Rugby is often described as American football without pads and helmets. While the two sports differ in a number of aspects, including the types of physical protection used, formations and rules, they both combine size, strength and power along with speed and agility. Each sport requires a high level of fitness for a quick recovery time after sprinting as well as endurance to perform consistently over a long period of time.
Rugby Fitness
There are four basic rugby positions: tight five players, loose forwards, inside backs and outside backs. The backs are typically smaller and faster players who run with the ball, while the forwards are bigger and stronger and play the more physical roles. While forwards do not run as much as backs, they often have less time to recover from physical moments on the field. While specific training for each position may vary, a strong aerobic base is vital for any position.
Fartleks
Fartlek training was originally designed as workouts for track and cross-country runners. Gosta Holmer, a coach of the Swedish cross-country team, introduced fartlek training to his runners in the 1930s. Fartlek literally means, 'speed play.' Runners change their pace while running a specific distance -- running hard or sprinting for a short distance, slowing down to allow for a quick recovery, then repeating the process again. Fartleks train the body to recover quickly from the sprints and physical moments that occur in many sports, including rugby.
Warm Ups
With any sport, it is important to warm up properly. This raises the core body temperature and loosens the muscles in order to prepare athletes for the physical stresses of a practice or game. Rugby players should go through a normal warm up specific to their sport before running a fartlek session. This can include warm ups with and without the ball.
Jogging and Stretching
Athletes should go through a period of light jogging before running a fartlek session. It is important that you warm up gradually to avoid undue stress on your muscles. Jog slowly for five to 10 minutes, and then follow with some light stretching. Once your body is loose and energized, you can begin a fartlek session. The first few sprints in your fartlek run should be slower; gradually build up the intensity as your body adjusts to the stress.
Timing
Fartleks are ideal for building up an athlete's base level of fitness. Therefore, it is best to execute a fartlek run either during pre-season or off-season training. Once an athletes reaches a higher level of fitness during a season, fartleks should be done less frequently and used as tune ups every few weeks.
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