Have we forgotten what Schalk Burger has done for south Africa and do we not always use the adage form is temporary and class is permanent? Why then is it almost impossible for any South African to believe that he should start on the flank for South Africa in Australasia. The answer: Heinrich Brussow; by far the find of the season, not only locally but world wide as well. Every year or so a world class player performs modern miracles and through a string of performances makes the world stand up and take notice.

Dan Carter, Johnny Wilkinson and even Schalk Burger at the beginning of their careers were ear marked for greatness. It was just a feeling in the air; an intangible quality that made them one of the first picks in anyone’s world side. What Heinrich Brussow has done over past month and a half is akin to what these great players did and the question we have to ask now is who will Peter De Villiers pick going into the most important tour of his career.

Schalk at his best is a wrecking ball who tears into the opposition with his rucking, tackling and barn storming runs. Brussow is nowhere near the runner or defender Burger is and he isn’t an international lineout option, whereas Burger is a proven jumper at the back of the lineout. Burger does have his downfalls; he is a target to all referees with his exuberance and Samsonite blonde locks, he gives away too many penalties through ill discipline and he has started to lose too many balls in the contact situation.

Brussow is the best fetcher in the world at the moment and provides better balance to the loose trio, Spies and Smith do the running and the jumping whilst Brussow gets down and dirty stealing balls like a kleptomaniac squirrel in a nut shop.

The real trip is using these two in tandem, but how? Schalk is no impact player and the longer he is on the field the better he becomes. Brussow could be utilised off the bench but then the Boks will miss the penalties and turnovers he wins in the first half where they are arguably better and have scored more points all their tests this year.

It’s a decision I’m glad I don’t have to make. Peter De Villiers has a completely fit squad which hasn’t happened in many a Sprinbok year. The money says Brussow will start as his form and effect on the game have been integral to the Bok’s success recently, but De Villiers loves springing surprises. What I do know is that the Springboks are in a perfect opportunity to clinch the Tri-nations title for a third time and beginning what could be a golden age of Springbok rugby.

When rugby players use strength training programs to help improve their game they should approach it with very specific goals in mind. At the same time it should be kept as simple as possible, especially if the player is inexperienced.

Before a program is written the player needs to be assessed. If a good coach or trainer is available this will make the whole process much easier. If not, the player can do something of a self-assessment that can be used to design an appropriate program.

The assessment process starts with questions. These questions identify what the player wants to achieve from the training. The person designing the program needs to consider both the player and the coach when assessing. The players own goals for the game are obviously the primary concern but the coach may have certain qualities they want the player to develop. Because they choose the team it makes sense to include them. The player may wish to make a representative team so it would be wise to get input from the coach or selector of that team if possible as well.

By looking at what the player wants to gain, and looking at what he needs to work on to please the coaches, the designer already has a basic framework to start from. The next step is to look at how the player functions or moves, then how that compares with how they will need to function and move in order perform at their target level. Strengths or weaknesses uncovered in this step will further refine the program towards the players specific needs which will in turn advance them towards their goal. The possible tests for this step are endless, but should also follow a process of refinement.

For example a player may desire more speed over 40 meters. The trainer needs to know how fast the player can run over 40 meters, then examine how he runs, then identify what can be done to improve it. Just because its a training program it does not mean that it should all be about lifting weights or strength training. Its about achieving a goal. It could be that the player is held back over the 40 meters by tight hamstrings plus weak quadriceps. Strength work would obviously apply to training the quads, but mobility rather then weightlifting would be needed for the hamstrings to improve.This approach targets the players specific needs, getting him to his goal efficiently and effectively.

A training program finds, then addresses needs in such a way that it uses every available tool in the most appropriate way. By using those tools in a well directed, focused manner, time is saved, so goals are achieved faster. Generic training programs are a wasted opportunity for people to really work on what they need for improvement.

Good program design will deliver an accurate set of guidelines for the player to follow. This need not be a complicated process but it will require some effort in the early stages to do the assessments, plus get input from strength or athletic performance experts if its needed, however the pay off at the end makes all the attention to detail well worthwhile.

The Rugby World Cup Final is not long away and it has been a popular tournament. One of the things that always stand out when watching rugby is the physicality and skills involved in the sport, and the same can be said of the this tournament.

Being a provider of massage courses we naturally always see ways in which massage can benefit different people and in different scenarios. That leads us onto to the topic of discussion in this piece, can massage make you a better rugby play?

The case against

As with a lot of things in life there isn’t a simple yes or no answer, there are a few different factors to consider. To some people you can hardly claim that massage can make a rugby player better.

