EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
Fitter teams win more games – it’s as simple as that. Of course, we know that most clubs will not have a fitness trainer or a well-equipped gym.
But there is a lot you can do yourself. Whether you are a player or a coach we have lots of exercises designed specifically to improve your training and get you rugby fit.
The fitness and conditioning drills in this section look at how you can help your players to get fit, stay fit, avoid injury and recover more quickly, take a look to see the impact it can have on your training.
How many times have you seen a close game decided in the last 10 minutes because one team is fit and the other is running out of energy?
Don’t be a part of that losing team! Working on fitness is something every rugby player can do to improve results for their team.
Want more information on training for rugby fitness?
Take a look at our complete guide to rugby workouts and nutrition, Rocket Rugby.
Or if you’re looking for a quick training boost check out our Rugby FitFiles which allow you to target areas from Flexibility to Strength and Power.
All our players should be fitter, stronger, and faster. Thinking up ever more evil ways to improve this is not our role. Why not try some rugby solutions? Strength and conditioning coaches have improved our rugby lives. I don’t say that because most of the ones I know are bigger and fitter than I am.... MORE
in Fitness & Conditioning, Small-sided games
Sharpen minds and bodies by reducing defensive numbers and replacing entire attacks when things go wrong - and do it all at an intense pace. This recreates the pressure of the final minutes of a match with non-stop defence and attack. It improves physical fitness and sharpens the discipline required to attack and defend well. MORE
in Fitness & Conditioning, Rugby drills
If you have some cones, a stopwatch and some space, here are five great fitness tests to check your players’ conditioning progress. Measure them regularly through the season. MORE
in Fitness & Conditioning, Practice plans
This session combines conditioning with conditioning games. Players will work hard for about an hour, after which you can increase the amount of contact or split into unit work. Referee the games hard and encourage players to take pride in their output. MORE
in Fitness & Conditioning, Practice plans, Rucking & Mauling
This is a high-intensity, physical session that works on ruck and tackle contest techniques. It is ideal as a part of a pre-season programme once you have established your rucking policies. It encourages players to work hard in support and when they are fatigued. Poor technique will be easily recognised. MORE
in Attack, Fitness & Conditioning, Rugby drills
For 10 to 20 seconds, your players become the fastest players in the world. They must race at full speed onto every pass, creating a sense of go-forward. Don’t worry about mistakes – just react, realign and attack. Play to the limits of what your team are capable of. Control the speed by throwing in new balls when things slow down. MORE
in Fitness & Conditioning, Footwork and evasion, Practice plans, Touch, Tag & Sevens
This session is fun, easy to set up and works your players’ footwork and conditioning. The players will be jumping and side stepping around a “shipwreck” trying to avoid “pirates”. The game further develops the decision making elements from the initial session. (You can also get the players to set up the “wreck”.) MORE
in Fitness & Conditioning, Passing & Handling, Practice plans
If your team are struggling for fitness, then running them up and down the pitch is one way of improving their conditioning. A better way is to use a ball. This session uses some simple exercises to improve skills as well as lung capacity. MORE
Nic Dolly, from Build U Fitness, gives us a full body workout that your players can do at home, which will help test your cardiovascular and strength endurance. MORE
in Fitness & Conditioning, Rugby coaching
Paper title: ‘Injury prevention effects of stretching exercise intervention by physical therapists in male high school soccer players’; Publication: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports J Med Sci Sports. 2020 (11):2178-2192; Publication date: November 30th 2020 Stretching is considered by many sportsmen and women as an integral part of a training program particularly when performed... MORE
