Rugby is primary an aerobic sport although the average size and weight of players has developed massively since the birth of the professional game players still need to be able to last for 80 minutes of vigorous exercise. A lot of the running sessions developed by amateure coaches can be boring and very general as anyone who has done a rugby pre-season for their local club or in school can no doubt attest to.
Players love conditioning games there is no easier way as a rugby conditioner to become the most popular member of the support staff by letting the lads or ladies know that all they are going to be doing for conditioning are a mixture of games. It’s great specific work involves varying intensities, the ball, spacial awareness, change of direction, game specific agility, thinking, decision making etc.
Conditioners love straight line running we can control every aspect of your programme from the speed you are running at to the volumes you are running. I can plan out a 4 week block that is going to ensure you get the running efficiency and aerobic training effect that I desire. Right lads on the line!
Thankfully for all involved there is an easy way we can have our cake and eat it. By combining conditioning games and targeted aerobic running then it is possible to ensure your players are getting a minimal fitness dose whilst also working on their ball in hand, evasion and all of the game specific running demands that make rugby such a demanding sport.
What you will need for this 4 week programme.
- Bibs
- Balls
- Cones
- A rugby Field
- A rugby team
- 2 coaches/referees.
The programme will take place over 5 weeks and will involve 2 squad sessions a week.
Week 1 – Testing and General prep
Baseline testing.
We need to workout what distance each player needs to run during the interval running component of the programme to do this we need to perform a aerobic running test the easiest test to perform is the 1200m shuttle test all you need is a rugby pitch and a stopwatch.
Below is a table in seconds showing the time achieved on the 1200 meter (Mo’Farah) running test and what that will mean for the running intervals (time and intensity) for each player.
Use this table to individualise the interval distances based off aerobic running fitness. It is important that the running volumes you are asking the players to complete are achievable but also challenging.
Touch Games.
Assuming you have 28 players (you can obviously move numbers up or down from here based off your squad size). We will be splitting the pitch into 2 halfs (50m x 70m) and splitting the squad into 4 teams of 7. It is important to keep a running tally over the 5 weeks of who is beating who in the con games this will ensure the intensity and competitiveness is there so it will hone them for entering into a real game scenario.
Use simple games that ensure a high workrate and limit the amount of time players can hang out on the wing not getting involved. The two games I suggest you use for the block are
Off Side Touch
- Player can pass any direction or any manner.
- One handed touch or dropped ball is an instant turn over.
- To score player must touch down the ball all of the offensive team must be in the 15 meter line for a score to count.
Drop off touch.
- Normal touch rules apply
- Drop ball, knock on are instant turn over.
- Attack must roll the ball on a touch and can not use a dummy half.
- When a defender makes a touch they must retreat to their own try line before re-joining the defensive line.
AUGUST 25, 2013: SYDNEY, NSW. Sonny Bill Williams gets ready for a Sydney Roosters team training session at Tramway Oval, Moore Park in Sydney, New South Wales. (Photo by Gregg Porteous / Newspix)
Contact Email: newspix@newsltd.com.au
Contact Web URL: www.newspix.com.au
Contact Email: newspix@newsltd.com.au
Programme
Every session requires a full 15 minute warm up that involves
- General pulse raising activity (usually handling drills)
- Dynamic stretching and activation.
- Build up into near maximal sprints and accelerations (can include some rudimentary speed work).
- A change of direction element in the form of a small game like 10 touch or in a two on three drill for example.
Week 1 –
Session 1 (57 mins)
Mo’Farah Test with 5 min rest (12 mins)
2 x 4 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (10 mins)
2 x 4 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (10 mins)
2 x 4 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (10 mins)
Session 2 (63 mins)
2 x 4 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (10 mins)
1 set of 8 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (6 min – 2 min break for water)
2 x 4 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (10 mins)
1 set of 8 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (6 min – 2 min break for water)
2 x 4 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (10 mins)
1 set of 8 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (6 min – 2 min break for water)
Week 2 –
Session 1 (69 mins)
2 x 4.5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Session 2 (69 mins)
2 x 4.5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 100% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Week 3 –
Session 1 (69 mins)
2 x 4.5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Session 2 (69 mins)
2 x 4.5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 4.5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (11 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Week 4 –
Session 1 (72 mins)
2 x 5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Session 2 (72 mins)
2 x 5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 110% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Week 5 –
Session 1 (72 mins)
2 x 5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 120% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 120% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 120% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Session 2 (72 mins)
2 x 5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 120% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Off side touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 120% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
2 x 5 min Drop off touch 2 min half time for waters (12 mins)
1 set of 10 runs @ 120% – 15 second run with 15 seconds rest (7 min including 2 min break for water)
Week 6
1200 meter retest after a good warm up.
Conclusion
Now your squad should have greatly improved their running capacity and game related skills. It is essential to incorporate a contact fitness component to your preseason to prepare a player for that element of the game. For aerobic fitness development the above programme should do a great job of targeting volumes and intensities at an appropriate level and also ensure that players get plenty of ball in hand time whilst achieving a great aerobic block.
During the block it would be a good idea to do the following to try and ensure a well rounded initial pre-season block
- 3x weights sessions for players designed to develop general strength and power (to be performed in their own time but ideally supervised).
- 2x basic speed sessions a week incorporated into your warm ups.
- 1x contact specific prep session (boxing/wrestling mix possibly in player’s own time)
- Aerobic top up work for players who require more attention (barbell complexes, rowing and biking mix).
Hopefully the above has given you some good ideas you can use with your local club or your school team as you enter the physical preparation phase of the season.
Marc