Rugby is a game of rules and technique. You need to know your role to thrive and you need to know how to perform your duties. As well as that you need a specific skill-set to play well, a skill-set such as catching, throwing, kicking and all the dirty dark arts of a forward.

Massage won’t help you with technique, it won’t help you with your natural ability to know the game, and it won’t help you become a better rugby player alone.

However, there are quite a few points to make that suggest it can make you a better player.

The case for

Rugby is no doubting a very technical game. You do need a wide skill-set and an understanding of it too. It is also however a very physical game.

Massage to keep you going – Rugby players take a battering on a regular basis, just look at New Zealand fly half, Dan Carter, in a match. These 15 stone monsters of men will crash into each other and create some impressive impact. This will put all kinds of pressure on their bodies and not surprisingly often leads to injuries.

The players not only come under huge forces on the field but in the gym as well and massage plays a key role in keeping these players going.

How does that make them better players? If a player gets injured and faces substantial time out of the game, this will obviously have a direct impact on their ability to play and improve as a player.

If you use massage as part of your exercise programme you will not only prevent injury but you can plan quicker recovery times. The players will feel fresher and you will be able to train more and improve your skill-set, thus making you a better rugby player.

Massage to improve your athleticism – It isn’t just about injury prevention and recovery either. With the right nutrition and exercise programme you can actually use sports massage to make you faster, stronger and fitter.

It is linked to recovery time of muscles but can form a part of your routine that will be just as important as the exercises themselves.

Other considerations – Whilst there is no doubting massage can help with the physical side of the game there can be a mental gain too. This all comes down to the individual and how they react to a massage but a player under stress can really use regular sports massage as a chance to think and get their mind in shape.

Conclusion

To us the answer is to the discussion ‘Can massage make you a better rugby player?’ is a yes. It might not directly affect how skilful you are, it might not teach you the rules and get you rugby ready but it can help. It can help you build power, pace and stay injury free. It can help you train for longer and improve your skills. It can make you a better rugby player.

Rugby league has a quirky rule that if a player called a 40-20. It works as a reward for accurate and strategic kicking. If a player kicks the ball behind his 40 metre line and it goes over the sideline behind the opposition’s 20 metre line and providing the ball bounces first then his team is awarded a scrum next to where the ball went out.

This is extremely beneficial in rugby league as it means his team gets 6 more tackles right in front of the opposition try line. It may seem like a gimmicky rule, but it is actually very difficult and risky to pull off and is actually fairly rare in a game of league. The rule was introduced to the NRL in 1997 so is relatively new.

To new watchers the 22 metre rule in rugby union may seem equally gimmicky. In both sports if the ball goes out on the full then the restart, whether it be a lineout or quick tap, takes place from where it was kicked. However, there is an exception in rugby union.

If the ball is kicked out behind the kicker’s 22 metre line, providing it was not passed back to the kicker, then play restarts from where it went out whether it bounced first or not. Up until recently the ball could also be passed back into the 22 as well, but not carried back. The 22 metre rule is very common in rugby union because it is a good way of gaining territory and a chance to contest possession at the lineout.

Rugby League Shirts have changed greatly since the sport was first introduced in 1895. In the past full sleeve shirts were worn made of cotton which became very heavy when wet and were traditionally designed with a v shape or printing on them to distinguish them from their Rugby Union counterparts.

Today Rugby League Shirts are made of synthetic materials such as polyester. This makes them far lighter, and less absorbent meaning they will not become heavy when wet. Rugby League shirts today are also very tight fitting and slippery due to their synthetic material. This is to make them less easy to grab making it easier for players to break tackles.

Rugby League is often considered to be more of a working class sport. Played in over 30 countries it is only played professionally in the UK, France, Australia and New Zealand. This is somewhat ironic as although other countries have the sport at a semi-professional level the sport is routed in it’s allowance of the professional game.

After the first divergence of football codes the Rugby Football Union was formed. This organization had a very strong amateur policy not allowing players to be compensated for time off work while playing or training and also disallowing entrance fees to matches being charged.

This lead to the Northern Rugby Football Union being formed as many of the teams in the North were made up of working class people who couldn’t afford to take time off of work to play. Later the Northern Rugby Football League was formed with play rules being a modification of the Northern Rugby Football League’s.

In summary the Rugby League shirts of today are as different to their historical counterparts as the game is. 

The purpose of a demonstration is to increase the players’ understanding of the skill by providing an accurate model from which to learn. For players to make appropriate decisions on how to execute skills, coaches need to provide an explanation and a demonstration so that players can learn and practise. An effective skill demonstration requires careful planning by the coach. Consider the following:

Why is the skill important

Understanding the importance of the skill in the context of the sport and competition will assist both the coach and player in teaching and learning the skill.

