Fitness for Rugby Union

By Clive Brewer MSc, BSc(Hons), CSCS

READ THIS BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY TRAINING

The modern game of rugby union is one of the most demanding sports around in terms of the physical fitness levels needed to play at the highest levels. The game requires high levels of speed, agility, Strength, power and endurance in order to be effective at the top levels. This combination of requirements is rare in the sporting arena, and offers a considerable challenge to those who wish to play the game to the best of their ability.

Picture: Wayne Smith teaching the All Blacks the importance of good fitness training

Fitness is very important: You may be the best technical scrummager in a game, but you will not be effective if are not able to perform after the first few minutes due to fatigue. Research undertaken in 1992 (McLean, 1992, Journal of sports sciences) indicated that there were between 24 and 45 scrums in a 5-Nations match, so endurance is essential (and the game physical demands of the game have advanced since this research, due to professionalism and law changes making the game quicker!). Similarly, a scrum-half who cannot be at every breakdown to begin the next phase of play after every ruck and maul will never reach the top, and if he is not powerful or fast enough to exploit space around the base of the scrum, his game will lack a dimension.

Above are two examples highlighting examples of some positional demands of the players. However, every player (regardless of his position) needs to be able to work at high intensities with small rest breaks for 80 minutes. Top level players will run between 4000m and 6000m in a game (bearing in mind that 5000m constitutes an endurance event in athletics), much of it at high intensities.

Also, gone are the days when forwards tackled and backs ran: Every player needs to be powerful in the tackle, be agile enough to avoid contact where necessary, and explosive enough to break a defensive line.

Now you begin to appreciate the all-around physical demands of the game. Link this in with the different requirements of every position, and you can appreciate that, along with technical and tactical skill, and the correct mental state, physical fitness forms a huge part of the players individual profile and the overall squad profile. Coaches can, after all, only play a game involving multiple phases if they have players fit enough to do so. For this reason, squad fitness work can also be linked in with team training drills, in order to make the most of the time available in training.

Picture: Nick Mallet asks his troops to get down and help find a lost contact lense!

Players also need to be thoroughly prepared and ready to train / perform at optimum levels, and therefore also need to be thoroughly warmed up prior to starting their physical activity.

Also, it is important that you structure your training, in order that development work is undertaken before match-intensity work, and that improvement in fitness is continued as much as possible throughout the training season.

It is also important that, prior to planning any training scheme, you appreciate your current fitness levels, and so therefore you should also undertake some specific tests related to the performance demands of rugby union.

Lifestyle factors such underpinning your training with appropriate nutrition are also essential for the modern player.

The aim of this page is to provide you with information and ideas to inform your training and provide you with the latest ideas for development of your fitness levels.

Good luck, and enjoy the training!!

READ THIS BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY TRAINING