Arguably the hardest hit area has been the Zurich Premiership in England, where for one specific weekend Bath were without a total of 23 squad players.

Jonny Wilkinson may be the most high-profile victim, but in total there have been more than 200 injuries which have sidelined players at the 12 Premiership clubs.

Below we list the injuries suffered at every club and the length of lay-off each player has suffered.

Nick Abendanon (ankle) 5 weeks; Olly Barkley (ankle) - 3 weeks; David Barnes (broken arm) - 5 weeks; Lee Best (knee, groin) - 4 months; Andy Beattie (broken leg) - 2 months+; Duncan Bell (back) - 1 week; Tom Cheeseman - (knee) 5 weeks; Alex Crockett (shoulder, ankle, hernia) - 9 weeks; Brendon Daniel (hamstring, back) - 2 months; Spencer Davey (knee ligament) - 12 months; Gareth Delve (calf/foot/ankle) 11 weeks; Zak Feaunati (fractured eye socket) - 4 weeks; Rob Fidler (wrist) 1 week; David Flatman (Achilles) - 10 months+; Robbie Fleck (torn calf muscle) - 4 months; Chris Goodman (knee/thigh) 9 weeks; Danny Grewcock (back) 2 weeks; Rob Hawkins (shoulder) - 3 months; Andrew Higgins (ankle/fractured jaw/hamstring) - 10 weeks; Jonathan Humphreys (whiplash/heel) 7 weeks; Geraint Lewis (broken hand) four weeks; Michael Lipman (ankle tendon) - 2 months; Christian Loader (back) - 3 weeks; Joe Maddock (hamstring) - 3 months; Chris Malone (groin) - on-going but still playing; Lee Mears (broken hand) 2 weeks; Matt Perry (back/hamstring) - 2 months; James Scaysbrook (ankle) 2 weeks; Matt Stevens (tricep) 3 weeks; Mike Tindall (groin, shoulder, foot) - 3 months; Nick Walshe (foot) 1 week; Frikkie Welsh (thigh) 2 months; Martyn Wood (hamstring) - 2 months.

Simon Amor (broken shoulder) - 2 months; Olivier Azam (shoulder) - 4 months; Alex Brown (arm) - 6 weeks; Mark Cornwell (knee) - 7 weeks; Jamie Forrester (hip) - 2 weeks; Chris Fortey (broken ankle) - 6 months; Marcel Garvey (mumps) - 2 weeks; Will Matthews (knee) - 8 months; James Merriman (knee) - 6 months; Oliver Morgan (wrist) - 3 months; Duncan McRae (neck/knee) - 7 weeks; Gary Powell (ankle) - 8 weeks; Terry Sigley (neck/back) - 8 weeks; James Simpson-Daniel (hamstring/shoulder surgery) - 3 months; Rory Teague (thumb) - 6 weeks; Phil Vickery (back/broken arm socker/broken arm) - 4 months.

Geo Cronje (knee) - 8 months; Mel Deane (knee) - 6 weeks; Andy Dunne (broken foot) 2/3 months; Jim Evans (disclocated shoulder) - 5 months; Maurice Fitzgerald (back/hamstring) - 6 monhts; Tani Fuga (knee) - 7 weeks; Will Greenwood (shoulder/head) - 3/4 months; James Hayter (calf) - 4 weeks; George Harder (dislocated finger) - 5 weeks; Dafydd James (quad strain) - 3 weeks; Adrian Jarvis (illness) - 10 weeks; Ugo Monye (calf/hand) - 2 months; Ace Tiatia (calf) - 5 weeks.

Diego Albanese (ankle) - 2 months; Iain Balshaw (groin/thigh) - 2 months; Tom Biggs (ankle) - 6 weeks; Phil Christophers (groin) - 2 months; Duncan Hodge (foot) - 10 months; Stuart Hopper (ankle) - 7 weeks; Dan Hyde (leg) - 6 weeks; Tom Palmer (foot) - 3 weeks; Richard Parks (groin) - 9 weeks; Alex Popham (neck) - 3 months; Mike Shelley (hamstring) - 3 weeks; Tim Stimpson (knee) - 4 weeks; Pierre Usys (hip) - 7 weeks.

