Bruce Ross's Articles in Rugby - Sports Articles: submit and read for free

Bruce Ross's Articles in Rugby

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Building bigger and stronger rugby players - the Sydney University experiment Using intensive basic strength training, Sydney University's rugby club has been able to fast track the physical development of its players. Although part-time and unpaid the young University players on average weigh only a couple of kilograms less than top international footballers. Accelerated physical development is particularly obvious among the Club's backline players who tend to be heavier than their professional counterparts. Does intensive pre-season strength training protect rugby players from non-contact injury? Players at a leading Australian rugby club who undertook a high-intensity off-season strength training program experienced dramatically fewer non-contact injuries during the playing season than their less committed club mates. It is suggested that the lower incidence of injury might be attributable to an emphasis on improving basic strength and the use of rugby-specific strength equipment. Hip flexors - the most underdeveloped muscle group in strength training Strong hip flexors provide an advantage in a wide range of sports and athletic activities but they are the most neglected muscle group in strength training. The problem in developing hip flexor strength has been the lack of appropriate exercises, but the development of flexor-specific apparatus offers great potential for fully developing these muscles. Why do rugby players scrum and maul at such different body heights? The body height of rugby players in mauls tends to be very much higher than in scrums. High body positions are inefficient for generating forward momentum. There would be advantages in training players to pack at thigh height rather than waist height. The benefits of explosive strength training for rugby football Rugby football involves prolonged physical engagements between players where they are subjected to loading substantially greater than their own body weight. An ability to very rapidly generate force is advantageous in these areas of physical engagement. In addition to basic strength training, players need to undertake activity-specific training for explosive strength. Rugby - the most strength-oriented code of football Rugby players are more involved in physical contact and for longer periods than players in other forms of football. With the exception of American football, they tend to be significantly heavier than other footballers. Strength training in rugby has tended to focus on hypertrophy or maintaining strength levels rather than achieving full potential strength, but in the future there is likely to be a concentration on heavy, very mobile players who possess very high-range explosive strength.