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Rugby Resources

A Beginner's Guide to Rugby Union is a great resource for new and experienced players alike.  Click on the image below to open the guide.  Take the test and see how you do!

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Know the laws. Obey the laws.  Otherwise you'll be facing a red card from the sir (to find out what that means, click below).  All players are expected to know the laws of the game.

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A short, entertaining video covering the rules of the game "for Americans" 

Fitness Resources

The Why

So how fit do you need to be to play and really enjoy the game of rugby?  VERY!  Below is a summary of a study conducted by South Africa's Ross Tucker (PhD in Exercise Physiology from the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences) with numbers adjusted for a 40 minute match:

- A backline player will experience about 60 ‘impacts’ per match – an impact is any involvement in a tackle, ruck/maul, or collision with the ground. Not surprisingly, forwards are involved in more impacts than backline players, with about 150 per match. The majority of impacts, somewhat surprisingly, come in the second half (65% compared to 35%).

 

- In terms of running, backline players can expect to cover between 3.5 km and 3.25km (2.2 - 2.4 mi) a match, while forwards cover between 2.5 km and 3.5 km (1.6 - 2.2 mi), depending on their playing position (loose forwards covering the most distance). About 70% of the match is spent standing or walking, 25% is spent jogging, and 5% running at sprinting speeds. This means that for every second spent running, players will rest or move slowly for about five seconds.

- However, the real challenge lies in the number of times players have to change speeds, either accelerating or decelerating for short periods. The average ‘sprint’ is 20 metres long, and it happens 30 times a match, while fast jogging for 20m happens 90 times a match. In total, there are shifts in speed approximately 375 times per player per match, or once every three to four seconds. The challenge in terms of conditioning is to prepare players for this constant shifting of pace and direction.

- Forwards spend more time doing very high intensity exercise, and less time walking or standing than backline players (65% of the match for forwards, compared to 75% for backs). This is explained by the forwards having more ‘static exertion’ periods – scrums, rucking and mauling. 

- Finally, the physiological load is actually greater in the second half of matches. Players run further in the second half, with more accelerations and short sprints, and there are twice as many impacts in the second half. More time is also spent doing high-intensity running and less time walking in the second half of matches, especially for forwards, which says that play is more continuous in the second half. It’s perhaps not surprising then that scorelines often remain tight for 25 minutes before opening up – the last 15 minutes is where the physiology begins to tell!

Training

We spend the majority of our practice time working on skills and fundamentals.  We expect our players to work on their fitness outside of practice time.

Running and weight training should be cornerstones of your fitness programs. 

Click below for a "lockdown" guide created by The Rugby Coach from across the pond (they are a great resource to follow on social media).  The guide was created to support players aged 11 to 16 to develop their rugby skills, fitness and knowledge about rugby at home.  We feel it is a great resource for all age groups!

Rugby Lockdown Guide from The Rugby Coach

Below are three "Rugby Crossfit" workouts designed by Castle Rock Pirates Alum Trevor Lane (CrossFit Loop) that don't require any equipment!

Scrumcious

10 rounds of
- 10 push ups
- 100m sprint

(Meaning you do 10 push ups and 100m sprint 10 times)
30 burpee buy out (after your 10 rounds of the above, do 30 burpees)

Each week you repeat, adding 1 rep to the push ups and try to go faster than the week before.

You can substitute sprints with 50 high knees or 40 jumps using a jump rope

Get Backs

10 rounds
- 12 air squats (15 for backs)
- 100m backwards run
30 burpee buy out (after your 10 rounds of the above, do 30 burpees)

Add 1 rep to the squats each week and try and go faster than the week before


The Bear

5 rounds
- 30m bear crawl
- 10 burpees
50 air squat buy out (after your 5 rounds of the above, do 50 air squats)

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