Physiological Demands of Women’s Rugby
As a seasoned rugby professional, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with elite women’s rugby players and witnessing the incredible athleticism and determination they bring to the pitch. While there are certainly physiological differences between the men’s and women’s game, the core physical demands of women’s rugby are no less intense.
Women’s rugby is a fast-paced, collision-heavy sport that requires a unique combination of strength, power, speed, and endurance. The modern game has evolved to favor bigger, more physical forwards who can dominate the set-piece and gain valuable territory through their carrying ability. Meanwhile, the backs need to be agile, elusive, and possess the acceleration to stretch defenses. Across all positions, a high level of aerobic fitness is essential to maintain work rates and recover from repeated bouts of high-intensity effort.
Anatomically, female rugby players tend to have a lower overall body mass and muscle mass compared to their male counterparts. However, studies have shown that this does not necessarily translate to a significant performance disadvantage. In fact, some of the most dominant women’s rugby players, like England’s Sarah Bern, have proven that sheer physicality and power can be just as impactful in the women’s game.
The key is to optimize the physical qualities that female athletes can excel at, such as high-intensity repeated efforts, bodyweight-based strength, and reactive agility. By focusing on developing these attributes through a tailored strength and conditioning program, we can empower women’s rugby players to reach their full potential.
Strength Training for Women’s Rugby
One of the core pillars of any successful women’s rugby strength and conditioning program is the development of foundational movement patterns and overall body strength. This lays the groundwork for players to then build explosive power, speed, and resilience to the physical demands of the game.
Mastering Fundamental Movements
We often start by breaking down the basic movement skills – the squat, hinge, push, pull, and carry patterns. These form the basis for more advanced exercises and athletic movements. Using progressions like bodyweight squats, lunges, deadlifts, and push-ups, we ensure our players have mastered proper technique and stability before adding external load.
Developing good muscle control and coordination is especially crucial for female rugby players, as the rapid growth spurts common during adolescence can temporarily disrupt movement efficiency. By slowing things down and reinforcing the basics, we can help players regain that innate body awareness and control.
Prioritizing Whole-Body Strength
While some may assume that female athletes should avoid “bulky” strength training, the reality is that building lean muscle mass is essential for rugby performance. Our goal is to develop strong, powerful, and resilient athletes, not bodybuilders.
We incorporate a range of compound lifts like the back squat, deadlift, and bench press to target all the major muscle groups. These movements not only build overall strength, but also teach the body to recruit multiple muscle groups simultaneously – a critical skill for the multidirectional demands of rugby.
Supplementary exercises like pull-ups, shoulder presses, and Romanian deadlifts further reinforce posterior chain strength and upper body power. This well-rounded approach ensures our female players have the foundation to excel in both contact and non-contact aspects of the game.
Unlocking Explosive Power
Once the fundamentals are firmly in place, we can progress to more dynamic, ballistic exercises to develop explosive power. Plyometrics like box jumps, hurdle hops, and medicine ball throws teach the muscles to generate force rapidly – a crucial attribute for acceleration, change of direction, and high-impact collisions.
We carefully sequence the load and intensity of these power-focused exercises, starting conservatively and gradually increasing the demands. The goal is to build a robust musculoskeletal system that can handle the extreme forces of rugby while maintaining optimal technical execution.
Conditioning for the Female Rugby Athlete
Alongside strength development, the physical conditioning of women’s rugby players requires a tailored approach to address the unique physiological characteristics and match demands of the sport.
Aerobic Capacity Building
While rugby is primarily an intermittent, high-intensity game, a strong aerobic foundation is essential for sustaining repeated bouts of work, recovering between efforts, and maintaining performance late into matches. We utilize a variety of conditioning methods, from interval training on the track to high-intensity circuit sessions, to steadily improve our players’ aerobic fitness.
The 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test has proven to be a valuable tool for assessing and monitoring the aerobic capabilities of our women’s rugby squad. By tracking their peak running velocity and estimated VO2max, we can objectively measure progress and identify any positional differences in aerobic profile.
Developing Anaerobic Power
In addition to building a robust aerobic system, the ability to generate explosive bursts of speed and power is paramount for success in women’s rugby. We incorporate targeted sprint training, plyometrics, and high-intensity interval sessions to develop the anaerobic qualities that allow players to break the line, accelerate into contact, and outpace defenders.
Monitoring metrics like 5, 10, and 20-meter sprint times, along with vertical jump height, provides valuable insights into the power-producing capabilities of our athletes. Analyzing these data points, both individually and across playing positions, helps us tailor training to address any specific deficiencies.
Optimizing Recovery and Resilience
Given the physically demanding nature of rugby, a comprehensive approach to recovery and injury prevention is essential for keeping our female players healthy and performing at their best. This includes strategies like targeted mobility and flexibility work, soft tissue treatment, and evidence-based nutritional and hydration protocols.
We also place a strong emphasis on monitoring and managing player workloads, both in training and competition. By being attuned to the physiological and psychological cues of fatigue, we can proactively adjust training loads and work-to-rest ratios to optimize adaptation and reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
Empowering the Female Rugby Athlete
While the physical and technical aspects of strength and conditioning are critical, I firmly believe that the true empowerment of female rugby players extends far beyond the training pitch. As coaches, we have a unique opportunity to inspire and guide our athletes not just as competitors, but as well-rounded individuals.
Nurturing Holistic Development
At Aberdeenshire RFC, we strive to take a holistic approach to player development, addressing the mental, emotional, and social aspects of our female athletes’ lives. This includes open discussions about topics like goal-setting, self-confidence, team dynamics, and even menstrual cycle awareness – areas that can significantly impact performance and overall well-being.
By fostering an environment of trust, respect, and open communication, we aim to empower our players to become confident, resilient, and self-aware leaders, both on and off the pitch. We encourage them to pursue their passions beyond rugby, whether it’s in the classroom, the arts, or the community, knowing that a well-rounded individual makes for a more focused and driven athlete.
Challenging Societal Perceptions
One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is witnessing the transformation of young women who, through their involvement in rugby, discover a newfound sense of strength, both physical and mental. Too often, societal norms and beauty standards can discourage female athletes from embracing their power and physicality. As coaches, we have a responsibility to challenge these perceptions and empower our players to redefine what it means to be a strong, confident woman.
By celebrating the athletic prowess of our female rugby players and showcasing their achievements, we can inspire the next generation to pursue their dreams without fear of judgment or preconceived notions. At Aberdeenshire RFC, we take great pride in our women’s program and actively promote the visibility and inclusion of female rugby at all levels of the game.
Cultivating a Legacy of Empowerment
Ultimately, our goal is to not just develop exceptional rugby players, but to nurture a community of empowered, resilient, and compassionate young women who will go on to make a positive impact in their lives and the lives of others. The lessons learned through rugby – the value of teamwork, the pursuit of excellence, the ability to overcome adversity – are invaluable tools that will serve our players long after their playing days are over.
As a coach, I am humbled and inspired by the women I have the privilege of working with. Their dedication, their passion, and their unwavering spirit are a constant source of motivation, and I am committed to ensuring that Aberdeenshire RFC remains a place where female athletes can thrive, grow, and unleash their full potential.