Rugby Training
Check our rugby training drills and workouts that will help ensure you feel great on and off the pitch. Build your strength as well as find exercises for rugby that you may not have tried before. Get a real workout!
Your fitness training should take the following form
Speed work
Look at the plyometric circuit to developing explosive power, aim to do this circuit no more than once a week, and certainly not on days before a game, as this type of circuit takes a few days to recover from.
Shuttle sprints; most sprints / runs last for between 10 and 50 seconds in a game, so look at this time for your training. Working with minimal rest between sessions, ideally 15 seconds, however every 5 minutes, take a good minute break whilst walking / jogging. Your sprints should take the following form, standing start, lying flat on your stomach start, running start, sprint forward with run back and then repeat all with a ball.
Working at speed whilst passing the ball will help develop the high level of skill that is required for hand eye co-ordination.
Aim to have a minimum of 5 markers to turn around, not necessary in a straight line when you perform your shuttle sprints. Also concentrate on turning around the marker from both sides, most right footed players will go around from the right, if you are strong on turning at speed on both legs, just think how this will improve your game?
Dependent upon the position you play, will determine the amount of speed work that you perform. The Backs, players (1-9) should perform at least two sessions of speed drills for about 20 –30 minutes a week, with 1 plyometric session. All others should aim for 1 plyometric session and 1–2 speed sessions of 15- 25 minutes.
Muscular Endurance
Use this circuit once a week to develop muscular endurance, best performed alongside a skill session or on a day after a match.
| DISTANCE | SPEED | DRILL / NOTES |
| 2 X LAPS | LIGHT RUN PACE | WARM UP & STRETCH |
| 3 X LAPS | JOG / RUN / FAST | PACE YOURSELF * |
| 3 X 1/2 LAPS | AS ABOVE | DO DRILL, PASSING BALL BETWEEN PLAYERS |
| 1 X LAP | RUN PACE | HK - SS - HTB -SS * |
| 4 X 1/2 LAPS | FAST RUN | LEG CIRCUIT AFTER EACH 1/2 LAP |
| 4 X 1/2 LAPS | FAST RUN | AS ABOVE PLUS UPPER BODY CIRCUIT |
| 4 X 1/2 LAPS | FAST RUN | AS ABOVE PLUS ABS CIRCUIT |
| 4 X LAPS | SPRINT / JOG | SPRINT ONE SIDE THEN JOG BACKWARDS * |
| 4 X 1/2 LAPS | FAST AS POSSIBLE | DO DRILL, PASSING BALL BETWEEN PLAYERS |
| 5 X LAPS | FAST RUN | LEG CIRCUIT AFTER EACH LAP |
| 2 X LAPS | LIGHT RUN PACE | COOL DOWN & STRETCH |
HK = HIGH KNEE RUNNING SS = SIDE STEPPING HTB = HEEL TO BUM
AIM TO SPRINT THE WIDTH OF THE PITCH, THEN JOG BACKWARDS ALONG THE LENGTH BEFORE SPRINTING AGAIN. ONCE YOU GET FITTER, YOU CAN THEN SPRINT THE LENGTH AND JOG ON THE WIDTH
On the following page we can show you some great circuits for legs and upper body.
