Resistance running rugby drills

The following rugby coaching tips and drills will help your players increase speed strength in a short space of time (and cheaply).

Resistance running is a great way to increase speed strength. Players need to maintain their rugby fitness levels and this increases the workload in a short space of time – time you could spend working on other rugby training drills.

Resistance running drills

Resistance running coaching drills create extra force so the runner has to work harder than normal. This builds up "metabolic" fitness.

1. Wet shirts

Old rugby shirts soaked in (warm!) water provide extra weight for players to carry in training drills, as well as replicating waterlogged conditions. They are certainly uncomfortable, however, so players need to maintain their running style to get the maximum benefit from this drill.

2. Lots of shirts

Not so useful in warmer climes, but as the weather turns colder, players can become "multi-layered". A few more layers mean a heavier load to shift around the pitch. As with the wet shirts, they also mean that the players need to maintain a good running style.

3. Weights in hands

Running with a weight in each hand builds upper body running strength. The faster the arms move, the faster the legs. You rarely see a top sprinter who is not extremely well-built up top.

A good tip is to use plastic water bottles filled with sand for weights. Since the bottles are made so that consumers can carry them in one hand on the move, they are a good shape to carry. Soaking the sand adds more weight.

4. Holding shorts

Though a sled with weights behind would be an excellent resistance tool, the players themselves can act as weights.

A player is held on the pockets of their shorts by another player standing behind. The holding player puts their legs either side of the runner and leans back. As the runner moves off, the holding player keeps their feet on the floor, only yielding slightly.

5. Piggy-back drills and fireman lifts

This is a fun rugby drill to use with youngsters. The awkward nature of carrying players is often ignored higher up. Mixed with an element of fun, the drill has the serious upside of providing extra weight to be shifted over short distances.

It is recommended that players move in one direction only, with little turning, and that the lifts are controlled in competition. Players should be fully warmed up, especially as they are likely to be lifting something near or above their own body weight.

This article is taken from the Better Rugby Coaching e-newsletter. Click here to sign up and get free rugby drills, tips and skills twice a week.

Click here for more rugby fitness drills using tyres.