Rugby conditioning drills

Fatigue will set in during the drills. This will give you a good insight into who in your squad can maintain their skills at a high level while tired.

You can have your whole squad working hard at the same time.

Setting up the drills

• Mark out 16, five-metre squares, one for each of the drills.
  
  
• Allocate two players to work in each square.
  
  
• Control the length of time the players work, say 15 to 20 seconds for each drill to begin with.
  
  
• Swap the players over and repeat the drill, before moving the players onto the next box.
  
  
• Some boxes may be left empty, or some players may need to wait a short while before starting their circuits.

1. Press up pass: Chest on ground. Jump up to receive and give pass. Repeat.

2. Jump and catch: Ball fed by partner so player must jump and catch it above the head. They pass back on landing. Repeat.

3. Roll out: Partner rolls ball out three or four metres. Quickly chase, retrieve and pass back. Repeat.

4. Hit pad: Stand one metre away from a partner with a contact shield. Hit with alternate shoulders while transferring the ball away from contact side.

5. Sit up pass: On the way up receive a pass from partner. Chest-pass back. Repeat.

6. Punch up: Stand one metre away from partner with a contact shield. Use shield as a punch bag for the whole time of the drill.

7. Shuttle hit: Partner holds contact shield. Run five metre shuttles, hitting the shield with your shoulder on each shuttle.

8. Tackle lift: Grab your partner from behind, lift and turn them, then put them down. Repeat.

9. Shuttle pass: While running a five-metre shuttle, catch and return the pass to your partner. Repeat.

10. Chair/bench reverse press ups: Holding a chair or bench, do three reverse press ups then stand and receive a pass. Repeat.

11. Ball collect: Run a five metre shuttle with a ball. Take the ball out, place it down, run back then out to collect it. Repeat

12. Pad drive: Partner holds contact shield and adds some resistance. Drive it back five metres. Turn and repeat.

13. Tackle bag run: Run three metres and tackle a tackle bag. Run back to starting position. Repeat.

14. Clearing pass: Pass four balls from the ground to your partner who puts them down. Move to the balls and repeat.

15. Chip and catch: Partner stands three metres away. Chip kick the ball to them, run to them and back. Repeat.

16. Slalom run: Run in and out of poles set up in the box.