How will the skill be demonstrated

Select an appropriate method of teaching the skill, taking into account the type of skill and the experience and ability of the players. Generally, it is recommended that the whole skill should be demonstrated first to show the players what the skill would look like when performed correctly. Then the skill is broken down into various skill components (whole-part-whole). Remember players need to be able to observe the demonstration at different angles. Show both left and right-handed ways to execute the skill. Make a note in your session plan of 2-3 teaching points and some key words or phrases used to emphasise important parts of the skill. Keep the instructions simple and avoid the use of jargon where possible. Athletes should be asked to concentrate on only one or two aspects of the skill at any one time.

What equipment will be reguired

Coaches need to determine what equipment will be required to give an effective demonstration and ensure that appropriate equipment is available and ready to use when the time comes. For example if you are using a video have everything set up ready to press ‘play’ before you start the session.

Where will the skills be demonstrated

When planning your demonstration, take into account any possible distractions for your players such as the position of the sun or bright lights. Depending on how many players there are, decide on an appropriate formation, which enables them all to see and hear the demonstration clearly. One of the most common and effective formations is a semi-circle with the coach or demonstrator standing in front.

Where will the demonstration take place

The most obvious time to give a demonstration is when the players are learning a new skill, this should take place early in the training session while the players’ minds and bodies are relatively ‘fresh’. Demonstrations can also be used when giving feedback, or to remind players of a previously learned skill. It can also be useful to repeat the demonstration at the end of training so players can be reminded of what to work on.

Sport is often perceived as an analogy for some ideas of engineering. One of the more unique ideas has been to use it to discuss the ideas of program management. Program management is a fairly stable discipline and has structured lots of its processors. When launched of the net and the speed required to deliver some complicate integrated systems. Users have found unique methods to process these familiar challenges.

• Agile project managers.
• Scrum methodology.
• Iterative development.
• Open source ideas.
• Delivering early and often.

Some project managers have taken the athletics approach in a new direction. As an example of using the game of rugby to describe a fascinating and pacey approach. They have designed on the scrum pattern and developed the concept to include other aspects of the game.

The venture of rugby is very much a physically bruising match-up. People often describe social networking is a contact sport, but so if project management to a matter of fact. Take for granted one of the steady tenants of rugby is having to tackle problems.

The idea of rugby project management is just an expansion of the scrum which is often used in Agile. Rugby also showcases aspects of sometimes congregate and decide the run backwards in order to make forward progress. Another important aspect of rugby is a concept of organizing teams.

Groups of players will often organize on demand as the game progresses and as rules dictate. Many of the concepts can be extrapolated into managing projects in an agile fashion. Agile project management calls for much shorter and faster short cycle tasks.

The whole idea is to divide tasks into backlogs of activities and produce code into close to ready as soon as possible. Some of the guiding principals of agile are quickness, changeability and agility. The ideas can be used in just about all coding and programming projects, but not without challenges.

It’s quite possible to use this technique in report writing. A number of applications such as Actuate lend themselves easily to the fast project enhancement process. The idea is to connect with the product owner sooner rather than later as a joint coder.

The whole project team forms into more compact scrum like units and meet daily to review and go through backlogs. With the target of delivering real stable solutions in under 2 month increments. Its fairly easy to approach projects like report writing with these concepts in mind. When you become familiar with the rugby paradigm it will become much simpler. It’s much more beneficial to have teams including product owner involved earlier in the routine.

The technology and materials in the modern range of rugby boots use every ounce of the advances in sportswear and sports science. With titanium one of the common materials on the main kicking areas supposed to add power and increase accuracy when kicking, if a player messes up they can no longer say that it is the boots that are to blame. What is probably most startling about the new boots is the fact that they are lighter than ever, allowing rugby players to move about the park with pace. The modern boots are able to provide strength and support but can also feel as though they are moulded around the feet at times which will greatly help with acceleration and running away from markers in tight situations. The rugby players of ten or twenty years ago would be amazed at the changes in the footwear of the sport and the brilliant thing is, these advances are not just for the top class players, they are available for players at all levels.

There is no doubt that there has been a greater drive for fans and lower level players to wear the same kit as the established players and this has led to rugby boots makers and manufacturers to produce a very strong range of replica footwear products. The celebrity endorsements and big name brand logos will help youngsters have a greater affinity with the game and should encourage them to play the game more often. With so many different distractions on a child’s time, parents who want their offspring to take up rugby need to everything that they can to make the game seem more attractive to them and these products really help.

