A programme of this kind can never work if it does not have an effective evidence-base to guide it in the right direction. BokSmart aims to assist in establishing effective injury surveillance protocols on a National level, and monitor injury trends around the country.

The Serious Injury protocol is already one of these initiatives. Research is important to measure the outcome measures of change and effect and also provides scientific credibility to the program.

BokSmart has already surveyed the current knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of players regarding rugby safety, injury prevention and injury management at secondary/high school level and at senior club level around the country. Measuring the change in these measures will also provide insight into whether the information provided to the coaches and referees are indeed getting to the players.

Additionally, what makes BokSmart unique in South Africa is that we have used more than 34 experts to develop the program content and that every guideline document provided has a supporting, researched evidence-base, has been peer-reviewed and edited.

• QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH RUGBY-RELATED SPINAL CORD INJURIES IN SOUTH AFRICA: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.
  M. Badenhorst, J.C Brown, M. Lambert, W. van Mechelen, E. Verhagen (2018). BMJ Open 2018; 8: e020890.
  doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020890


• ‘IN A BLINK OF AN EYE YOUR LIFE CAN CHANGE’: EXPERIENCES OF PLAYERS SUSTAINING A RUGBY-RELATED ACUTE SPINAL CORD INJURY.
  M. Badenhorst, E. Verhagen, M. Lambert, W. van Mechelen, J.C Brown (2018).
  Injury Prevention Published Online First: 05 July 2018. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2018-042871


• The Currie Cup Premiership Competition Injury Surveillance Report 2014 – 2017
  Starling, L., Readhead, C., Viljoen, W., Brown, J., Sewry, N., and Lambert, M. (2018).
  S Afr J Sports Med 2018;30:1-42. DOI: 10.17159/2078-516X/2018/v30i1a5720


• NON-SANCTIONING OF ILLEGAL TACKLES IN SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH COMMUNITY RUGBY
  J.C. Brown, S.J. Boucher, M. Lambert, W. Viljoen, C. Readhead, S. Hendricks, W.J. Kraak (2017).
  Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport


• SYMPTOMS OF COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS IN PROFESSIONAL RUGBY: AN INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATIONAL DESCRIPTIVE STUDY.
  Vincent Gouttebarge, Phil Hopley, Gino Kerkhoffs, Evert Verhagen, Wayne Viljoen, Paul Wylleman, Mike I. Lambert (2017).
  Published online: 2017 | Int J Sports Med.


• TRENDS IN TIME-LOSS INJURIES DURING THE 2011-2016 SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY YOUTH WEEKS.
  Nicola Sewry, Evert Verhagen, Mike Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Jarred Marsh, Clint Readhead, Wayne Viljoen, James Brown (2018).
  Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. Scand J Med Sci Sports.


• TACKLE TECHNIQUE OF RUGBY UNION PLAYERS DURING HEAD IMPACT TACKLES COMPARED TO INJURY FREE TACKLES.
  Demi Davidow, Ken Quarrie, Wayne Viljoen, Nicholas Burger, Clint Readhead, Mike Lambert, Ben Jones & Sharief Hendricks (2018).
  Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 21 (2018) 1025–1031.


• A 12-MONTH PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY OF SYMPTOMS OF COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS AMONG PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYERS.
  Vincent Gouttebarge PhD, Philip Hopley PhD, Gino Kerkhoffs MD PhD, Evert Verhagen PhD, Wayne Viljoen PhD, Paul Wylleman PhD, Mike Lambert PhD (2018).
  European Journal of Sport Science.


• SEASONAL TIME-LOSS MATCH INJURY RATES AND BURDEN IN SOUTH AFRICAN UNDER-16 RUGBY PLAYERS.
  Nicola Sewry, Evert Verhagen, Mike Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Clint Readhead, Wayne Viljoen, James Brown (2018).
  Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (J Sci Med Sport) 2018 Jun 19. pii: S1440-2440(18)30258-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.06.007. [Epub ahead of print]


• ‘VisionZero’ – is it achievable for rugby-related catastrophic injuries in South Africa?
  James Brown, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead, Gail Baerecke, Mike Lambert, Caroline F Finch.
  BJSM Online First


• A comparison of catastrophic injury incidence rates by Provincial Rugby Union in South Africa.
  Marelise Badenhorst, Evert A.L.M. Verhagen, Willem van Mechelen, Michael I. Lambert, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead, Gail Baerecke, James C. Brown.
  J Sci Med Sport (2017)


