Introduction: Sport continuously evolves in response to modern challenges, with data analysis playing a pivotal role in understanding trends and predicting future developments. In team sports, including rugby, performance indicators are critical for optimizing training processes and enhancing competitive effectiveness. Aim of the study: This study aims to identify key trends in the performance indicators of English Premiership Rugby teams from 2014 to 2024. Material and methods: The dataset included 1,261 matches, covering 96.9% of all games during this period. A total of 25 performance indicators were analyzed. Results: The results revealed a gradual increase in points per match from 24.0 to 25.9 (R2 = 0.69, p < 0.05), driven by a rise in tries from 2.5 to 3.5 (R2 = 0.90, p < 0.05) and successful conversions from 1.9 to 2.4 (R2 = 0.85, p < 0.05). The number of mauls increased from 3.3 to 5.7 (R2 = 0.81, p < 0.05), accompanied by an improvement in maul success rate from 85% to 91%. In contrast, penalty goals declined from 2.3 to 1.1 (R2 = 0.96, p < 0.05), while offloads decreased from 9.2 to 7.0 (R2 = 0.74, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings indicate a gradual and consistent increase in match scoring and a growing importance of specific technical actions. These trends contribute to understanding the ongoing evolution of rugby and its performance dynamics.
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