Rugby workshop with Eddie Moans
Your occasional top class guide to improving as a player
By Eddie Moans - Coach of Sully Plastics 3rd XV
Hello Rugby People,
I’ve had bagfuls of emails from keen rugby folk who want to build on the rugby knowledge I so kindly shared with them last season. Therefore, I’ve decided to once again offer my wisdom to the wider rugby world. Having covered tactics before in my column, this time I am going to approach the area most rugby players dread: fitness.
Yes it is tough and not much fun on a windy, wet winter night, but fitness work is essential for the serious rugby player. It is critical in the modern game that players have strength and stamina to contribute to the team effort for a full 80 minutes. I’m going to outline a few key points to help you get in tip-top shape:
- Diet is an essential part of your fitness programme. The more fatty, junk foods you eat, the heavier you are. This means that when you go for a jog you are carrying more weight and need to use more energy and power to get around. For example, a nine-stone winger will have less bulk to carry around when jogging than a nineteen stone prop. This means the winger is weak and not maximising his strength training: a ‘bad apple’, so to speak. My theory is this: the more you weigh the stronger those leg muscles have to be to carry you around. Leg strength is crucial in rugby. So don’t just sit there: sit there and eat!
- There is a lot of rubbish in the modern game about alcohol impairing performance. Nonsense! Drink makes you feel stronger and more confident. A confident player will always have that extra edge on the field, so I recommend a few jars before hitting that training or playing field. Similarly, alcohol numbs pain from injury. This means you are far more likely to last the full 80 minutes of a game as you will be unaware that you have some minor injury, like a dislocated elbow.
- Listen to your body! It is a common sight on rugby training fields to see players running until they feel exhausted and are completely out of breath. Many coaches and players feel it is macho to run themselves into the ground. But the body doesn’t sweat and clamour for oxygen for fun: it is trying to warn you to calm it all down. My advice is the moment you feel even slightly short of breath, stop! Not only will you avoid exhaustion you will also feel good to go again the following day. Those who run until they can run no more tend to suffer from stiffness and fatigue the next day and are too tired to run again. If you follow my advice you will be all refreshed and ready to repeat that 35-metre dash every day for the rest of the week (apart from rest days, of course).
- Take performance-enhancing drugs. Amateur players are never tested. Go on.
- Amazingly, scientists tell us that the earth travels thousands of miles through space each minute!! Make sure that when you take your monthly jog (don’t take the edge off your game by doing any more than that) you are running in the same direction as the planet is moving. That way, you can turn a one-mile run into a four thousand mile run. Brilliant!
- Professional players always tell us rest is a key part of their fitness programme. Get plenty of rest. Skipping training to watch MacGyver reruns on cable TV is acceptable. Make sure, however, you maximise this rest period by working on your high fat/leg strength diet programme.
- When you are sat around on the sofa during a rest day, make sure you drink a high-energy sports drink or something. That way you will increase your performance when darting for the remote control and channel surfing during those commercial breaks. It’s all about maximising performance in every thing you do. Don’t walk to the fridge for that chocolate cake: take a light jog there.
- Time is the biggest enemy of the amateur rugby player. If you find it hard to fit in fitness training between family life and employment, then make sure you minimise the negative impact by visualising your fitness training. If you plan to go for a run but struggle to get back from the office in time to do so, then stop for a few seconds and just think about going for a run. The brain is remarkably powerful and often thinking about things can bring stunning results. For instance, my friend recently started learning French. He tells me that when he has a moment to himself, such as waiting for the bus to go to work, he takes a few minutes to think about his French grammar. This helps him keep everything fresh in his mind. Why should fitness training be any different? Visualise that long run. Imagine yourself lifting those heavy weights. Picture yourself doing that set of 200 metre sprints. You will be amazed at how good you feel. Furthermore, you won’t feel the aches and strains of doing the real work.
- Get a training partner or join a fitness group. A problem shared is a problem halved. Team up with a pal and alternate your training. You train on Monday night for yourself and him, he trains the following week as payback to you. It saves an awful lot of time and you get the same amount of work done despite their being only half the training done! If you know a few others keen to do this, get them together and form a training group, you may only have to train every few months! Top result and happy days for all.
- If you are really struggling for time and cannot manage to do any of the above points then don’t worry, I still have one last bit of advice. Do nothing! Seriously. If you do no fitness at all, eventually your fitness levels will go past the point of infinity and come back out the other side of the infinity line as extremely fit. Brilliant!
Yours in rugby,
Eddie Moans
Head Coach, Sully Plastics 3rd XV