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!
Ladder Drills
Used to gain speed in footwork, lay out a rope ladder, or chalk out an area with approximately 15 inch squares. Combining ladders so that you go both forward and side ward's, will give you rapid results. The numbers indicate the order to run in.
1 |
2
|
3 |
4
|
5 |
6
|
Single leg run Aim to run on the ball of your foot, without catching the rope or chalk lines. = Left foot  = Right foot |
| 1
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
11
|
Double leg run; aim to run at speed through the rope ladder, pumping with your arms.= Left foot = Right foot |
|
1 2 |
3 4 |
5 6 |
7 8 |
9 10 |
11 12 |
Double side step Run through the ladder in a sideways direction, with either double or single leg. = Left foot = Right Foot |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ickey Shuffle As with the double run, but this time every third step comes outside the rope. = Left foot = Right foot |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Cross over's Side step through the rope, taking your leading leg both in front and then behind the trailing leg. = Left foot = Right foot |
By performing these drills in both directions,you will soon realize that you are better on one side than the other. Aim to work on your weaker side for greater improvements in your game.
Ball Drills
Becoming the fittest and strongest player on the pitch is pointless, unless you can handle the ball under extreme pressure well. Turning at speed, passing, catching and kicking is all skills that you can work on, ideally as a team on the pitch.
THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES ARE OF SUITABLE BALL DRILLS
 |
Ball Pick Up Working in pairs, ideally with a minimum of 6 balls. Lay the balls out in a zig zag formation between 5 and 20 meters apart. One of you will sprint forward, pick up the ball and pass it back. On catching the ball the second partner sprints forward to place the ball on its original position. Work at speed changing roles at the end. |
 |
High Ball Pickup Working on your own, sprint for a minimum of 30 meters around a marker. On reaching the marker, turn and either kick the ball or throw it backwards in the direction of the second marker, and aim to catch it and sprint forward onto the next marker. Repeat this for the third and forth markers then sprint forward for a try. |
 |
Speed Turn Place a number of markers in any formation, an M Shape, is a good guideline. Sprint as fast as you can around each marker. Ideally place the markers close together 5 – 10 meters apart. Perform the same drill, however run backwards, or sideward’s around each of the markers. |
 |
Ball Drops Set out a circuit with a number of long straights in it, 20 meters, with a short U-turn followed by a 10-meter sprint. On the long straight either throw or kick the ball so that it bounces close to the marker, aim to predict the bounce, picking the ball up then moving rapidly around the markers in their set order. |
On the final pages we have discipline and stretching routines to help prevent injuries!
