From Gym to Game Day: How to Train Explosive Power for Rugby Performance

In rugby, strength is your foundation — but power is the weapon.

You can squat twice your bodyweight, but if you’re slow off the line, getting beaten in collisions, or struggling to break the gain line, you’re not converting that strength into what actually matters on the pitch: explosive, dynamic performance.

This blog dives into how to build real, match-winning power — and how to make sure your gym work transfers.

💥 Why Power > Strength Alone

While raw strength is essential, rugby requires rapid force production — what we call rate of force development (RFD). In simple terms: it’s not just how much force you can produce, it’s how fast you can produce it.

Research backs this up — a study by Turner et al. (2014) found that higher levels of lower body power (as measured by jump height and bar speed) were strongly correlated with better sprint times and agility in elite rugby players (1).

In other words: the most powerful athletes were the fastest, sharpest, and hardest-hitting.

⚡️ Top Power-Based Exercises for Rugby Players

These are the movements that should sit near the top of your program if you're serious about on-field explosiveness.

1. Trap Bar Jumps (with Light Load)

• Why it works: Trains triple extension under load — replicates jump, sprint, and tackle patterns.

• Evidence: Lake et al. (2012) found loaded jump training improved power output and RFD significantly more than strength-only training (2).

• How to program it: 3–4 sets of 3 reps, focusing on max intent and bar speed.

2. Band-Resisted Sprints

• Why it works: Increases horizontal force production — key for line breaks and first steps.

• Bonus: Builds acceleration mechanics with tension through the full drive phase.

3. Plyometric Progressions (Depth Jumps, Bounds, Broad Jumps)

• Why it works: Enhances stiffness, reactivity, and elasticity — especially crucial for evading tackles and change of direction.

• How to integrate: Use them early in the session (after warm-up), 2x/week for quality, not quantity.

4. Olympic Lifting Variants (Power Clean, Hang Snatch)

• Why it works: High force and velocity combined. Teaches sequencing and full-body coordination.

• Caveat: Only if coached properly — technique is king.

🧠 The Transfer Gap: Why Your Power Might Not Be Showing Up

If you're doing these movements but still not seeing the difference in match play, here’s why:

• You're not training them with intent (i.e. you're moving the bar slowly).

• You're not allowing enough recovery between sets (power needs rest).

• You're doing too much volume and creating fatigue, not freshness.

• You're not pairing them with rugby-specific drills to apply the adaptations.

🔁 Bridge the Gap: Contrast Training

This is where the magic happens. Contrast training pairs a strength movement with a power-based movement to bridge the neural gap.

Example Superset:

• Trap Bar Deadlift (3 reps @ 85%)

• Broad Jump (3 reps)

• Rest 2–3 minutes between rounds

Over time, this method improves intermuscular coordination, neural drive, and explosive transfer.

🔬 The Science Backs It Up

• Loturco et al. (2015) found that rugby athletes with higher bar-velocity scores in loaded jump squats also performed better in sprints and changes of direction (3).

• Reilly et al. (2019) reinforced that explosive strength training improves not only sprint times but tackle effectiveness, citing the neuromuscular demand of collision-based play (4).

🧩 So Where Does This Fit in a Week?

Here’s a simple structure:

• Monday (Lower Body Power + Speed)
  Plyos → Trap Bar Jumps → Band Sprints

• Wednesday (Upper Body Power + Collision Prep)
  Bench Throws → Med Ball Slams → Plyo Push-Ups

• Friday (Contrast Session)
  Strength + Power Pairings (Deadlift → Jumps / Squat → Bounds)

All sessions should be low to moderate volume, high intent, long rest.

🗣 Final Thoughts

If you want to dominate the contact area, beat defenders in the first 5 metres, and recover quicker between efforts, you need to train for speed and power — not just strength.

Big lifts are the base. But how you express that strength fast is what makes you dangerous on game day.

It’s not about lifting more. It’s about doing more with what you lift.

📚 References:

1. Turner, A. N., et al. (2014). Strength and power predictors of sprinting performance in professional rugby players. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(12), 3647–3658.

2. Lake, J. P., et al. (2012). Concurrent training: A meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Sports Medicine, 42(6), 465–488.

3. Loturco, I., et al. (2015). Bar velocities capable of optimising the muscle power in strength-power exercises. Journal of Sports Sciences, 33(7), 657–667.

4. Reilly, T., et al. (2019). Neuromuscular performance and collision load in rugby union: Implications for training and recovery. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 14(9), 1200–1206.