I’m writing this based on my experience of training kids for speed, as part of my PT work. I’ve worked with all ages, but the kids I’ve trained specifically for rugby have been 9-12 years old. So this article applies to that age range – give or take a couple of years depending on the child’s level of coordination and physical development.
Key principles
– Proper sprint training should be the main focus. Although sprinting as a sport is done on a track in spikes, its techniques cross over well to rugby. Clearly, a rugby player will benefit from (1) increasing their acceleration from a crouched position, (2) increasing their top speed, and (3) being able to maintain their top speed for longer.
– Sprint training involves higher peaks of intensity than most rugby training. This is because developing speed requires repeated efforts that are close to maximal. So whereas kids will be used to spreading their effort continuously through a rugby session, they will need to alternate between more intense efforts and more dedicated recoveries during the main part of a sprint session.
– Training speed for rugby requires the instructor to balance different priorities, notably:
(1) keeping a focus on the key elements of sprint drills, while being creative in adapting them to rugby – e.g. by varying start positions and adding changes of direction;
(2) motivating the kids with races and games, while ensuring they keep at least one sprint cue in mind most of the time;
(3) incorporating exercises for strength – core, lower and upper body – while prioritising posture and technique over increases in reps or resistance.
Further details of training
Surface and footwear: it takes many weeks for most kids (and adults) to become conditioned to sprinting in spikes on a track for a full training session. So to avoid strains and injuries, it is safer to start with normal training shoes on grass – provided of course the surface is level. Spikes and track sessions can gradually be introduced over time.
Space required: it’s possible to achieve good initial progress with basic techniques while training in a garden as small as 20m long. Especially as most kids will rarely be running that far in a straight line at maximal effort during a rugby match.
Session length: I’d recommend at least 45 minutes for a session. The first 15 minutes or so will be warm-up drills and exercises before the main phase of higher intensity work.
How to mimic rugby scenarios: starting positions can be varied to include standing, facing sideways, already moving, and picking up/catching a rugby ball. Extra challenges may be to start lying down or in a pushup position. The sprints themselves can include changes of direction and speed, and catching or passing a ball.
Progress measurement: timing kids regularly over fixed distances like 10m, or the length of the garden and back, helps them focus towards maximum effort, as they try to beat their own best times.
Recovery: intense sprints will require recovery times of up to a few minutes, involving very little movement. Kids will obviously need a moment to wind down, but you can still make use of the remaining time to discuss a learning point with them, and maybe go through a stretch or two.
Plyometrics: these exercises, especially jumps and hops – are great for developing leg power for acceleration, as well as conditioning kids generally for top speed sprinting [1]. Measuring standing long jumps and multiple hop distance adds further motivation.
Safety note: it’s best to build up to plyometrics gradually, to avoid injury risk, and you should always check the safety of specific exercises. For example, even the common exercise of squat jumps can risk strain to the lower back, and a more advanced technique like depth jumps can risk injury to the knees as well [2].
Other resistance exercises: mainly bodyweight exercises like pushups and situps should be used. You might also add light dumbbells or bands. The emphasis should be on good technique and posture, with some explanation as to how strength in different parts of the body can enhance speed.
Contact drills: these may be worth integrating into rugby speed training with appropriate supervision. In particular, use of a tackle pad or certain tackle drills can mimic the use of weighted sleds in sprint training, to develop explosiveness in acceleration. Personally, as a martial artist I’m also able to bring relevant knowledge from mma, which has been shown to benefit rugby players’ strength and proprioception [3].
What a good series of sprint drills might look like
This video is a nice short demo of effective sprint drills for rugby players:
REFERENCES
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836236
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348794281_Risk_of_injury_analysis_in_depth_jump_and_squat_jump
3. https://www.fightequipmentuk.com/blogs/news/mma-training-is-a-winner-for-the-england-rugby-team
Chris Gibbs Fitness 
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