Drills to condition players and improve core skills

Colin Ireland outlines sixteen rugby plays and drills to condition your players hard, while improving core skills.

Mark out 16 small, 5 metre squares for each of the fitness drills and plays.

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. Then swap the players over and repeat the drill, before moving the players onto the next plays and drills.

Some boxes may be left empty, or some players may need to wait a short while before starting their circuits.

1. Press up pass. Touch chest on floor, get up to receive and give pass. Repeat drill.

2. Jump and catch ball above head, fed by partner. Pass back on landing. Repeat.

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

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

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

6. Stand one metre away from partner with a contact shield. Use shield as a punch bag.

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

8. Tackle lift drill. Grab your partner from behind, lift and turn, 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 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 drill.

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.

These rugby training drills and plays will help your players develop their individual rugby skills and get fitter. Fatigue will set in,
which will give you a good insight into who in your squad can maintain their skills at a high level while tired.

Most importantly, you can have your whole squad working hard at the same time, which from an organisational point of view is great. These drills are ideal for training inside during poor weather conditions.