5 Mistakes Women's Rugby Players Make (& How To Fix Them)

I've made a lot of mistakes in my playing career. I can't go back and stop myself from making them, but I can share what I've learned with you so you don't! These are the top 5 mistakes I see women's rugby players make at all levels of the game, and how to avoid them.

1. They Stop Going to the Gym In Season

   Listen I get it. The rugby season is chaotic and you get tired. You're managing practice, games, soreness, work, family. But none of those are excuses to stop training. In fact, they are reasons for you to continue training! Players who stop going to the gym all together lose fitness which increases their risk of injury. All you need is 1-2 sessions a week to continue making gains and ensure your body stays game-ready. You worked hard in the off-season don't lose it when it matters most.

   
   

2. Training Like They Did in the Off-Season

   Building on the first point, your training shouldn't look like it did in the off-season. You won't have as much time or energy for that. Not to mention the bumps and bruises you acquire that will effect your exercise selection. No, your training will more likely start to look like a full-body or high-low split depending on how many sessions you can do outside of practice.

   
   

   Not only will the split change, but so will the exercises, intensity, and volume. For example, you might go from full range of motion back squats to box squats. While intensity in the main lifts needs to remain high to promote adaptation, volume will decrease to manage fatigue. The movements you do will depend on what you have available and any soreness or nagging injuries you're experiencing. Many coaches are opposed to "body building" training and using machines, but I believe utilizing them strategically can be extremely beneficial. Does it really matter if you do a dumbbell chest press vs a machine? Probably not.

   
   

   And lastly, you're going to need a program that is adaptable and leaves room for auto-regulation. For this, I like the APRE system below.

3. Neglecting Nutrition & Recovery

   Stay with me here. Energy demands are high in-season. You're practicing, going to the gym, and playing games. If you want to keep performing throughout the season and feel good doing it, you need to eat, drink, and recover accordingly. If that sounds daunting, relax, because it's not that complicated or hard. Below are a few rules of thumb I follow that will help you not feel like garbage all season:

   
   

   - No fasted sessions. Early morning lift? Eat some carbs (or drink them if you're not hungry). I bet you practice is at night. Make sure to eat throughout the day, and bring a snack.

   - Carbs post training! That's when your body needs them most.

   - 1-2 drinks after the game, not 6-8. (if you're of age)

   - Move your body the day after the match. As much as I love lounging on the couch, movement = blood flow. Your body will thank you for it.

   
   

4. Lack of Top Speed Training

   Due to the nature of the sport and how most practices are run you'll likely get exposed to acceleration just by playing, but rarely hit max velocity. Then when it's time to really go, your hamstrings can't keep up. Here's the "fix":

   
   

   ✅ Volume: 6-10 high-speed exposures per week

   ✅ Distance: 30 - 60m (position dependent, a.k.a props closer to 30 and backs to 60)

   ✅ Intensity: >95% of max speed

   

   Taken from Malone et. al (2016)

   
   

5. Relying on Motivation

   Why do you play rugby? If you're like me, you play because it's fun and competitive. Now if you're really like me, it's fun because it's competitive. But mistakes 1-4 don't happen because you lack motivation. They gradually start slipping over the course of the season as things get busier and you become more fatigued. This is when a schedule and routine become increasingly more important. It's boring but it matters. Go to bed at the same time, wake up at the same time, go to the gym at the same time, eat variations of the same thing... week after week. Most importantly, you have to stick with it regardless of how you feel. Just like brushing your teeth, these become habits, and you become the person who doesn't need motivation.

References:

Tufano, J. J., Brown, L. E., & Haff, G. G. (2024). Autoregulated resistance training for maximal strength enhancement: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 54(2), 123–145. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12336695/

Malone, S., Roe, M., Doran, D. A., Gabbett, T. J., & Collins, K. (2016). High chronic training loads and exposure to bouts of maximal velocity running reduce injury risk in elite Gaelic football. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(3), 250–254.