RUGBY TRAINING TIPS

Our training team is compiling the world’s largest collecting of rugby training tips, blogs and resources. Below, you’ll find blog posts written by former pro rugby players, team trainers, coaches, players and more. We’re big proponents of unconventional training methods and finding training hacks that will provide the greatest reward with the lowest risk of injury possible. Can’t find what you need? Try one of our training and diet programs. Create an account and download them all, for free! 

Warming up and cooling down are critical but often overlooked parts of playing and training for rugby. Failing to warm up and cool down properly can significantly affect your performance and recovery.
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Brandon Lee

Wise Up – Cool Down

Warming up and cooling down are critical but often overlooked parts of playing and training for rugby. Failing to warm up and cool down properly can significantly affect your performance and recovery.

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Brandon Lee

Back to the Basics

The truth is that healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t even have to follow a strict diet. All you need to do is adhere to a few fundamental principles. In this article, we outline the basics of good nutrition. Use this information to develop a personalized, sustainable healthy eating plan.

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Brandon Lee

Developing Skills in the Sport for Everyone

Every day we read articles about the best weights exercises for rugby – advice on how to get bigger arms and develop your guns is endless. Some trainers in the fitness industry with little knowledge of rugby regurgitate a hypertrophy training program thinking that rugby players simply require size and nothing else.

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Brandon Lee

Returning to Rugby at 37 Years Old

There was a familiar feel, sound and smell when walking into the rugby changing room after being absent for nearly two years. I made a couple of cameo appearances off the bench two years ago, so it is more like four years away from the game. I had never been in this particular changing room but immediately felt comfortable…

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Brandon Lee

Cheat Meals & Alcohol

It’s human nature to want what you cannot have, and eliminating certain foods from your diet can result in cravings. One way around this problem is to indulge in cheat meals. Cheat meals are when you relax your diet and eat the foods that are usually off the menu. In this article, we explore how cheat meals and overindulging in alcohol affect your progress.

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Brandon Lee

Building Muscle Diet Plan – Backed By A Superhero

Whether playing rugby, bulking up or fighting Gorr the God Butcher, a protein shake is a great way to start the day. That’s right, as we explored in our article ‘What Is The Ultimate Rugby Protein Shake’, you can help drive your fitness, strength and bulk with a glass of something from the mixer, but in the case of Chris Hemsworth, it’s not rugby he bulks up for. He is the star of the movie Thor: Love and Thunder, and his nutritionist says he swears by protein shakes as an alternative to the constant stream of food.

Anaerobic Fitness featured image
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Brandon Lee

Rugby Fitness Drills and Anaerobic Fitness Games to Try

As a player, the perception of a tough loss might be different to what the coach sees. So, when you turn up to training and all your coach wants to do is load the team up with boring old fitness drills, morale can take a hit.

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Brandon Lee

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring chemical which is extracted from the flowers and leaves of the cannabis sativa plant. It is used by people all over the world for many purposes.

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Brandon Lee

How Strong Are Rugby Players?

Rugby is one of the few sports that require a high level of all-around physical fitness. a rugby player’s strength can be measured with four exercises: back squats, bench press, deadlifts and overhead press. So this raises a question: How strong are rugby players?

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Brandon Lee

Most Important Rugby Exercises and Why?

Few sports are as physically demanding as rugby. To be an effective rugger, you need strength, power, muscle mass, aerobic fitness, anaerobic fitness, agility, and mobility.

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Brandon Lee

French Contrast Training

Training for rugby can be very time-consuming. As well as developing a decent level of aerobic and anaerobic fitness, you need to be quick, agile, strong, and powerful, too. You’ll also need to find time to work on your mobility and flexibility and continue improving your rugby skills.

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Brandon Lee

Healthy Eating For the Busy Rugby Player

In this article, we reveal a straightforward approach to creating simple yet tasty healthy meals and provide you with a few easy recipes to try.

