How to Be a Professional Rugby Player

Rugby is a physically taxing sport in which two teams attempt to move an oblong ball down the field by carrying or kicking the ball. Due to the demands of the sport, a top-level rugby player must be physically strong to help move piles and deliver or withstand tackles, but also in prime cardiovascular health to ensure he can run for a full 80-minute game, if needed. Although there is no short cut to a career in rugby, focusing on the important skills and traits will improve your chances.

Instructions

    • 1

      Perform muscle-building workouts to increase your strength. To compete in high level rugby, a player must be very strong.

    • 2

      Incorporate explosive, high-intensity weightlifting into your workout routines. In addition to having strong base strength, a rugby player must be able to deliver a great deal of force with quick bursts to make or break a tackle.

    • 3

      Participate in endurance-based cardiovascular training, such as running. Rugby matches contain two 40-minute halves of near-constant exertion, requiring a great deal of cardiovascular health.

    • 4

      Perform sprint-based exercises to improve your short-term quickness, a vital skill for breaking into a gap to score a try.

    • 5

      Practice tackling an opponent with the ball to prevent him from moving the ball closer to a try.

    • 6

      Practice performing penalty and conversion kicks. Many close matches come down to which team is able to kick effectively.

    • 7

      Practice performing drop kicks, a maneuver used to quickly move the ball a great distance down the field and the only legal way to pass the ball to a teammate that is farther downfield.

    • 8

      Study tactics to understand the small decisions and player positions during a game which can mean the difference between winning and losing.

    • 9

      Listen to criticism from coaches and trainers to honestly assess your weaknesses so that you can build on them going forward.

    • 10

      Join the rugby squad at your school, if one is offered, or research schools in the area with a team you can attend. Playing at a school in an organized league allows your strong play to catch the attention of scouts.

    • 11

      Join a club rugby team if no school options are available to you.

    • 12

      Accept a position within a professional organization's academy if play in organized leagues earns you an invitation. While in a club's academy, players are provided with top-level training beyond that of schools and also offers clubs the opportunity to sign you to their professional roster after completing schooling.