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Purpose: Can power law models accurately predict the peak intensities of rugby competition as a function of time? Methods: Match movement data were collected from 30 elite and 30 subelite rugby union athletes across competitive seasons, using wearable Global Navigation Satellite Systems and accelerometers. Each athlete’s peak rolling mean value of each measure (mean speed, metabolic power, and PlayerLoad™) for 8 durations between 5 seconds and 10 minutes was predicted by the duration with 4 power law (log–log) models, one for forwards and backs in each half of a typical match. Results: The log of peak exercise intensity and exercise duration (5–600 s) displayed strong linear relationships (R2 = .967–.993) across all 3 measures. Rugby backs had greater predicted intensities for shorter durations than forwards, but their intensities declined at a steeper rate as duration increased. Random prediction errors for mean speed, metabolic power, and PlayerLoad were 5% to 6%, 7% to 9%, and 8% to 10% (moderate to large), respectively, for elite players. Systematic prediction errors across the range of durations were trivial to small for elite players, underestimating intensities for shorter (5–10 s) and longer (300–600 s) durations by 2% to 4% and overestimating 20- to 120-second intensities by 2% to 3%. Random and systematic errors were slightly greater for subelites compared to elites, with ranges of 4% to 12% and 2% to 5%, respectively. Conclusions: Peak intensities of professional rugby union matches can be predicted with adequate precision (trivial to small errors) for prescribing training drills of a given duration, irrespective of playing position, match half, level of competition, or measure of exercise intensity. However, practitioners should be aware of the substantial (moderate to large) prediction errors at the level of the individual player.

One of the primary goals of tertiary education is to prepare students for employment. There is debate as to whether university courses adequately provide students with 21st century workplace skills (Kaminski, Switzer, & Gloeckner, 2009; Kivunja, 2014). In a rapidly changing workforce, institutions must constantly adapt to maintain the practical utility of their courses. A thematic analysis was conducted to explore the degree of alignment between graduate attributes, accreditation requirements and industry employability criteria in nursing, psychology and education courses at an Australian University. Graduate attributes were obtained from the Course Approval and Management System. Relevant accreditation requirements were sourced from the respective bodies. A search of advertised job positions for the three discipline fields was conducted from a popular job-search engine (SEEK) to ascertain employability criteria. This analysis identified clear alignment between the university’s graduate attributes and the standards articulated by accreditation bodies for psychology, nursing and education. However, there were differences between graduate attributes and the employability criteria identified by job searches across the three disciplines. Analysis of the employability criteria suggest that employers seek and prioritise graduates who possess practical competencies and 21st century skills such as problem solving and communication. However, there was little to no mention of cultural understandings and attitudes towards inclusion and diversity, both a core graduate attribute and an aspect of professional accreditation. The findings of this study may inform the development of future graduate attributes that better reflect preparedness for the workforce. Alternatively, a reflection on graduate attributes and professional accreditation criteria might produce job advertisements that better reflect work contexts in an increasingly diverse society.

This report reviews the findings of staff satisfaction surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 following the creation of a transformative and revolutionary approach to tertiary education in Australia, namely the creation of a new First Year College at Victoria University. Lectures were abolished from all units; class sizes were reduced; class timetabling was dramatically changed to allow for greater student study flexibility and accessibility; learning and teaching professional staff numbers were increased and facilities were built and repurposed. This report discusses the staff satisfaction and challenges encountered by staff in 2018 and 2019 providing quantitative and qualitative data. This data revealed high levels of satisfaction along with concerns about workload and related issues. Variations between 2018 and 2019 indicate that despite an increase in overall satisfaction, staff were concerned about awards and recognition, involvement in decisions that affected them, and receiving support to conduct their roles. The First Year College implemented a series of measures to address the issues raised in the 2018 survey. Further measures are recommended following the 2019 survey as well as future surveys that include stress levels and other psychological markers.

