Probably the most underrated aspect of a player's and coach's preparation for optimum performance

Striking the right balance between training and recovery has a major influence on your fitness status and playing performance. Neglecting this principle is detrimental to both fitness and skill.

Lengthy rugby training sessions are over rated!

Particularly at higher levels of competition, where the issue of recovery is more relevant, the competitive season continues to place huge demands on players who have to perform every seven days.

In-season sessions that extend beyond 90 minutes raise the following issues:-

• Reduced intensity
• Decreased concentration
• Reduced enjoyment/increased boredom
• Increased injury risk
• Loss of leg speed and agility due to poor training surface
  

In summary, rugby fitness is detrained and skill acquisition diminishes

Representing dedication and commitment via long rugby sessions is a recipe for failure. At a professional level, there is scope for several rugby sessions per week but these must be short in duration and broken down into specifics such as set piece, team plays, contact skills and individual skills.

An in-season contact or opposed training session, with rugby specific work and rest ratios, should last no more than 20 minutes

Players will raise their movement intensity as they begin to reap the rewards of short sessions performed at high intensity with adequate recovery.

Hard training without sufficient recovery produces fatigue and ¾'s paced movement

A periodised plan should be supplemented with recognised recovery strategies. These are summarised in the Recovery Strategies section and include:

• Manipulating exercise recovery
• Cool down
• Regenerate
• Lifestyle
• Recovery Status