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Brandon Lee

10 HIIT Workouts For Faster Rugby Fitness

10 HIIT Workouts for Faster Rugby Fitness Facebook Twitter Share Time is arguably the most valuable commodity. It’s something that often seems to run out fast, and it’s tough to make more. That’s especially true for rugby players because, on top of your work and family commitments, you also need

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Tim Howard

2022 Six Nations Preview

RuckScience Predictions – Who will win 2022 Six Nations? Who are the dark horses for the 2022 Six Nations title?

fitness v fatness in rugby
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Tim Howard

Fitness Vs. Fatness in Rugby

Over the past few decades, rugby players have slimmed down. There aren’t as many obviously overweight players as there were in the 80s and 90s. At all levels, amateur to international, fatness has taken a back seat to fitness.

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Training Team

What are rugby online sportsbooks?

Online sportsbooks are a way for you to stay involved with rugby from the comfort of your own home: by offering you the chance to earn some coin by wagering on rugby games. These books offer betting lines for both rugby league and rugby union. While you’re sitting at home

start playing rugby in your 40s
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Patrick Dale

Is it conceivable to start playing rugby in my 40s?

While it is conceivable to start playing rugby in your 40s, it’s not something you should rush into. Use the information in this article to decide if you are physically and mentally equipped.

how youth rugby helps you as an adult
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Training Team

How will youth rugby help you as an adult?

How can youth rugby help you become successful as an adult if you are not good enough to go professional? Here are the physical, mental and life skill benefits of youth rugby.

ankle tap rugby training strategies
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Patrick Dale

Training to beat an ankle tap in rugby

The best ankle tap beating strategy is making sure you can outpace the player chasing you down. A well-timed hitch kick or sidestep will help too. Try the following exercises and drills.

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Training Team

How to Successfully Meal Prep for Gains

Meal prepping is a fantastic new trend in which people make large quantities of one meal and spread it out to eat throughout the week or freeze to eat at a later date. Keep reading to learn how to successfully meal prep for gains.

solo rugby training
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Patrick Dale

Can I train rugby alone? If so, what exercises should I do?

Rugby is a team sport – but, of course, you already know that! So, to be a successful rugby player, you need to train with your teammates regularly. Team training sessions are important for lots of reasons, including: Developing individual and team skills Learning and practicing set plays Improving fitness

rugby prop sprint
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Tim Howard

How can Props train to become faster?

Speed is a massive part of playing rugby. Being quick on your feet can be the difference between scoring, making a timely tackle, or reaching a loose ball first, or failing to be in the right place at the right time. In rugby a rugby footrace, there are no prizes

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Training Team

Can I train to get better at sidestepping?

Want to become a more agile ball-carrier that can side-side their way to the tryline? Here are some useful exercises and training methods that will help develop your sidestepping muscles.

rugby shin splints
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Patrick Dale

Can I play rugby with shin splits?

Rugby players are usually heavier than the average jogger and running places a lot of stress on your body, particularly your lower legs. So can you play rugby with shin splints? Possibly, if you do it correctly…

get stronger for lineout lifts
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Patrick Dale

How do I get stronger for lineout lifts?

Lineout lifting requires more than just shoulder strength, which is the target muscle group in all overhead pressing exercises. A good lift starts with a powerful leg drive, making lineout lifting a full-body activity.

rugby player squat depth
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Patrick Dale

What’s the best ROM for a rugby player’s squat?

While deep squats can be very beneficial for some rugby players, not everyone is built to squat ass to grass. Here’s our guide to the ideal range of motion for a rugby player’s squat.

rugby player riding assault bike cartoon
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Training Team

Assault Bike Workouts To Complement Rugby Training

Much like rowing, air bike workouts provide a full-body burn that can leave you as exhausted as rugby training. What is an assault bike? Your greatest love and worst enemy all at once.

rugby training app 10,000 users
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Tim Howard

Rugby Training App Passes 10k Users

The Ruck Science app, complete with mobile, interactive training programs for rugby players, has passed the 10,000 user milestone.

