Power Training for Rugby: Plyometrics

Explosive power is hugely important for rugby players – for short bursts of speed, or ripping the ball away from an opponent for example. You might be as strong as an ox, but if you cannot apply that strength in a short period of time, you will have much less impact in a game.

Plyometric exercises are a great way to improve your explosive power, and should certainly be used as part of your fitness training for rugby.

They involve exerting as much force as possible as quickly as possible – typical examples are jumping, bounding or throwing. Practising these exercises will help you improve your sprinting, your ability to change direction, your kicking distance, passing power and so on.

Below are a number of example exercises that you can use to put together a Plyometric training session. Do 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.

Squat Jumps
Bend your knees so that your thighs are parallel to the ground, as you would in a normal squat. Then explode upwards and jump off the ground as high as you can. Repeat the exercise with a second’s rest in between each jump.

Bounding
Jog for a couple of steps and then push as hard as you can off your left leg, bringing your right arm up as you do so. Land on your right leg, and then push off again, bringing your left arm up this time. Repeat this motion for 25 metres or so, rest and then turn around and do it again.

Lateral Jumps
Jump vertically and laterally over an object such as an exercise step, or an imaginary line if you have nothing to hand. Land on both feet, and then immediately jump back the other way and repeat.

Box Jumps
This is a sequence of four jumps that form a box shape – jump up and forward, then up and left, up and back, up and right and see if you end up where you started.

Throw-ins
Using a medicine ball, start with it behind your head and then throw it as hard as you can into a wall. The movement is similar to a throw-in in football.

Passing Medicine
Using a medicine ball, ‘pass’ the ball as hard as you can to a wall – the movement should be the same as if you were passing a rugby ball.

Press-up Claps
Start in the press-up position and push yourself up as hard as you can so that your hands leave the floor – clap your hands before catching your bodyweight before your face hits the mat.