Accident Compensation Corporation injury data from between 1999 and 2007 were analysed for women’s rugby league injuries requiring medical treatment and associated costs in New Zealand. A total of 320 female moderate to serious (MSC) injury claims were recorded, with a mean 37.9 injury claims per year. The mean cost per year for the study period was $NZ196,514 with half of the injury claims occurring in New Zealand Māori. Concussion / brain injuries accounted for 3.8% of total female MSC injury claims but accounted for 5.4% of female injury costs ($NZ84,399) with the highest mean cost per claim ($NZ7,033). The lower limb accounted for 65% of the total female injury claims and 58.7% of total injury costs ($NZ922,296). Compared with other studies in rugby league injuries, it appears that females incur substantially fewer injuries (5.7%) than males (94.3%). In addition, the frequency and cost proportion for lower limb injuries was lower in male than in female rugby league players (42.4% of the injury claims and 31.5% of the total injury claim costs for the lower limb).