rugby resolutions for 2020
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Training Team

2020 Rugby Resolutions

It’s that time of year again. Every January, millions of resolutions are made and broken within days. By now you’ve probably heard multiple people say ‘I’m never drinking again’ or ‘I’m done with sugar’. Why is that? We’d argue that most resolutions fail because they’re elimination-based. Cutting out cigarettes. Eliminating

rugby outside backs training
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Training Team

Outside backs rugby training concepts

Outside backs in rugby rely on a rare combination of strength, speed and speed endurance. Here’s a breakdown of the training methodologies you should use as an outside back.

rugby diet rugby breakfast
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Training Team

Rugby Diet – what should you have for breakfast?

Breakfast should do more than just provide you with calories. It should be good for you too. With seven different options to choose from, you can have a different breakfast every day of the week.

rugby strength do less
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Training Team

Rugby Strength: Do Less for Better Results

With shorter, more targeted workouts, you’ll have all the time and energy you need to do justice to all the other aspects of rugby training and recover better too.

how strong should you be to play rugby
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Training Team

How strong should you be to play rugby?

How strong do you need to be to play rugby? If you are asking this question, the answer is probably “stronger than you are now!” Strength is, after all, the foundation of every other type of training that you do.

rugby player doing 5x5 workout
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Tim Howard

Why 5×5 is bad for rugby players

While any strength training is better than no strength training, if you are going lift weights for rugby, it makes sense to try and get the best results from your time and effort. 5×5 is a popular type of strength training, but it is not ideal for ruggers.

concentric phase triphasic rugby training
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Training Team

Concentric phase (of triphasic) for rugby training

Triphasic training is one way to increase rugby performance using weights. Unlike plyometrics and Olympic lifting, it uses traditional barbell and dumbbell exercises to improve strength and power.

isometric phase of triphasic for rugby
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Training Team

Isometric phase (of triphasic) for rugby training

Isometric contractions bridge the gap between eccentric contractions and concentric contractions. They are the link that joins these two different contractions together. They’re also a game changer for rugby training.

eccentric phase of triphasic rugby training
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Training Team

Eccentric phase (of triphasic) for rugby training

For rugby players looking to break through a strength plateau in the gym, the eccentric phase of triphasic training could well be your ticket. Take a deep dive into eccentric training with guru Pat Dale of our training team.

triphasic training for rugby
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Training Team

Triphasic training for rugby-player power

One type of strength training that may be useful for ruggers is called Triphasic strength training. This is a unique protocol and could be precisely what you need to help you overcome your current strength training plateau.

prepare mentally for rugby games
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Training Team

How to prepare mentally for rugby games

Everyone can learn to create the right mindset for optimal performance, and it’s usually a matter of practice makes perfect. Here are nine ways to help you get in the zone for playing or training for rugby.

swimming for rugby
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Tim Howard

Is swimming good for rugby players?

Swimming is an excellent addition to your rugby fitness training schedule. The fitness developed in the pool should transfer well to the pitch. However, you should still include at least some running in your workouts.

balance performance
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Training Team

Balance performance by rugby position

In modern rugby, any time that you are off your feet you are out of the game. Better balance means less time on the deck and more time playing rugby.

tissue flossing for rugby
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Patrick Dale

Will tissue flossing make you a better rugby player?

We’ve talked a lot about different options for preventing in-season rugby injuries. Here’s another one: soft tissue flossing. Does it work and will it make you a better rugby player? Let’s take a look!

youth rugby warmup program
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Training Team

Youth rugby warm-up for muscle activation

A well-executed warm-up should improve your performance and may also reduce your risk of injury. This is especially true for youth rugby players – they are the future of the sport!

carbs on gameday for rugby
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Patrick Dale

The effects of carbohydrate intake before rugby games

Carbs are neither good or bad and blanket media statements like “carbs make you fat” are very unhelpful. As a rugger, your gameday nutritional requirements are very different from a couch-surfer who never walks further than the fridge and back.

