Rugby Fitness & Conditioning from Better Rugby Coaching.

A rugby training program must help players to cope with the rigorous demands of the modern game. Despite its gruelling nature, amateur players perform poorly in rugby-specific fitness tests and this may be due predominantly to poor training habits.

Rugby is classed as a multi-sprint sport. Its intermittent nature demands that players generate high levels of speed and explosive power, as well as possessing the ability to recover quickly between sprints.

Elite rugby league players are quick, performing a 40-meter sprint test in just over 5 seconds. They also possess good speed off the mark and acceleration power.
They have aerobic capacities that are moderate to high allowing them to sustain a high work rate for the full 80 minutes.

Strength is an obvious necessity for rugby players. However, muscular size and body mass, although important is not the only goal of a rugby strength training program. Explosive power is equally as important, not only for the development of speed and acceleration but for tackling and jumping.

Although in rugby, different positions have contrasting match play activities, professional backs and forwards have very similar physiological profiles. Backs are typically faster than forwards but there is little difference in aerobic endurance and muscular strength suggesting that rugby training is uniform for all players at the elite level.

This blog cover a range of rugby training topics - from strength and power development to speed and speed endurance training. You will find sample training programs and training sessions along with individual drills specifically designed to mirror the demands of the game.