Rugby is a physically taxing sport in which two teams attempt to move an oblong ball down the field by carrying or kicking the ball. Due to the demands of the sport, a top-level rugby player must be physically strong to help move piles and deliver or withstand tackles, but also in prime cardiovascular health to ensure he can run for a full 80-minute game, if needed. Although there is no short cut to a career in rugby, focusing on the important skills and traits will improve your chances.
Instructions
1 Perform muscle-building workouts to increase your strength. To compete in high level rugby, a player must be very strong.
2 Incorporate explosive, high-intensity weightlifting into your workout routines. In addition to having strong base strength, a rugby player must be able to deliver a great deal of force with quick bursts to make or break a tackle.
3 Participate in endurance-based cardiovascular training, such as running. Rugby matches contain two 40-minute halves of near-constant exertion, requiring a great deal of cardiovascular health.
4 Perform sprint-based exercises to improve your short-term quickness, a vital skill for breaking into a gap to score a try.
5 Practice tackling an opponent with the ball to prevent him from moving the ball closer to a try.
6 Practice performing penalty and conversion kicks. Many close matches come down to which team is able to kick effectively.
7 Practice performing drop kicks, a maneuver used to quickly move the ball a great distance down the field and the only legal way to pass the ball to a teammate that is farther downfield.
8 Study tactics to understand the small decisions and player positions during a game which can mean the difference between winning and losing.
9 Listen to criticism from coaches and trainers to honestly assess your weaknesses so that you can build on them going forward.
10 Join the rugby squad at your school, if one is offered, or research schools in the area with a team you can attend. Playing at a school in an organized league allows your strong play to catch the attention of scouts.
11 Join a club rugby team if no school options are available to you.
12 Accept a position within a professional organization's academy if play in organized leagues earns you an invitation. While in a club's academy, players are provided with top-level training beyond that of schools and also offers clubs the opportunity to sign you to their professional roster after completing schooling.