5 Performance Enhancing Training Drills

No matter where your team sits at the league table right now, it’s never a bad time to review your training drills and make sure your team is pulling together in the right direction. This article contains five core drills that train players in tackling, speed, passing, and defensive techniques.   

Rear Tackling 

There’s such a thing as a clean tackle in rugby, all you have to do is watch https://sportnews.in/ to see why. Usually, a clean tackle occurs when a player is oncoming and can be brought down by clasping the ankles. However, the majority of tackles come from behind. 

This training drill helps players to anticipate rear tackles and strengthens them against this defensive move. Mark out an L-shape with cones and place a defender at the corner. A second player receives the ball and runs the L-channel. Player one tackles from behind as they go past.  

Defence Boxers 

To enhance the performance of your team, you need to strengthen individual performances in specific situations. Rugby relies on strong thighs and calves as well as excellent upper body strength and movement. Defence boxers are an excellent way to train attack and defence. 

Create a box on the field using cones. This activity requires two players, one attacker and one defender. The attacker takes possession of the ball and runs towards the defender. Boxing style foot and arm movements and required to get past the defender and over the line. 

Forward Attacks 

Pods are used to recycle the ball after a scrum and keep it moving through the line in a forward motion. Pods are usually made up of three players working together. Pod members can employ various tactics to outwit the opposition, think of signals that could be useful. 

Practising pod movements and signals in training is important to gain an attacking advantage on match days. Set up three gates with cones, each one progressively further on. The first pod moves through gate one and passes to a scrum-half who recycles the ball to pod two.    

Attacking Space

Sometimes rugby is about strength; other times, it’s about speed; usually, it’s a combination of both speed and strength. Attaching space is crucial to increase your ground and put your opponent under pressure. Practice attacking space quickly with the drill below. 

Break your team up into two, give bibs to one team. One team will be in an attacking role, while the other will take on defensive duties. Next, the ball is put into play. The goal is to reach the other side of the field, but players must recycle the ball every 3-seconds to build speed and skill.   

Speed Training 

Speed is very important in rugby. If you’ve ever encountered a rugby winger before, you will know that speed and strength makes all the difference to whether they go past you or not. So it’s important to build the same attributes for yourself, to be competitive, and support your team. 

Building speed requires strength training in the gym. It’s possible to have excellent stamina for distance running, but without the ability to sprint, you won’t be much use on the rugby field. Couple gym strength training with a weekly sprinting schedule to build the attributes you need.