Rugby is not a continuous steady state sport - it requires frequent changes in speed and high intensity effort, and is therefore a
predominantly anaerobic sport

The fuel to energise these movements cannot be produced soon enough or with enough power aerobically therefore major anaerobic contributions are required.

The energy systems do not work in isolation and more often than not players rely on a fuel mix - hence our section titled fuel mix conditioning

The intensity and duration of activity determines the extent of energy system responsibility. Match analysis tells us that ball in play activities last on average 18 seconds, with a typical range of 5 - 53 seconds, and are performed with high intensity effort. Therefore, our preferred mode of conditioning is high intensity, with a focus on anaerobic energy contribution.

Aerobic fitness still has a very important role to play, particularly during the recovery period when the ball is out of play.

Although a higher aerobic capacity may improve your performance, it should not be developed via traditional aerobic training methods.

Aerobic capacity is a measure of aerobic fitness and because the game of rugby is predominantly anaerobic, aerobic fitness alone is not a reliable predictor of rugby conditioning. However, the methods of conditioning that we advocate will have positive effects on aerobic fitness.