Periodization in Rugby

As most other team sports, rugby is a sport of technical finesse, tactical boldness, and refined and complex physical development. In this book, only one, but the crucial element of this sport, will be addressed, namely the physical conditioning. This topic represents the foundation of all the other elements of the game. To make this book very practical and easy to apply, a huge amount of different and important aspects for a good training and the anticipated successes and also specific proposals for the abilities of each position and their development is announced in particular. After a description of the fundamentals of rugby and the general physiological demands of the sport, a player profile is suggested in order to present specific testings and trainings. Also short term and annual training plans are shown and explained in detail to improve the different skills of the players. The most important motor abilities, like power, speed and endurance, have their own chapters, where extra training for them is provided as practical as possible, with many examples and drills. In the end, also the recovery and the nutrition are exactly described, whereby the necessary energy for playing and training is warranted.

Tudor O. Bompa, PhD, Professor Emeritus, York University, Toronto, Ontario, and founder of the Tudor Bompa Institute - TBI - is considered by many as the father of modern sport periodization and is regarded worldwide as the leading specialist in the areas of training, coaching and fitness theory, to which he has contributed several new concepts. Frederick Claro is a member of the Tudor Bompa Institute (TBI). He is a former university, club and provincial representative French rugby player. Frederick has an extensive experience in sport coaching and management.