Rugby conditioning drills

The following 16 rugby drills are designed to condition your players hard, while developing core rugby skills. They are ideal for training inside during poor weather conditions.

Fatigue will set in during the drills. This will give you a good insight into who in your squad can maintain their skills at a high level while tired.

You can have your whole squad working hard at the same time.

Setting up the drills

Mark out 16, five-metre squares, one for each of the drills.
Allocate two players to work in each square.
Control the length of time the players work, say 15 to 20 seconds for each drill to begin with.
Swap the players over and repeat the drill, before moving the players onto the next box.
Some boxes may be left empty, or some players may need to wait a short while before starting their circuits.

1. Press up pass: Chest on ground. Jump up to receive and give pass. Repeat.

2. Jump and catch: Ball fed by partner so player must jump and catch it above the head. They pass back on landing. Repeat.

3. Roll out: Partner rolls ball out three or four metres. Quickly chase, retrieve and pass back. Repeat.

4. Hit pad: Stand one metre away from a partner with a contact shield. Hit with alternate shoulders while transferring the ball away from contact side.

5. Sit up pass: On the way up receive a pass from partner. Chest-pass back. Repeat.

6. Punch up: Stand one metre away from partner with a contact shield. Use shield as a punch bag for the whole time of the drill.

7. Shuttle hit: Partner holds contact shield. Run five metre shuttles, hitting the shield with your shoulder on each shuttle.

8. Tackle lift: Grab your partner from behind, lift and turn them, then put them down. Repeat.

9. Shuttle pass: While running a five-metre shuttle, catch and return the pass to your partner. Repeat.

10. Chair/bench reverse press ups: Holding a chair or bench, do three reverse press ups then stand and receive a pass. Repeat.

11. Ball collect: Run a five metre shuttle with a ball. Take the ball out, place it down, run back then out to collect it. Repeat

12. Pad drive: Partner holds contact shield and adds some resistance. Drive it back five metres. Turn and repeat.

13. Tackle bag run: Run three metres and tackle a tackle bag. Run back to starting position. Repeat.

14. Clearing pass: Pass four balls from the ground to your partner who puts them down. Move to the balls and repeat.

15. Chip and catch: Partner stands three metres away. Chip kick the ball to them, run to them and back. Repeat.

16. Slalom run: Run in and out of poles set up in the box.