Introduction

Strength training is an important component of athletic development for female rugby players, enhancing strength, power, and overall performance on the field. However, creating an effective strength training program requires a solid understanding of foundational principles and exercise techniques. This guide introduces the key elements of strength training for female rugby players, focusing on the principles of training, fundamental movement patterns, exercise progressions, and the appropriate order of exercises within a session. By understanding these concepts, coaches can design tailored training programs that meet the specific needs of athletes, ensuring steady progression, injury prevention, and long-term success.

FITT Principles

Principles of training act as a guide for the coach in designing and implementing efficient and effective training programmes. The FITT principles are the basic principles of a training programme:

• Frequency - How often the players train
• Intensity - How hard the players train
• Time - How long the players train
• Type - What training methods are used.

The FITT principles can refer to a single training session or an entire training block and can be manipulated to adjust the physical workload of the players. Training frequency can be manipulated by increasing or decreasing the number of training sessions each week, intensity can be manipulated by adjusting the amount of weight lifted and number of reps/sets performed, and time can be adjusted by manipulating the length of the training sessions. The type of training refers to the methods of training used which should always be specific to the adaptations that are required.