protein in preseason
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Training Team

More protein won’t help you add mass during pre-season

Need to get bigger this pre-season? Don’t get the grill out just yet. A study by researchers in Brisbane has revealed that increased protein distribution has NO effect on changes in lean mass during a rugby pre-season.

melatonin as an anti-inflammatory
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Training Team

Melatonin as a post-rugby anti-inflammatory

Ruggers are constantly sore due to inflammation. For some, this is a badge of honor but, the reality is that constant inflammation is not good for you and could lead to serious illness in the not-too-distant future.

elite rugby and genetics
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Patrick Dale

Being an elite rugby player might be in your genes

While we all dream of playing better rugby than we’re likely capable, new research shows that the world’s elite rugby players share a huge number of genetic similarities. Rugby might be in your genes!

forward more likely to develop fatty liver disease
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Tim Howard

Forwards are at greater risk of fatty liver disease

A study has revealed that rugby forwards were three-times more likely to develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) than backs. That is a very significant increase in risk and something we should address in our training and diet programs.

4 week rest
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Tim Howard

Training or Rest? Breaking the Plateau.

Before you sacrifice a chicken to the rugby gods in an effort to win back your progress, it’s important to understand what a plateau is, and what you can do about it. Training or Rest? You might need the later.

simplify your rugby diet
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Training Team

Simplify your in-season rugby diet

If the subject of nutrition leaves you feeling dazed and confused, ignore all the pseudo-science and marketing hype and simplify your in-season rugby diet.

prevent head neck injuries
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Patrick Dale

Preventing head and neck injuries in rugby

Head and neck injuries are relatively rare in rugby but, because of their potential severity, anything you can do to reduce your chances is time well spent. Include neck exercises in your workouts and protect your head at all times.

oxidative system rugby
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Patrick Dale

The Oxidative System for Rugby Fitness

Your body is an amazing machine. Not only is it made up from over 206 bones, 600+ muscles, dozens of organs, and literally billions of cells, it is also a walking, talking, rucking power station.

rugby-based mobility training
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Tim Howard

Mobility training – avoid hip / posterior chain injuries

With the right training and treatment, ruggers might be able to reduce your risk of hip injury and recover sooner if you are unlucky enough to suffer one. This article covers how to improve your hip mobility for rugby season.

ramp warmup for rugby
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Training Team

Why rugby players need to RAMP up

A warm-up should prepare your body for activity without wasting energy on drills that will have no or even a detrimental effect on on-field rugby performance. That’s where the RAMP method comes in as part of your pre-game rugby warmup.

improve your rugby tackling
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Tim Howard

Exercises to improve your rugby tackling

There’s no substitute for tackling practice. So before you read this, we strongly recommend you get to rugby training and hit someone. But if you’ve got a physical weakness, here are some ways to improve your tackling in the gym.

scrum camp part 3 - finesse
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Clarke Cayton

Scrum Camp Part III – Finesse

In the third and final session of Scrum Camp, we are going to move from the technical and get more into the finesse of scrummaging.

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Tim Howard

Why do I have tight hips after rugby?

Unlike knees and shoulders, hips are very hard to tape up, and injuries to the hips are often harder to prevent and treat. That goes a long way to explaining why you have tight hips after your rugby games, here’s some other info.

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Tim Howard

What does whey protein actually do?

Most rugby players should consume around two grams of protein per kg of body weight per day. So how do you get enough? During the season, rugby players need whey protein – here’s how it will help you.

pro rugby club nick mccashin
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Training Team

Ruck Science acquires ProRugbyClub.com

After several months of discussions, our training and content team is pleased to announce the acquisition of prorugbyclub.com. The move will bring more than 40 of the web’s best rugby-focused articles to ruckscience.com/learn.

sleep rugby training
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Tim Howard

The importance of sleep in rugby training

Training for and playing rugby take a huge amount out of your body. It depletes your energy resources and causes muscle breakdown. The only way to full recover is to do nothing, to sleep deeply and to avoid over-training. Here’s how…

rugby anaerobic training focus
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Training Team

Are ruggers too focused on anaerobic training?