Training prescription and monitoring of team-sport athletes rely on accurate quantification of player movement. Our aim was to determine the sensitivity, reliability and construct validity of measures derived from a wearable device incorporating Global Positioning System (GPS) and accelerometer technology to quantify the peak periods of rugby competition. Match movement data were collected from 30 elite and 30 sub-elite rugby union players across respective competitive seasons. Accelerometer and GPS measures were analysed using a rolling average to identify peak movement for epochs ranging from 5 to 600 seconds. General linear mixed modelling was used to quantify the effects of playing position and match-half on the peak movement and variabilities within and between players represented reliability of each measure. Mean positional differences and match-half changes were assessed via standardisation and magnitude-based decisions. Sensitivity of measures was quantified via evaluation of ("signal") and typical error of measurement ("noise"). GPS and accelerometer measures had poor sensitivity for quantifying peak movement across all epochs and both levels of rugby union competition (noise 4× to 5× the signal). All measures displayed correspondingly low reliability across most epochs and both levels of competition (ICC

In this study accelerometers were more effective at quantifying important differences in movement between player positions and match halves compared to global positioning systems (GPS) during matches in a professional collision-based team sport, rugby union. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effectiveness of the respective technologies for detecting differences in measures of maximum mean movement between positions and halves during professional rugby union match-play. METHODS: Movement data were collected via integrated GPS and accelerometer units (OptimEye S5, Catapult Sports, Melbourne, Australia) for 30 professional rugby union players (16 forwards, 14 backs) across an eight-match season (256 match-half files). GPS sampling frequency was 10 Hz, while the accelerometer sampled at 100 Hz with an output range of ± 16 g. Accelerometer-derived PlayerLoad™ and GPS-derived measures of mean speed and metabolic power were analysed using a rolling average method to identify the maximum mean values across a 600-s epoch. General linear mixed modelling was used to predict measures, with fixed effects for player positions (backs, forwards) and match half (1st, 2nd), and with random effects for within-player variabilities, between-player differences, and between-match differences. Mean differences (backs - forwards) and changes (1st – 2nd) were assessed via standardization and magnitude based inference. RESULTS: Accelerometer derived PlayerLoad™ displayed moderate to large clear positional differences by half (standardized difference, ±90% confidence limits: 1st half –1.50, ±1.03; 2nd half −0.75; ±0.71) compared to generally unclear differences as quantified by GPS. All measures displayed clear half differences; however, PlayerLoad™ quantified the greatest magnitude of decline between-halves (forwards 1.66, ±0.71; backs 0.90, ±0.48). CONCLUSIONS: Positional and half differences in player maximum mean movement showed that GPS technology alone underestimated the activity of athletes during professional rugby union match-play. Accelerometers provide additional meaningful information that may aid practitioners in physically preparing and monitoring athletes in collision-based team sports.

Beta-alanine may benefit short-duration, high-intensity exercise performance. The aim of this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was to examine the effects of beta-alanine supplementation on aspects of muscular performance in highly trained cyclists. Sixteen highly trained cyclists (mean ± SD; age = 24 ± 7 yr; mass = 70 ± 7kg; VO2max = 67 ± 4ml·kg−1·min–1) supplemented with either beta-alanine (n = 8, 65 mg·kg−1BM) or a placebo (n = 8; dextrose monohydrate) over 4 weeks. Pre- and postsupplementation cyclists performed a 4-minute maximal cycling test to measure average power and 30 reciprocal maximal isokinetic knee contractions at a fixed angular velocity of 180°·sec−1 to measure average power/repetition, total work done (TWD), and fatigue index (%). Blood pH, lactate (La−) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) concentrations were measured preand postisokinetic testing at baseline and following the supplementation period. Beta-alanine supplementation was 44% likely to increase average power output during the 4-minute cycling time trial when compared with the placebo, although this was not statistically significant (p = .25). Isokinetic average power/repetition was significantly increased post beta-alanine supplementation compared with placebo (beta-alanine: 6.8 ± 9.9W, placebo: –4.3 ± 9.5 W, p = .04, 85% likely benefit), while fatigue index was significantly reduced (p = .03, 95% likely benefit). TWD was 89% likely to be improved following beta-alanine supplementation; however, this was not statistically significant (p = .09). There were no significant differences in blood pH, lactate, and HCO3− between groups (p > .05). Four weeks of beta-alanine supplementation resulted in worthwhile changes in time-trial performance and short-duration muscular force production in highly trained cyclists.