Rugby Coaching

Sometimes, things just don’t go right. Despite Olympian fitness levels, deviously brilliant tactics and superb knowledge of the enemy, little things just go wrong and your team ends up losing. What can be done to minimise the risk of this happening and ensure top performance from the team when the day actually comes? Oftentimes, rugby coaching comes down to very small margins, and getting little things right to help your players mentally and physically can do wonders in producing results. Here are a few things you can add to your pre-game routine to make sure all the effort you’ve put in in training is not wasted, or upset by a minor annoyance.

A good idea is to spend a while before the game, and before your warm up session, looking around the grounds and examining the conditions. There are many things to take into account – the level of mud or grass will determine the length of studs your players should wear, while being aware of any unusual slopes or uneven ground on the pitch can come in very useful later on. Similarly take into account of the weather. Which way is the wind blowing? Where is the sun, and where will it move to in the course of the game? How is the weather expected to change? What is the temperature like – do your backs need thermal vests?

These things are all important in developing your game plan and in working out how your players should respond to the conditions. It is remarkable how few tries are scored in rugby union games in the northern hemisphere during winter, solely because the conditions are so bad! It is also important from a player welfare point of view – uneven ground can cause ankle injuries, while extremely cold temperatures can even induce mild hypothermia.

Once this is done, players can move on to warming up and stretching. Each player has their own rituals and do different things to get into the right frame of mind – accept this, and even encourage it if it gives them the psychological edge needed. Make sure however, that each player does the necessary stretches, and get them out to the warm up together.

The warm up itself is very important to prepare your body for the coming strains and stresses. Many coaches do not push too hard in the warm up, believing that players should conserve their energy for later exertion. However, it is important to push the body to very high intensity levels, if only briefly, before the match. This gets the body fully into top gear straight away. The risk otherwise is that the players take some time to acclimatise to full-blown exertion when the game starts. Incorporate some short sprints and running – the minimum required to get the players to the top level. This should last until a few minutes before kickoff. Keep warm – don’t change from tracksuits to kit until the end of warm up.

At half time, focus first on recovery – this will consist of rest and rehydration, whether with water or an energy drink. Assess the conditions again and be ready for what the second half will bring in terms of weather. If it has been wet and muddy, consider changing kit, as a waterlogged set of kit can weigh you down considerably. As you prepare to go out on the pitch again, do some minor warm ups – again, using as little energy as possible to prepare for the second half, but enough to hit the ground running. Don’t go back too early – waiting for the other team will cool you down as well as being a psychological blow.

Post game, a short cool down can be very beneficial in avoiding injury – some slow jogging and a few stretches should be enough. After this, it is important to eat, particularly carbs, very soon after the game. This will help in muscle repair and recovery, thus helping to avoid injury again.

This may seem like a lot to remember, but there is no point in mastering the big things – rugby fitness, rugby skills – only to slip up to a team who has got the little things right and just gotten the slight edge. It is your responsibility as their rugby coach to make sure this all happens and gives your team that extra push to success.

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