In rugby, speed and strength go hand in hand, and fast players are always going to be the better players on the pitch. However, speed on the field has many contributing factors, and running technique, weight, strength and fatigue all play a role.
Technique takes first place
The better your technique, the faster you’ll be. This is the rule of speed on the field, and something that players like Carlin Isles all know and live by.
Learning how to run efficiently and effectively is a skill and it is something that takes practice. Rugby training drills can help players learn how to maximise their potential and how to build up the strength and stamina for short bursts of speed, or longer sprints. In rugby, speed and strength go hand in hand, and fast players are always going to be the better players on the pitch. However, speed on the field has many contributing factors, and running technique, weight, strength and fatigue all play roles. Knowing exactly how the body’s mechanics work is also crucial to perfecting technique, and can make a massive difference to how fast a player is on the field. Additionally, avoiding injury by training correctly can also improve speed, as the body remains in peak condition.
The science behind body weight
When it comes to speed, weight is something that everyone needs to consider, especially as rugby players tend to be heavier rather than lighter. Heavier players may need to work harder on their technique and to focus more on rugby training drills like those at https://www.sportplan.net/drills/Rugby/ that teach them how to use their size to their advantage when racing down the field. Losing excess body fat is also suggested, so that there is no dead weight that can impeded your speed and hamper your sprinting.
The fatigue factor
No matter how fast a player may be, fatigue can always slow them down. We don’t mean just being tired or losing stamina; we also mean the effects of fatigue such as bruised muscles, acid in the legs, or a compromised nervous system. When it comes to speed, weight is something that everyone needs to consider, especially as rugby players tend to be heavier rather than lighter. All of these factors can reduce maximum output and can reduce running speed dramatically.
When players are fresh out on the pitch they are generally faster than near the end of the game, and the trick is to work on stamina and endurance to reduce the loss of speed wherever possible. If a player can keep up a consistent speed they are far more valuable than one who goes in hard but loses momentum quickly and burns out fast.
