy coming to Phoenix rehab as they offer a wide variety of services. I had a finger accident and was working with a very experienced hand therapist. Place is clean and comfortable.  Staff were friendly and appointment was on time
  
 
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   Stella Yam 
 469 days ago
 
 
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Very good
  
 
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 471 days ago
 
 
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Have both physio n Tcm visits here, highly recommend!
  
 
 
  
 
 
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