Rugby 7’s needs analysis and programming of training

Introduction. After the International Olympic Committee’s decision in 2009 to include rugby 7’s in the summer Olympics, the popularity of rugby 7’s has increased world-wide. Rugby 7’s is a variation of rugby union and is played with similar rules and the same sized pitch as rugby union. The main differences between rugby 7’s and rugby union is that in rugby 7’s there are only 7 players on the field and 5 substitutes per team, whereas in rugby union there are 15 players on the field and 7 or 8 substitutes per team. Rugby 7’s is usually played in tournament mode, where each team plays 5-6 games over 2-3 days. Rugby 7’s matches last 14 minutes, including two 7-minute halves, separated by a 2-minute half time. Game demands. Because of the shorter game time and having less players on field while still using the same field size as rugby union, rugby 7’s is played with greater intensity than rugby union. Typically, rugby 7’s players cover around 1200-1500 m during the match, with an average relative distance of around 100-120m/min. Rugby 7’s players cover on average 200 m with high intensity running during the match. Physiological demands. They need well developed strength, endurance and sprinting capacities to optimally perform at an international level. International level athletes have been shown to have an average VO2max of 53.8±3.4 ml/kg/min and 51±4 ml/kg/min for male and female players, respectively. International level male players have been shown to have relative strength levels of 1.5 times their body weight in bench press and 2 times their body weight in squat, while international level female players have been shown to have a relative strength of around 1-1.2 times their body weight. International level male players have been shown to reach maximum speeds of 9.2 m/s, while the maximum speed for international female players is around 8.2 m/s. Conclusion. Because of the high intensity of game play, and the tournament style used, the physical preparation of rugby 7’s players is important. Off-season training should aim to improve the athlete’s strength and endurance strength and endurance of the athletes, whereas during in-season training, the emphasis should be on maintaining strength, improving power and speed. Nutrition, sleep, and recovery from tournaments are important during in-season training, and an individualised plan for these aspects should be developed for each player to optimize performance.