Unofficial England Rugby have been given exclusive rights to a NEW rugby fitness regime, formulated by By Eddie Moans - Coach of Sully Plastics 3rd XV

Rugby Fitness Workshop with Eddie Moans

Your occasional top class guide to improving as a player.

By Eddie Moans - Coach of Sully Plastics 3rd XV

Hello Rugby People,

I’ve had bagfuls of emails from keen rugby folk who want to build on the rugby knowledge I so kindly shared with them last season. Therefore, I’ve decided to once again offer my wisdom to the wider rugby world. Having covered tactics before in my column, this time I am going to approach the area most rugby players dread: fitness.

Yes it is tough and not much fun on a windy, wet winter night, but fitness work is essential for the serious rugby player. It is critical in the modern game that players have strength and stamina to contribute to the team effort for a full 80 minutes. I’m going to outline a few key points to help you get in tip-top shape:

• Diet is an essential part of your fitness programme. The more fatty, junk foods you eat, the heavier you are. This means that when you go for a jog you are carrying more weight and need to use more energy and power to get around. For example, a nine-stone winger will have less bulk to carry around when jogging than a nineteen stone prop. This means the winger is weak and not maximising his strength training: a ‘bad apple’, so to speak. My theory is this: the more you weigh the stronger those leg muscles have to be to carry you around. Leg strength is crucial in rugby. So don’t just sit there: sit there and eat!

• There is a lot of rubbish in the modern game about alcohol impairing performance. Nonsense! Drink makes you feel stronger and more confident. A confident player will always have that extra edge on the field, so I recommend a few jars before hitting that training or playing field. Similarly, alcohol numbs pain from injury. This means you are far more likely to last the full 80 minutes of a game as you will be unaware that you have some minor injury, like a dislocated elbow.

• Listen to your body! It is a common sight on rugby training fields to see players running until they feel exhausted and are completely out of breath. Many coaches and players feel it is macho to run themselves into the ground. But the body doesn’t sweat and clamour for oxygen for fun: it is trying to warn you to calm it all down. My advice is the moment you feel even slightly short of breath, stop! Not only will you avoid exhaustion you will also feel good to go again the following day. Those who run until they can run no more tend to suffer from stiffness and fatigue the next day and are too tired to run again. If you follow my advice you will be all refreshed and ready to repeat that 35-metre dash every day for the rest of the week (apart from rest days, of course).

You can find further pointers from Eddie.......... here at The East Terrace

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