Warm up drills to prepare for full contact rugby
Here are two warm up drills to prepare players for full contact rugby sessions - Cart wheels and Front crawl.
Cart wheels
Place two cones on the floor about shoulder-width apart. The rugby player should stand in line with the two cones with his right foot touching the nearest cone.
He should reach sideways, placing his right hand on the ground just beyond the first cone, kicking his left leg into the air to start the cart wheel. The left hand lands on the far side of the cones, followed by the left leg.
What to say
- "Bounce up off feet"
- "Jumping from foot to foot helps get a start"
- "Use arms to maintain momentum through the air"
The picture shows the end of the cart wheel.
Front crawl
A player lies on his front on the ground.
Using arms only he must propel himself across the ground.
Try the exercise with a ball between the legs.
What to say
- "Use elbows"
- "Keep head up"
- "Relax lower body"
Developments for the rugby warm-ups above
- Run before or after the exercise.
- Perform a rugby type skill, for example, passing or contact before the exercise.
- React to a visual or verbal cue, for example, run to a cone.
More rugby warm up drills can be found in The Ultimate Rugby Warm-Ups Manual.
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