Sprinting, tackling, scrummaging, and lifting and jumping in the lineout all utilize the two anaerobic energy pathways – the creatine phosphate system and the lactate system. But before you hang up your running shoes for good, it’s important to consider the role of the aerobic system in rugby.

rugby club agility ladder
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Training Team

Does your rugby club need agility ladders?

Does your rugby club need agility ladders? Our training team examines the fad of agility and speed ladders to figure out whether your rugby club / team needs to bother getting them for your pre-season training.

pasta before rugby games
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Patrick Dale

Should I eat pasta before a rugby game?

Pasta is low in fat, high in carbs, easy to digest, and readily available. This all suggests that it’s the ideal pre-game carb source for rugby players. And for many ruggers, pasta is a good nutritional choice.

rugby training matter without sleep
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Training Team

Does rugby training matter without sleep?

As rugby players, we like to brag about spending extra time in the gym. But considering the positive effects of sleep for recovery and muscle growth/repair, maybe we should be bragging about staying in bed.

Shoulder strapping before playing rugby
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Training Team

Shoulder strapping before playing rugby

After the knees, the shoulder is the most commonly injured joint in rugby. 20% of rugby injuries are to the shoulder, and 35% of those injuries are recurrent. So how do you strap your shoulders before rugby games? Pat Dale explains.

creating leverage scrum camp
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Clarke Cayton

Scrum Camp Pt 2 – Creating Leverage

You’ve reached Day 2 of your club’s annual scrum camp. In this section, we’ll cover technique, instruction and how to challenge your players to create leverage at scrum time. Big thanks to Carrick Pell for his help in programming Day 2.

When to retire from rugby?
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Nick McCashin

Absolutely Broken – When to retire from Rugby?

When is it time for me to retire from rugby? Is it after the second broken cheek or the fifth? Or was I supposed to retire after the ACL reconstruction? It was hard for me to know and probably hard for you too!

5 training routines from international teams
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Training Team

Training routines from 6 national rugby squads

Train like the best rugby teams in the world if you want to get better. These 6 training routines are taken from the best 15s (and 1 of the best 7s) rugby programs in the world.

Squat variations to prevent injury
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Training Team

Squat variations to guard against injury

Is it possible to improve your 1RM back squat without risking injury from heavy squat sessions? You bet! Try these squat variations – in particular the overhead and front squat – to develop functional strength without the added stress on your joints.

set up a scrum camp
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Clarke Cayton

Crouch, Bind, Set Up A Scrum Camp

Summer scrum camps are the best way to develop technical knowledge across your entire forward pack. Get ready to Crouch, Bind and Set as Clarke Cayton walks us through Day 1 of summer scrum camp.

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Clarke Cayton

Beat the Heat – 10 Pool Exercises for Summer

Nobody wants to be training when the weather gets hot. But our friend Clarke T. Cayton has some great tips for taking your summer rugby training to the pool so you can ‘beat the heat this year’. #rugby #summer #training

agility training while traveling
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Training Team

Can I improve my agility while traveling this summer?

If you’re traveling this summer, your rugby conditioning is likely to suffer. Off-season rugby training probably hasn’t started for you yet. But in the meantime, try these speed/agility hacks while you’re traveling this summer.

train rugby back injury
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Patrick Dale

How to train around a lower back injury

How do you continue rugby training despite a lower-back injury? Pat Dale explains how to muscle through with a couple of management techniques that will allow you to keep training. But lower backs are tricky, so consult a trainer first.

contrast baths for rugby recovery
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Patrick Dale

Why contrast baths are so good for post-rugby recovery

You’ve probably been told and resisted ice baths more than once. But luckily the science suggests that contrast baths are a better option. Try a contrast bath this weekend and let us know how your recovery goes!

mechanical dropsets for rugby
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Patrick Dale

