Rugby is a game that requires preparation and dedication to the sport. It is a game that requires you to be generally fit and capable of different skills that are necessary when playing the game. Being familiar with the game as a watcher is different from the experience of playing and there a few things to be mindful of when considering playing the sport. Here are a few of them
Always wear protective gear
If you are going to be playing full-contact rugby, you need to wear protective gear at every game. There is a variety of protective equipment you can consider. Some of them include bicep guards, forearm guards, jerseys with detachable pads, Achilles protectors, mouth guards and headgear. The most important equipment you need is a mouth guard and the headgear because they protect the most sensitive part of your body.
Another piece of protective equipment you’ll want to think about, especially if you’re not getting into rugby until you’re fully an adult, is a physician. It’s important to find the right kind of physician, though. Basically, you can expect a certain number of injuries over the course of a few seasons. Most notably, legs get kicked, steps go awry, and bones knock into each other when individuals make full contact on the field. What tends to get hurt? The knees. Like a mouthguard, having the phone number of a trusted and established knee doctor can act as a sort of indirect protective gear for your body.
Utilize training drills in your practice
Due to how rigorous rugby is, it requires you to be in great physical condition as a player. Utilizing training drills in your preparation can be beneficial in improving physical fitness. To improve endurance, long distance running is highly recommended. Circuit training and shuttle runs help in improving bodily strength and weight training helps to increase muscle mass.
Work on your catching skills
If you find a training partner, you can both practice your catching and kicking skills together. This way, one player would kick, and the other would catch and then you can swap. This is also a good time to work on different ranges of passes. Although it is not essential to spin the ball while throwing, it lengthens the throw and makes it easier to catch so working on this is also important.
Work on your kicking skills
It is important to practice the different kind of rugby kicks often. People who are avid in sports betting always look out for the kicking skill of the players for good reason. One of the efficient ways to do this is by kicking inside an enclosure. Using a baseball cage or cricket net would suffice because you won’t need to keep retrieving the ball after every kick. This way, you won’t get tired quickly.
Practice tackling
If you are afraid to tackle, the chances that you would give yourself an injury by going into a half-hearted tackle is very high because you might tackle using the wrong technique. Practicing your tackling skills with big bags during training is very important and you should do it often. Aim for the thighs or waist for a big hit and never close your eyes when tackling as this can be very dangerous.
It can be to your advantage to undergo a brief medical evaluation prior to entering the field; some individuals shouldn’t be playing games like rugby, while some don’t seem to be able to break bones even when they deliberately try. So knowing where you stand is key in rugby. And you’ll definitely have to tackle if you plan on playing the game with any success. Since practice can produce injuries just as the game can, you definitely want health support options available just in case.
Here’s the thing about tackling: not only are you subject to bodily shock when a player from the other team flies into you, when you tackle somebody, but there’s also a similar shock. You’re more prepared if you know you’re about to take somebody out; but even so, you can’t predict the way they’ll move when you hit them. They could go down, or they could anticipate your move at the last minute and move out of the way, leaving you to dive at the ground. Broken bones are no stranger to rugby, so be sure you’ve got access to an orthopedic surgeon at Barnegat, NJ—or wherever you happen to be—as you hone your skills in this area of the game.
Focus on your strong qualities
It is important that you learn a variety of skills however; you should focus on your strongest qualities. If you have a safe pair of hands, you are best suited to full-back or scrum-half. If you are a fast runner, the wing is likely to be your most favorable position. If your best skills are kicking, the stand-off position is best suited to you. For muscular players with good stamina, the forward role is probably best suited it would require them to tackle.
These tips are important to remember as a rugby player and if they are implemented, they should help in improving your playing ability. Above all, ensure that you generally fit enough to play the game as it highly requires this.