Coaches, practitioners and medical staff working in the worldwide sport of rugby will frequently apply scientific principles to their programmes to inform the practice, performance, health, well-being and development of their athletes.
This book explores the scientific principles underpinning the preparation and management of rugby players in both codes and modified versions of the sport. Applied examples are also provided throughout to understand the practical application of the material in a real-world context. This new edition of The Science of Rugby offers a significant contribution to the field of rugby science that will act as a useful resource to scientists, coaches, practitioners and students interested in rugby.
New chapters and key topics include:
- Physical and psychological preparation for rugby
- Planning and monitoring of training
- Managing fatigue, recovery and nutrition
- Effects of different environmental conditions and travel on performance
- The mechanics of rugby techniques and injury
- Young players and talent identification
- Considerations for training the female rugby player
- Modified rugby, including rugby sevens, touch, tag and wheelchair rugby
No other book bridges the gap between theory and applied practice in rugby, from grass roots to elite international standard, and therefore this is essential reading for any student, researcher, sport scientist, coach, physiotherapist or clinician with an interest in the game.
1 Physical Preparation for Rugby
Tim J. Gabbett
2 Strength and Power Training for Rugby
Daniel Travis McMaster, Michael R. McGuigan, and Nicholas D. Gill
3 Monitoring the Match and Training Demands of Rugby
Mark Waldron, Erwan Izri, and Craig Twist
4 Monitoring Fatigue and Training Adaptations in Rugby Players
Craig Twist and Jamie Highton
5 Match Day Strategies to Enhance the Physical and Technical Performance of Rugby Players
Mark Russell, Samuel P. Hills, Christian J. Cook, and Liam P. Kilduff
6 Strategies to Enhance Recovery in Rugby Players
Jamie Highton and Craig Twist
7 Nutrition for Rugby
Graeme L. Close, Andreas M. Kasper, and James P. Morton
8 Training and Playing in the Heat: Strategies for the Rugby Player
Rudi Meir, Neil Chapman, and Mike Climstein
9 Practical Considerations for Team Travel, the Lifestyle
of Elite Athletes, Travel Fatigue, Infection and Coping with Jet Lag
Ben J. Edwards, Tom Clark, Anna C. Fitzpatrick, Colin M. Robertson, and Neil P. Walsh
10 Psychological Preparation for Rugby
Stephen D. Mellalieu and Rich Neil
11 Performance Analysis in Rugby
Nimai Parmar, Nic James, and Wilbur Kraak
12 The Biomechanics of Rugby
Neil E. Bezodis, Ezio Preatoni, Dario Cazzola, and Elena Seminati
13 Injury Epidemiology in Rugby
Niki Gabb, Grant Trewartha, and Keith Stokes
14 Talent Identification, Development, and The Young Rugby Player
Stephen Cobley and Kevin Till
15 The Female Rugby Player
Emma Ross
16 Modified Rugby
Craig Twist
Biography
Craig Twist is Professor of Applied Sport & Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, and has primary research interests in the training and monitoring of rugby players. Craig is an accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.
Paul Worsfold is Head of Biomechanics at the UK Sports Institute and Professor in Sports Biomechanics and Performance Analysis at the University of Chester, UK. His applied and research interests are primarily focused on optimising athlete movement and technology to enhance performance and reduce injury.
