Importance of Strength and Conditioning for Young Rugby Players

If you are a young rugby player, there are multiple benefits to strength and conditioning.

Rugby Union is an example of high-intensity intermittent exercise, in that activities that call for maximum strength and power are interspersed with periods of low intensity aerobic activity and rest.

The game is played by two teams of 15 players competing for possession and territory to score more tries, penalties or conversions than the opposition. From a physiological perspective this puts various demands on players during the game. Find out about Rugby Tours To France at Fox Sports Travel.

Based on the findings of the current research, here are some of the key components of physical fitness that is required by rugby players:

1. Strength

If you can improve your strength level, you will increase your ability to produce power. Research shows that in defence, the winning team recovers the ball and completes more ‘handles’ than losing them, with the winning team recording a completion rate of 94% of tackles. For this reason, strength is viewed as the basis of top performance in Rugby Union.

2. Power

When tackling, a player must react to visual cues of opponents because they carry the ball. Often you are asked to adjust the position of your body in a split second to make an effective and aggressive tackle. A study investigating the ability of elite Rugby League players have found that a higher level of lower body muscle strength is associated with a better response capability.

3. Speed

Match performance motion analysis has found the ability of the attacking player carrying the ball to receive that ball at speed against a defender, greatly increases the chance of breaking a tackle by an opponent.

4. Agility

In Rugby Union, analysis of the running ability of attacking ball carriers has shown that those using evasive agility skills to challenge the defensive line were more likely to advance the ball past the advantage line and retain possession. Receiving the ball at high speed and responding with agile evasion with direction changes of between 20-60 degrees is strongly associated with tackle breaks. The ability to isolate defenders and overcome the break is the main determinant of try-scoring ability and success for rugby teams.

5. Conditioning

A rugby union match usually lasts for 80 minutes not including injury time. Rugby match time motion analysis indicates that players may travel between 5-6km and values have been recorded up to 7km per game.

A study of elite players in Rugby Union found that the average player maintains an average heart rate of 172 beats per minute and one player reached a maximum heart rate of 200 beats per minute. This puts a huge demand on the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems of players. Therefore, a player must have an adequate level of fitness to continue to express their muscle strength, power, speed and agility under fatigue while playing the game.

Mistakes to avoid as a young rugby player

What makes the top rugby players so successful? When top players are asked about what mistakes to avoid when starting in rugby, here are some of the worst mistakes they believe a young rugby player can make:

1. Ignoring your body

Your body is your vehicle for success. When you are younger you recover more quickly and injuries take little time to heal. But year after year, this sport is physically demanding and will have an effect on your body. Injuries start to take longer to heal and the time required to recover after a game increases.

This is why it is so important to start looking after your body while you are young. Start a rehabilitation program to work on every weakness you have in your body. Areas to work on include the flexibility of the hamstring, the strength of the rotator cuff, as well as various hip and ankle mobility. Whatever weakness you find, a rehabilitation program to help improve the area.

2. Poor Time Management

As a young rugby player, you will have a lot of outside pressure to overcome. You will have to manage school work deadlines, time for socialising and other sports / activities that all demand time and effort. If you start working on your time management skills that will make your life much easier and much more fun.

When you start to play for your school/county and you have to go to national trials your time will become very valuable. Having good time management skills will allow you to enjoy and make the most of the free time you have in between your rugby and other commitments.

3. Forget to develop mental toughness

A common theme among pro players is mental toughness. This does not mean that they are all the fastest, strongest or most skilled players. Mental toughness can be described as the grit to carry on when you, your body and the competition have the better of you so that you are physically tired and needing to dig deep to find something within yourself. This doesn’t mean becoming a robot but switching on something that is mentally alert and involved. It’s not enough to keep moving unless you’re doing it in a way that is still effective and competitive.

Mental toughness can help you:

get out of dips in form

develop confidence

thrive in competitive pressure

master negative thoughts and self-doubt

allows you to perform to your true potential in rugby

4. Forget to enjoy playing rugby

Do not forget to enjoy it, that’s when you are at your best. Why not consider Rugby Tours To France? It’s very easy to become focused on all the other areas that surround rugby. There will be a lot of disappointments along the road to the top, that’s just the nature of the sport. Remember to enjoy the ride. The process of getting to where you want to be able to be should be the most enjoyable part.