• Mechanisms and factors associated with tackle-related injuries in South African Youth Rugby Union Players.
  Nicholas Burger, Mike Ian Lambert, Wayne Viljoen, James Craig Brown, Clint Readhead, Steve den Hollander and Sharief Hendricks.
  The American Journal of Sports Medicine, DOI: 10.1177/0363546516677548
  Am J Sports Med. 2017 Feb;45(2):278-285. doi: 10.1177/0363546516677548. Epub 2016 Dec 21


• Back to basics with some new tools: First ensure the safety of sporting environment.
  Caroline F Finch, James C Brown, Clint Readhead, Mike Lambert, Wayne Viljoen.
  BJSM Online First, published on November 25, 2016 as 10.1136/bjsports-2016-097043


• Exercise-Based Interventions for Injury Prevention in Tackle Collision Ball Sports: a systematic review.
  Nicola Sewry, Evert Verhagen, Mike Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead & James Brown.
  Sports Medicine. DOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0704-4


• Coach-directed education is associated with injury-prevention behaviour in players: an ecological cross-sectional study.
  James C Brown, Sugnet Gardner-Lubbe, Michael Ian Lambert, Willem van Mechelen, Evert Verhagen.
  BJSM Online First, published on November 25, 2016 as 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096757


• The effectiveness of the nationwide BokSmart rugby injury prevention program on catastrophic injury rates
  Brown, J.C, Verhagen, E, Knol, D, Van Mechelen, W and Lambert, M.I
  Scand. J. Med Sci Sports 2015: Online 15th February


• Contact technique and concussions in the South African under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week rugby tournament
  Hendricks, S., O' Connor, S., Lambert, M., Brown, J. C., McFie, S., Burger, N., Readhead, C., & Viljoen, W
  European Journal of Sports Sciences 2015; 15: 6.


• Are we currently underestimating the risk of scrum-related neck injuries in rugby union front-row players? [CONFERENCE ABSTRACT]
  Brown, JC, Lambert M, Hendricks S, Readhead C, Verhagen E, Burger N, Viljoen W.
  Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48:574


• Improvements in injury prevention behaviours of rugby union players associated with BokSmart intervention programme [CONFERENCE ABSTRACT]
  J Brown, M Lambert, S Lubbe, W Van Mechelen, E Verhagen
  Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48:574


• The effectiveness of the BokSmart intervention: the association between knowledge, education and perceptions and injury prevention behaviour in rugby union players [CONFERENCE ABSTRACT]
  Brown J, Lubbe S, Lambert M, Van Mechelen W, Verhagen E
  Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48:574


• Incidence and Factors Associated With Concussion Injuries Incidence and Factors Associated With Concussion Injuries at the 2011 to 2014 South African Rugby Youth Week Tournaments
  Sarah McFie, James Brown, Sharief Hendricks, Michael Posthumus, Clint Readhead, Mike Lambert, Alison September, Wayne Viljoen
  Clin J Sport Med 2015;0:1–7 DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000276


• Tackle technique and tackle-related injuries in high-level South African Rugby Union under-18 players: real-match video analysis
  Nicholas Burger, Michael I Lambert, Wayne Viljoen, James C Brown, Clint Readhead, Sharief Hendricks
  Br J Sports Med. 2016; Online first 18 January 2016


• Response to: ‘The search for size: a doping risk factor in adolescent rugby’
  Clint Readhead
  Br J Sports Med 2015;0:1.doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095202


• The BokSmart intervention programme is associated with improvements in injury prevention behaviours of rugby union players: an ecological cross-sectional study
  Brown JC, Gardner-Lubbe S, Lambert MI, Van Mechelen W, Verhagen E.
  Injury Prevention 2014 Nov 21. pii: injuryprev-2014-041326. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041326. [Epub ahead of print]
  


• Tackle-related injury rates and nature of injuries in South African Youth Week tournament rugby union players (under-13 to under-18): an observational cohort study Youth Week tournament rugby union players (under-13 to under-18): an observational cohort study
  Nicholas Burger, Prof. Mike I. Lambert, Dr. Wayne Viljoen, Mr. James C. Brown , Mr. Clint Readhead, Dr. Sharief Hendricks
  BMJ Open 2014; 4:e005556 OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE
  


• The economic burden of time-loss injuries to elite youth players participating in week-long Rugby tournaments?
  Mr. James C. Brown, Dr. Wayne Viljoen, Prof. Mike I. Lambert, Mr. Clint Readhead, Prof. Willem Van Mechelen, Ms. Chelsea Fuller, Dr. Evert Verhagen
  Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2014.06.015
  


• The state of women’s rugby union in South Africa: Recommendations for long-term participant development
  Michael Posthumus
  S Afr J SM 2013;25(1):28-35. DOI:10.7196/SAJSM.461
  


