International Rugby Fitness Requirements

The 6 Nations starts tonight as elite rugby in the Northern Hemisphere kicks off. When you watch these games it is easy to focus on skills, tactics and big moments, but what often gets missed is just how fit these players actually are.

Luckily we do not have to guess. There have been multiple studies on professional and international rugby players that give us a very clear picture of what is required at the highest level.

First thing to understand is rugby is not just a strength sport, aerobic or a speed sport. It is all of them at the same time. Players cover roughly 6.5 to 7.5km per game with average heart rates around the high 160s to low 170s, while repeatedly sprinting, tackling, rucking and scrummaging.

When you look at the actual numbers it gets more interesting. International backs are typically running 3km in around 11 minutes or less, hitting beep test scores well into the 13s, sprinting 40m in under 5 seconds and still lifting serious weight in the gym. Forwards are obviously bigger and stronger, but what stands out is how aerobically fit they are for their size. These are 110kg plus athletes who can still run hard all game and recover between efforts. Almost every international player, regalrdless of size can run 5km in under 20 minutes. 

What really separates top level players is not their top speed or max strength in isolation. It is their ability to repeat high intensity efforts over and over again. Studies show work to rest ratios of roughly 1 to 1 during matches, with intense actions every 30 seconds on average. That means you are rarely fully recovering and you still have to perform when tired.

Another big takeaway from the research is body composition. Leaner players consistently perform better in speed, power and aerobic tests. Excess body fat strongly correlates with slower sprint times, lower power output and poorer aerobic fitness. This applies to forwards as well as backs, even though their body shapes are very different. Long gone are the days of overweight front row players, sometimes they appear this way still, but it is mostly due to the amount of muscle underneath giving the illusion they have more fat than they really do.

Backs cover far more distance at high speed, while forwards accumulate more collisions and total load, but both groups need strength, speed and an engine. There is no hiding place anymore in modern rugby. Research of kiwi professional club players showed the forwards averaged a 197kg squat, while the backs 178kg. The average bench was 146kg (forwards) and 135kg (backs). The weighted chin ups showed total weight was 155kg (forward) and 144 kg (backs).  It is interesting that the difference between the two positional groups while significant, has closed a fair bit to previous years. The backs are lifting crazy numbers as well as the forwards. 

What Does This Mean For You

While you probably don’t have the time to train like a Six Nations player, but you should understand that levels of rugby is based on physical fitness first. Where Rugby fitness is not built by just lifting weights or just doing conditioning. You need strength, speed and aerobic capacity working together. Most amateur players are missing at least one of these areas. Usually it is aerobic fitness or repeated sprint ability. 

If you want to improve your rugby performance this season, look honestly at where you are weakest. Get fitter so you recover quicker between efforts. Get stronger so collisions cost you less. Get faster so you arrive earlier and leave quicker.

If you want help with this I work with rugby players in London and online. Just reply to this email and tell me what level you play at and what you feel is holding you back.

Photo – The Milenium stadium and Twickenham during the 6 nations –

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