Workloads in rugby league: Player and coach perspectives and peak running intensities

This thesis examined the workloads of elite rugby league athletes with respect to the annual training and competition calendar. This program of research utilised a mixed-methods approach and investigated both qualitative and quantitative data. Findings from the studies have several important implications on the scheduling of the national rugby league match calendar. Perceptions of performance, fatigue and welfare, contextualised by external running demands, should be utilised to provide a framework to better support players’ physical and mental welfare.