Of course, the whole point of these technological breakthroughs isn’t just to look good and part parents of their hard money, the advances in modern rugby boots definitely help make a difference in the top players. It is fair to say that the further down the leagues or skill group, the differences brought from a modern pair of boots may be less technical but it is likely to be more psychological. No matter what sport someone is playing, if they take pride in their appearance and work hard on the pitch, they will have every chance of becoming a success. Confidence is obviously no substitute for skill and effort but it can help a player improve their game and get a lot more enjoyment from their activity. Sports will always have an element of wanting to win about it but it is equally true that the game should be enjoyed and if a brightly coloured pair of rugby boots can help this, then it should be encouraged.

With so many different types of rugby boots on the market, there is something for every age group and every budget, which is great as rugby is a game that can be enjoyed by everyone. Whether you are playing seriously or just enjoy a friendly game every so often, having the right footwear will help you get a lot more fun from your rugby playing.

If you are a Rugby player then I don’t have to stress to you the importance of physical power and how it applies to your sport. However, even though a lot of athletes and rugby players understand the importance of this trait they don’t engage in what I like to refer to as the “proper physical training behavior” to get themselves as physically prepared as possible. This is why I am here to offer a little assistance. Keep reading if I have your attention.

Kettlebell Snatches For Rugby

If you are going to effectively compete on the field of play in a violent sport such as rugby then you have got to get your body involved in the act of explosive strength training. Kettlebell snatches are an awesome strength training exercise for helping you to develop superior core strength, hip power, speed, explosiveness, shoulder stability, and overall tremendous cardiovascular conditioning. All of these traits I have mentioned are absolutely essential in the game of rugby.

To perform the kettlebell snatch you will need the availability of a single bell of moderate resistance. Begin by pulling the bell either off of the ground, or from pulling it from a swing lift from between your legs to elevate it to a locked out held position above your head. This is all done by you having to engage your hips and knees in a forceful motion that is known as the hip snap.

To elevate the kettlebell you will want to “hip snap” by forcefully flexing and then extending at both your knees and hips in order to drive the kettlebell up to a high pull position just lateral to your head. Once the bell reaches this “high pull” position it will peak out and reach a point of “weightlessness” for a fraction of a second. As the bell reaches this point of “zero gravity” then you will want to vertically punch your palm towards the sky in order to complete the execution of the snatch lift. You will see just how challenging this lift can be only after a couple of repetitions.

The overhead snatch is one of the best kettlebell strength training lifts you can possibly engage in for the sport of rugby. If you want to learn more about kettlebell snatches and other great lifts then feel free to access the rest of my articles on the subject for free. Remember friends that most any athlete can train hard, but only the champions train smart!

Super Rugby refers to biggest professional rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere. This wasn’t a one time founding, but Super Rugby is built off of a series of old traditions starting all the way back with the South Pacific Championship from 1986. Getting a stable and steady championship format proved difficult, but over time it eventually became the modern form of Super Rugby which features 15 teams from three countries: Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Prior to the current model of Super Rugby there were several smaller attempts to create a professional unified rugby competition to help determine a yearly world champion for the region. In 1991 there was no tournament because of the South Pacific Tournament being canceled. This led to the Super 6 being created.

The Super 6 consisted of three teams from New Zealand, two from Australia, and one from Fiji and played a championship in 1992, which was won by the Reds from Brisbane. The very next year the interest led to rapid expansion with the Super 6 turning into the Super 10.

The Super 10 still featured multiple teams from both Australia and New Zealand, but South Africa was admitted back into international competition with three teams including the Lions who eventually won that season. Fiji was replaced by Western Samoa as the Pacific Nations representative. This format held for three years, with the Reds once again taking the last two until 1996 when they expanded to 12 teams.

Keeping with the number themes this competition became the Super 12 and this lasted through 2005. This also marked an important moment with SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) being founded as a governing body to operate the competition, set up how play-off tournaments would be done, and expansion when necessary.

Australian and New Zealand teams dominated during this time, taking all of the titles from 1996 to 2005 with the Blues, Brumbies, and Crusaders combining for all the championships during that time period. In 2006 expansion was made to the Super 14 and in 2007 the Bulls out of Pretoria, South Africa broke the Australian-New Zealand dominance by ending the season as champions.

The year 2009 saw expansion to 15 teams under the current name of Super Rugby, doing away with numbers and now unified under one brand. The old round robin method was done away with in favor of home and away games based on a regional format, with points based on wins, losses, ties and bonus points based on the overall scores and number of tries scored in a game, The top six teams at the end of the season then play in a three week finals series with seedings based on overall standing.

This allows a set up where the best teams still get to play while making every game important. Due to the popularity of Super Rugby there are discussions for further expansion in the future, including talks of more Australian and South African teams, as well as possibly a Pacific Island squad or Argentina.