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Rugby with Style

    Before stepping onto the field to represent U of T, all women rugby players are familiarized with a basic set of skills or re-introduced to the proper form of those skills.  Although we are all shown the ideal ruck, maul, scrum, circle play, etcetera in the same step-by-step format, we all execute the same skills very differently on the field.  This is known as our individual style of play.

    Although rugby accommodates many different styles of play, some are indisputably more effective than others.  How well we execute skills is dependent on three factors:

1. The Givens: Genetics <e.g. body type and ability to assimilate information> & Life History. 
2. Experience with and exposure to the game of rugby.
3. Physical fitness. 

    In the span of a varsity season, all of the above are largely inalterable.  Building on a reasonable baseline fitness and adapting it to the game of rugby, however, is possible in a seven to eight week time frame.  It was with this in mind that the 2002 in-season fitness program was designed.

    This program makes a few assumptions:

1. That all players will be fully committed to the program and their own development as athletes. 100% attendance at the seven mandatory sessions is expected.
2. That all players have attained a baseline cardiovascular fitness of 85% of the National Standard by September 10, 2002 (though the program can still benefit those with a 60% fitness score).
3. That all participants have one common and ultimate goal: to become better rugby players.

    Fitness in 2002 is organized such that we will have a different athletic theme each week.  The series of units aims to familiarize you with your athletic strengths and weaknesses, to improve upon both strengths and weaknesses and, in the end, to help you to use your body more effectively on the field. 

    An outline of the fitness units follows.  The first date for the unit is the required Tuesday fitness session and the second is the optional Thursday workout.  If you feel you need extra work in a particular unit or if a particular type of fitness is extremely pertinent to your game, you are strongly encouraged to attend the extra session.  Those looking for a way to increase their confidence on the field will also benefit from attending the extra session.

Unit 1: Strength

September 10, 2002 & September 12, 2002

Difficulty Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺☺

How strength applies to the game of rugby:

Unit 2: Power

September 17, 2002 & September 19, 2002

Difficulty Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

How power applies to the game of rugby:

Unit 3: Speed

September 24, 2002 & September 26, 2002

Difficulty Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

How speed applies to the game of rugby:

Unit 4: Acceleration

October 1, 2002 & October 3, 2002

Difficulty Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺☺

How acceleration applies to the game of rugby:

Unit 5: Agility

October 8, 2002 & October 10, 2002

Difficulty Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

How agility applies to the game of rugby:

Unit 6: Balance

October 15, 2002 & October 17, 2002

Difficulty Rating: ☺☺☺☺

How balance applies to the game of rugby:

Unit 7: Flexibility

October 22, 2002 & October 24, 2002

Difficulty Rating: ☺☺☺

How flexibility applies to the game of rugby:

    For those who are worried that the program will be too “easy” physically need not be concerned.  Every workout will be a series of intervals, four of which are traditional rugby fitness intervals (sprinting & callisthenics) and three that are unit specific.

Tuesday & Thursday morning fitness – the workout format:

1. Warm-up.  Scottish mile <quick hands and sprint> … everyone sprints twice.
2. Core fitness interval: Full field sprint, jumping jacks until everyone arrives at the try-line, team counted stride jumps (25), push-ups (25), sit-ups (25).
3. Unit Sequence 1.
4. Core fitness interval as above.
5. Unit Sequence 2.
6. Core fitness interval as above.
7. Unit Sequence 3 with ball.
8. Core fitness interval as above.
9. Scottish mile … everyone sprints twice.
10. Stretch.

A few last things…