Tom Comyns

Tom Comyns is a Professor in the Department of Physical Education & Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick (UL), affiliated with the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences. He holds membership in the Health Research Institute and the Sports and Human Performance Research Centre. His research focuses on Strength and Conditioning (S&C) and Rugby Injury Epidemiology, collaborating with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and Swim Ireland. He supervises six current PhD students and has guided nine to completion. As co-PI of the IRIS (Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance) project, funded by the IRFU until 2030, he investigates injury patterns in Irish rugby. Tom teaches on BSc, BA, MSc programs in Sports Performance and Pedagogy, receiving multiple teaching awards from UL and the EHS faculty.

Education: BA (1996), MSc (1999), PhD (2006) in Physical Education and Motor Science from UL. Prior to academia, he worked as an S&C coach for Munster Rugby, the IRFU, and the Irish Institute of Sport, supporting Olympians and Paralympians. An Olympian himself, he competed in the Sydney 2000 Olympics as a sprinter. Current roles include co-Theme Leader for 'Rugby Science' in UL's Sports and Human Performance Research Centre.

Research highlights include injury surveillance in rugby, training load monitoring, and S&C interventions. Key projects include the IRIS initiative and a longitudinal study on swimming injury and illness. His work addresses athlete safety, dual-career support, and gender-specific health risks in sports.

Grants and collaborations: IRFU-funded IRIS project extension to 2030, National Aquatic Centre Swimming Club support, and Paralympic Ireland funding. Labs/teams: Involved in the Sports and Human Performance Research Centre, focusing on rugby science and S&C strategies.