With winter sports kicking off around the country, ACC is urging players to take time to prepare so they can enjoy the full season, not spend it sidelined.

For many New Zealanders, winter sport is the highlight of the year. The weather cools down, oranges are sliced at halftime, and teams take to fields and courts across the country.

But ACC said enthusiasm can sometimes work against players’ bodies.

Contrary to popular belief, injuries don’t peak late in the season when players are worn down. ACC data showed the highest number of winter sport injuries occurs right at the start, particularly in May.

ACC injury claims for netball, basketball, rugby union and rugby league consistently peak in May as seasons get underway. Football injury claims typically peak slightly earlier, in April.

ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said it was great to see so many people signing up to play, but many players go too hard, too soon.

ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said more people were getting injured, and it was taking longer and costing more for them to recover. Photo / ACC

“It’s really important to take a step back and think about how you can best prepare for the upcoming season.

“Smart things to focus on include increasing your fitness, refining your skills and improving your physical condition.”

ACC funds a range of national sports bodies to deliver injury prevention programmes for players, coaches and referees. These programmes aim to improve performance while reducing injury risk.

Across the five leading winter sports in 2025 – rugby union, rugby league, football, basketball and netball – ACC accepted 162,263 injury claims at a total cost of $357 million.

In the same year, ACC paid for 487,889 days of weekly compensation to people injured playing winter sports.

Strains and sprains were the most common injuries, with knees, ankles and shoulders the most frequently injured body parts.

Whitaker said the impact of injuries extends well beyond the individual.

“When people get injured, it doesn’t just affect them – it has a flow‑on effect to friends, whānau and workmates."

The good news, he said, was that most injuries were predictable — and therefore preventable.

“One of the best ways to avoid early‑season injuries is starting your training well before the season begins,” Whitaker said. “Gradually build intensity and put your body through the movements you’ll use in the game.”

He recommended a dynamic warm‑up before every training session and game, followed by a proper cool‑down and static stretching to support recovery. The same principles apply to people playing social sports.

ACC was also reminding players to take concussions seriously. In 2025, there were 5854 concussion‑related injuries across the five winter sports, with the highest numbers in rugby union, followed by football and rugby league.

“Early removal and early access to care reduces recovery time,” Whitaker said.

“Extra caution is needed for children, adolescents and female athletes, who can take longer to recover.”

ACC launched the National Concussion Guidelines for community sport in 2024, outlining the Four Rs of concussion management: Recognise, Remove, Refer and Recover.

“The more we call out concussion, the easier it becomes for players to speak up without fear of judgment,” Whitaker said. “Changing the culture is key to keeping people safe.”