Ross Broadfoot (ribs/groin) - 5 weeks; James Buckland (back) - 3 weeks; Louis Deacon (ankle) - 2 weeks; Harry Ellis (Achilles) - 3 weeks; Matt Hampson (neck) - serious injury sustained on 15 March;Austin Healey (back) - 5 weeks; Martin Johnson (back) - 2 weeks; Lewis Moody (foot) - 6 weeks; Darren Morris (finger) - 4 weeks; Will Skinner (shoulder) - 3 months; Ollie Smith (shoulder/groin) - 7 weeks; Henry Tuilagi (pelvis) - 7 weeks; Julian White (neck/shoulder) - 8 weeks.

Geoff Appleford (back/finger); Delon Armitage (hamstring/thigh/leg), Justin Bishop (hamstring), Mike Catt (hamstring/dead leg); Declan Danaher (hamstring); Kieron Dawson (knee); Pierre Durant (metatarsal); Darren Edwards (hamstring/fractured cheekbone), Barry Everitt (hamstring), Adrian Flavin (ankle/neck), Neal Hatley (fractured hand), Michael Horak (calf strain), Ross Laidlaw (hamstring/illness), Topsy Ojo (groin), Peter Poulos (knee/shoulder), Rodd Penney (hamstring), Dominic Shabbo (hamstring), Richard Skuse (neck/hamstring), Scott Staniforth (groin/concussion), Richard Thorpe (groin/fractured hand), Doug Wheatley (fractured hand), Neil Whitworth (groin)
* Length of injury lay-offs unavailable.

Andy Buist (knee) - 9 months; Matt Burke (knee) - 2 months; Hall Charlton (back) - 2 months; Colin Charvis (foot) - 2 months; Phil Dowson (knee) - 3 weeks; Toby Flood (knee) - 2 months; Mark Mayerhofler (broken leg) - 11 weeks; Ian Peel (back) - 4 weeks; Joe Shaw (ankle) - 7 weeks; Epi Taione (broken arm) - 8 weeks; Matt Thompson (neck/back) - 6 weeks; Dave Walder (knee) - 2 months; Daniel Watson (CHECK) (knee) - 9 months; Jonny Wilkinson (arm, bicep, knee) - 4 months; Ed Williams (shoulder) - 6 months; Ben Woods (leg) 10 months.

Ankle injuries - 3 - 28 weeks; Calf injuries - 3 - 15 weeks; Spine injuries - 6 - 46 weeks; Forearm injury - 1 - 8 weeks; Hamstring injuries - 3 - 13 weeks; Hand injury - 1 - 5 weeks; Head injuries - 2 - 6 weeks; Knee injuries - Nine - 91 weeks; Shoulder injury - 1 - 6 weeks; Rib injuries - 1 - 6 weeks.
* Individual injury information not available from club

Bryan Redpath (cheekbone) - 8 weeks; Steve Hanley (broken thumb) - 5 weeks; Chris Jones (thumb ligament) - 6 weeks; Sililo Martens (groin) - 5 weeks; Oriol Ripol (hernia) - 7 weeks; Jason Robinson (thumb) - 5 weeks; Robert Todd (groin) - 4 weeks; Trevor Woodman (back) - 5 months.

Ben Broster (ankle ligaments) - 6 weeks; Richard Haughton (shoulder) - 4 weeks; Dan Harris (shoulder) - 4 weeks; Richard Hill (knee ligaments) - 7 months; Simon Raiwalui (knee ligaments) - 4 weeks; Alex Sanderson (neck) - 7 months; Dan Scarbrough (shoulder reconstruction) - 6 months; Ben Skirving (shoulder) - 3 months.

Ankle injuries - Three - 48 weeks lost; Back injuries - Two - 19 weeks; Fractured bones - Six - 30 weeks lost Knee injuries - Three - 24 weeks lost; Neck injuries - One - 8 weeks lost; Shoulder injuries - Four - 48 weeks lost; Soft tissue damage - Six - 21 weeks lost.
* Individual injury information not available from club

James Brown (neck) - 5 weeks; Tom Collier (torn pec) - 2 weeks; Ben Daly (torn bicep tendon) - 2 months; Thinus Delport (knee ligament) - 3 weeks; Leon Greef (dislocated knee) - 4 months+; Tommy Hayes (knee) - 5 weeks; John Hilton (knee ligament) - 6 months; Chris Horsman (fractured hand) - 6 weeks; Neil Lyman (chest) - 3 months; Paul Sampson (shoulder) - 1 month.

On Monday: In the final part of our series, former Newcastle owner Sir John Hall talks about how he kick-started the professional era, and Northampton chairman Keith Barwell reveals his idea to split England into 14 regional franchises.

We will also publish the best of your solutions to the key issues facing the sport - with our assessment of whether they can work.