Variances In Strength And Conditioning Practice In Elite Rugby Union Between The Northern And Southern Hemispheres (original) (raw)

Strength and conditioning practices of high school rugby coaches: A South African context

South African Journal of Science, 2019

Although rugby union as a sport is well established, the strength and conditioning practices of high school level players are not well known. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine the current strength and conditioning practices that coaches implement at South African high school level rugby. A secondary purpose was to compare practices between high schools of different socio-economic status in South Africa. An online survey or in person interview (depending on the school) was conducted and 43 responses were received: from 28 coaches at schools among the top 100 rugby schools in South Africa for 2016 and from 15 coaches at no-fee public schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Most coaches (72%) performed some form of physical testing, with the most common parameter tested being ‘speed’. The most common strength and conditioning practices utilised included flexibility (stretching), speed (free sprinting), agility (cone drills), plyometric (box drills) ...

Seasonal Changes in Strength and Power in Elite Rugby League: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 2021

The ability of a rugby league player to express high levels of strength and power is crucial for success in competition. Although researchers have shown relationships between physical attributes and performance, there is a lack of information related to changes in strength and power across various phases of the season. The purpose of this review was to identify the magnitude of change in muscular strength and power during different phases of an elite rugby league season. Percentage change and effect size were calculated to evaluate the magnitude of changes in strength and power. Meta-analyses were conducted to provide pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals. Twelve studies were included; six reported changes following pre-season training, two during the competition phase and four examined changes over multiple seasons. Pooled estimates indicated large increases in upper and lower body strength 0.81 [0.43-1.19] and 1.35 [0.79-1.91], respectively, following pre-season training. ...

Changes in Strength over a 2-Year Period in Professional Rugby Union Players

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2012

Appleby, B, Newton, RU, and Cormie, P. Changes in strength over a 2-year period in professional rugby union players. J Strength Cond Res 26(9): 2538-2546, 2012-The purpose of this study was to assess the magnitude of upper and lower body strength changes in highly trained professional rugby union players after 2 years of training. An additional purpose was to examine if the changes in strength were influenced by the starting strength level, lean mass index (LMI), or chronological age. This longitudinal investigation tracked maximal strength and body composition over 3 consecutive years in 20 professional rugby union athletes. Maximal strength in the bench press and back squat and body composition was assessed during preseason resistance training sessions each year. The athletes completed a very rigorous training program throughout the duration of this study consisting of numerous resistance, conditioning and skills training sessions every week. The primary findings of this study were as follows: (a) Maximal upper and lower body strength was increased by 6.5-11.5% after 2 years of training (p = 0.000-0.002 for bench press; p = 0.277-0.165 for squat); (b) magnitude of the improvement was negatively associated with initial strength level (r = 20.569 to 20.712, p # 0.05); (c) magnitude of improvement in lower body maximal strength was positively related to the change in LMI (an indicator of hypertrophy; r = 0.692-0.880, p # 0.05); and (d) magnitude of improvement was not associated with the age of professional rugby union athletes (r = 20.068 to 20.345). It appears particularly important for training programs to be designed for continued muscle hypertrophy in highly trained athletes. Even in professional rugby union athletes, this must be achieved in the face of high volumes of aerobic and skills training if strength is to be increased.

Physical Preparation in Female Rugby Codes: An Investigation of Current Practices

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2020

Female sports have recently seen a dramatic rise in participation and professionalism world-wide. Despite progress, the infrastructure and general sport science provisions in many female sports are behind their male counterparts. From a performance perspective, marked differences in physical and physiological characteristics can be seen between the sexes. Although physical preparation practices for male athletes are known, there are currently no published literature pertaining exclusively to female athletes. This information would provide invaluable data for both the researcher and practitioner alike. This survey therefore aimed to examine current practices utilized in female rugby codes (union, league, and sevens). A questionnaire assessing seasonal physical preparation practices, recovery, monitoring and sport science technology, and unique aspects in female rugby was developed. Thirty-seven physical preparation practitioners (32 males, 5 females) responded to the questionnaire. M...

The improvement of strength and conditioning during an Australian football pre-season

This study found small improvements in maximum strength performance over an 11 week pre-season period in Australian football, where competing demands of endurance and strength are trained in a relatively high volume. ABSTRACT The present study examined the changes in strength performance during an 11 week pre-season period in elite Australian football (AF). The aim was to describe strength performance changes during a heavy period of training where competing demands of conditioning and strength were trained in a relatively high volume. Fifteen professional AF players (mean ± SD: age 25.7 ± 2.8 years; height 187.7 ± 5.9 cm; body mass 86.2 ± 5.8 kg) from one AFL club, completed periodised strength, conditioning and skills training throughout an 11 week period of pre-season. Descriptive statistics (mean and SD) were calculated for all variables. Effect Size (ES) was calculated, using Cohen's d statistic. 90% Confidence Interval (CI) were also calculated. Pearson's correlations coefficient was calculated between an isometric mid-thigh pulls (Newton per kilogram (N/kg)), weekly conditioning load (total weekly distance (kilometres)) and strength volume (repetitions). An average of 35 km and 1427 repetitions a week was covered over this period. A small increase in strength was shown (5  0.78 N/kg), resulting in a small change (13  0.05% increase, ES 0.69  0.29) across the pre-season period. A very large negative correlation (r =-0.82) was shown between N/kg and weekly conditioning load, presenting the possible presence of an interference effect over this period. The results of this study demonstrate the ability to increase maximum strength, during a period of heavy training where competing demands of conditioning and strength were trained in relatively high volume and in the presence of an interference effect.

Changes in the physical fitness of elite women’s rugby union players over a competition season

South African Journal of Sports Medicine, 2013

Objective. To investigate changes in the physical fitness characteristics of elite women's rugby union players over a competitive season. Methods. Thirty-two elite women's rugby union players, all members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad, were sub-divided into 2 positional categories of 17 forwards and 15 backs, respectively, and assessed pre-, mid-and post-competition season. Players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (vertical jump, 10 m and 40 m sprint, 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press and multi-stage shuttle-run test). Analysis. A 2-factor analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season (p<0.01). Results. In both groups, no significant changes were detected in the sum of skinfolds, vertical jump height, 1RM bench press and multi-stage shuttle-run test scores throughout the season. However, sprint times (10 m and 40 m) significantly increased and then decreased for both groups between the early (pre-to mid-season) and later phases of the season (mid-to post-season), respectively. Conclusion. The results suggest that, for improvement in physical fitness, players need to train at higher loads, especially in the preparatory phase. Thereafter, they must take measures to actively maintain these gains throughout the competitive season. Direct supervision of their conditioning should be encouraged. S Afr J SM 2013;25(2):47-50.