Mechanical drop sets for extra muscle gain

Why would you need extra muscle in rugby? If you’re under-sized, it can be really hard to compete in contact, set piece and at the breakdown. Adding some bulk using mechanical dropsets to drive hypertrophy can also be a terrific way to prevent contact injuries.

returning2rugby broken leg 4
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Clarke Cayton

When Rugby Breaks Your Stride – Pt4 Re-entry Phase

You’re read about the injury, a brutal broken leg, a trip to hospital and 6 months on the sidelines. Now we get to hear the end of Clarke Cayton’s story, his return to rugby for his Springfield team. Welcome back Clarke and congrats on the recovery!

broken leg workouts for rugby comeback
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Tim Howard

Post broken-leg workouts to fuel your rugby comeback

Of all the injuries you can suffer playing rugby, a broken leg is arguably the most traumatic. Whether it’s the tibia, fibula, or femur, a broken leg bone means many weeks out and a lengthy period of rehabilitation. Here’s our guide to making a rugby comeback from your broken leg injury.

rugby prop using a fend
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Training Team

Is it possible to lose weight and still be a Prop?

A recent question was put to our training team – is it possible to lose weight and still be a Prop? Sure it is! As long as you train for strength, lose fat (NOT muscle) and forget the faddy diets. Here’s a breakdown of how to lose weight and still be a Prop.

garden exercises for rugby
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Patrick Dale

I can’t get to the gym, what training can I do in my garden?

You can’t get to the gym because let’s face it, juggling life and training for rugby is tough. Powerlifting champ Pat Dale explains that you can still get a lot of work done at home, even if you’re training in the garden.

rugby player running on treadmill
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Patrick Dale

Best Treadmill Exercises for Rugby Training

If it’s the middle of winter (or summer) and you can’t get out on the rugby field, how do you get your cardio up for the season? If you’re looking at the cardio machines in the gym, think about using some of these treadmill exercises and get after it!

brooklyn rugby sponsorship program
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Training Team

Brooklyn RFC joins our sponsorship program

Ruck Science is proud to announce our newest partnership with York College’s Women’s Rugby Team! This club is as awesome off the rugby field as they are on it. Use their coupon code YCPWOMENSRUGBY for $10 off your first ruckscience.com order.

Youngstown SteelValley rugby sponsorship
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Training Team

Support Youngstown Steel Valley on ruckscience.com

Ruck Science is proud to announce our newest partnership with York College’s Women’s Rugby Team! This club is as awesome off the rugby field as they are on it. Use their coupon code YCPWOMENSRUGBY for $10 off your first ruckscience.com order.

bgsu men's rugby sponsorship
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Training Team

BGSU Men’s Rugby – Our Latest Sponsored Club

Ruck Science is proud to announce our newest partnership with York College’s Women’s Rugby Team! This club is as awesome off the rugby field as they are on it. Use their coupon code YCPWOMENSRUGBY for $10 off your first ruckscience.com order.

Intermittent fasting during rugby season
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Patrick Dale

Intermittent Fasting; can it be used during rugby season?

Can you use intermittent fasting as part of your diet during rugby season? It’s certainly possible, but with quite a few caveats. This article explores the concept and describes the kind of player who might use IMF during the rugby season.

Texas A&M Women's Rugby club sponsorship
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Training Team

Texas A&M Women’s Rugby Confirm Nutrition Supplier

Ruck Science is proud to announce our newest partnership with York College’s Women’s Rugby Team! This club is as awesome off the rugby field as they are on it. Use their coupon code YCPWOMENSRUGBY for $10 off your first ruckscience.com order.

Sponsorship of university of california santa barbara rugby
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Training Team

UCSB Gauchos Sign Nutrition Partner

Ruck Science is proud to announce our newest partnership with York College’s Women’s Rugby Team! This club is as awesome off the rugby field as they are on it. Use their coupon code YCPWOMENSRUGBY for $10 off your first ruckscience.com order.