• BokSmart - implementing a National Rugby Safety Programme
  Wayne Viljoen, Jon Patricios
  S Afr J SM 2013;25(1):3-5. DOI:10.7196/SAJSM.460 This article was reproduced with permission from the BMJ Group. It was first published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: Viljoen W, Patricios J. BokSmart – implementing a National Rugby Safety Programme. Br J Sports Med 2012;46:492-493. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091278]
  


• Are we currently underestimating the risk of scrum-related neck injuries in rugby union front-row players?
  James C Brown, Mike I Lambert, Sharief Hendricks, Clint Readhead, Evert Verhagen, Nicholas Burger, Wayne Viljoen 2014
  Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092869
  


• An evidence-driven approach to scrum law modifications in amateur rugby played in South Africa
  Sharief Hendricks, Mike I Lambert, James C Brown, Clint Readhead, Wayne Viljoen
  Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-092877
  


• The incidence and severity of injuries at the 2011 South African Rugby Union (SARU) Youth Week tournaments
  James C Brown, Evert Verhagen, Wayne Viljoen, Clint Readhead, Willem Van Mechelen, Sharief Hendricks, Mike I Lambert (2012).
  S Afr J SM 2012;24(2):49-54.
  


• BokSmart – implementing a National Rugby Safety Programme
  Viljoen W and Patricios J
  BJSM Online. First, published on May 19, 2012 as 10.1136/bjsports-2012-0912785
  


• BokSmart: Pre-participation screening of rugby players by coaches based on internationally accepted medical standards
  JS Patricios, MB BCh, MMedSci (Sheffield), FACSM, FFSEM (UK), RM Collins, MB BCh, MSc (Sports Med)
  SAJSM Vol 22, No. 3, 2010, pg. 62-65
  


• Long-term player development in rugby – how are we doing in South Africa?
  Mike I Lambert, PhD, Justin Durandt, BSc (Med) Hons (Exercise Science) Biokinetics
  SAJSM Vol 22, No. 3, 2010, pg. 67-68
  


• Training volume and injury incidence in a professional rugby union team
  Wayne Viljoen (PhD, CSCS)
  Colleen J Saunders (BSc (Med) Hons (Exercise Science))
  Greg D Hechter (BA Hons (Biokinetics))
  Kerith D Aginsky (PhD)
  Helen B Millson (MPhil (Sports Physiotherapy))
  SAJSM vol 21 No. 3 2009


• BokSmart: Safe and effective techniques in rugby union
  Michael Posthumus (BSc(Med)(Hon) Exercise Science)
  Wayne Viljoen (PhD)
  SAJSM vol 20 No. 3 2008


• BokSmart: Preventive rehabilitation for rugby injuries to the lower back and core Neil Hopkins (BSc (Med) (Hons) Exercise Science (Biokinetics))
  Wayne Viljoen (PhD)
  SAJSM vol 20 No. 4 2008


• BokSmart: medical management of suspected serious acute spinal cord injuries in rugby players
  Robert N Dunn (MB ChB, MMed (Orth), FCS(SA) Orth)
  SAJSM vol 21 No. 3 2009


• The incidence of rugby-related catastrophic injuries (including cardiac events) in South Africa from 2008 to 2011: a cohort study
  James Craig Brown, Mike I Lambert, Evert Verhagen, Clint Readhead, Willem van Mechelen, Wayne Viljoen (2013)
  BMJ Open 2013; 3:e002475 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002475


• Characteristics of an ‘effective’ tackle outcome in Six Nations rugby
  Michele van Rooyen, Nabeel Yasin and Wayne Viljoen 2012
  European Journal of Sport Science, DOI:10.1080/17461391.2012.738710


• More than 50% of players sustained a time-loss injury (>1 day of lost training or playing time) during the 2012 Super Rugby Union Tournament a prospective cohort study of 17 340 player-hours
  Martin P Schwellnus, Alan Thomson, Wayne Derman, Esme Jordaan, Clint Readhead, Rob Collins, Ian Morris, Org Strauss, Ewoudt Van der Linde, Arthur Williams
  BJSM Online First, published on June 30, 2014 as 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093745
  


• Trainability of junior Rugby Union players
  S Hendricks 2012
  South African Journal of Sports Medicine


• Elite athletes travelling to international destinations >5 time zone differences from their home country have a 2-3 fold increased risk of illness
  Schwellnus M, Derman W, Lambert M, Readhead C et al. 2012
  British Journal of Sports Medicine


• Illness during the 2010 Super 14 Rugby Union Tournament – A prospective study involving 22676 player days
  Schwellnus M, Derman W, Lambert M, Readhead C et al. 2012
  British Journal of Sports Medicine