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TrainingPlyometrics for rugby: jump training for speed and power
Strength gives you force. Plyometrics teach you to use it fast. Here's how jump training works, what the rugby research says about speed and power, how many jumps to do, and how to progress safely from your first hop to depth jumps.
Key facts at a glance
- What it trains: the stretch-shortening cycle, your ability to absorb force and rebound quickly
- Best combination: lifting plus plyometrics plus agility gave the largest sprint gains in rugby players (Sanz-Matesanz et al., 2025, 26 studies, 644 players)
- Beginner volume: about 80–100 foot contacts per session; intermediate 100–120; advanced 120–140 (NSCA guidelines)
- Recovery: 48–72 hours between plyometric sessions; World Rugby advises avoiding high-intensity training for 48 hours after a game
- Surface: grass, rubber gym flooring or a sprung floor, never concrete
- Injury prevention: World Rugby's Activate warm-up includes jumping and landing work and is linked to 26–40% fewer soft-tissue injuries
- Safety: quality over quantity; learn landings first and progress under a qualified coach
Every big moment in rugby starts with an explosive push into the ground. The first two steps when you hit a gap. The jump at the top of a lineout. The leg drive that turns a tackle into a dominant one. Plyometrics for rugby are how players train that explosiveness directly, and they are one of the cheapest, most effective tools in the strength and conditioning toolbox. All you need is your body, some space and a sensible plan.
At the Vegas Lions, "Raw power: explosive strength training" is one of our pillars. Last week we covered strength training for rugby, the foundation. This guide is the next step: turning that strength into speed. It's general information to help you understand the method. Get your own program from a qualified coach.
What are plyometrics, and why do they matter in rugby?
A plyometric exercise is any movement where a muscle is rapidly stretched and then immediately shortened. Think of a jump: you dip down, your legs load like a spring, and you rebound up. Coaches call this the stretch-shortening cycle, and the NSCA's training guidelines describe it in three phases:
- Eccentric (loading): the muscle lengthens under load, and the tendon stores elastic energy like a stretched rubber band.
- Amortization (transition): the brief pause between stretching and pushing. It needs to be as short as possible, because stored energy is lost as heat if you hesitate.
- Concentric (unloading): the muscle shortens, adding the stored energy and a reflex boost to produce a fast, forceful push.
Why does that matter for rugby? Because the game rarely gives you time. World Rugby's conditioning guidance puts it simply: "Power = Speed x Strength." A lift in the gym can be slow and still build strength. A tackle, a step or a lineout jump happens in a fraction of a second. Plyometrics train the speed side of that equation and teach your body to use the strength you've built.
Strength is the engine. Plyometrics are the gearbox. A strong player who can't express that strength quickly is like a heavy car stuck in first gear. Lions don't just lift heavy. We teach that force to arrive fast.
Do plyometrics make rugby players faster?
The evidence says they help most when they're part of a complete program. In January 2025, Manuel Sanz-Matesanz and colleagues published a systematic review in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology covering 26 studies and 644 rugby players. Their headline finding: resistance training combined with plyometrics and agility drills achieved the most significant sprint improvements. Resisted sprinting (sleds and similar) helped short-distance acceleration but did little for top speed.
Smaller rugby studies point the same way:
- An 8-week study of 16 adolescent elite rugby players in Germany, presented at the 2016 European College of Sport Science congress, found that the plyometric group improved countermovement jump height from 44.0 to 49.9 cm and 30 m sprint time from 4.38 to 4.12 seconds, while an untrained control group declined slightly. These were elite youth players doing one long, supervised session a week, so it isn't a template for beginners. It does show how trainable explosiveness is.
- A 2025 study in the journal Muscles by Walsh, Esformes, Moody and Byrne put 15 adolescent rugby union players through 6 weeks of combined plyometric and resistance training during the season. Jump power, 3RM back squat strength and change-of-direction (505 test) performance all improved significantly, and the gains held during a following 4-week block without plyometrics.
The takeaway for club players: plyometrics aren't magic on their own. Paired with lifting and sprinting, though, they're one of the most reliable ways to get quicker off the mark.
What are the best plyometric exercises for rugby?
Rugby needs power in every direction: up for lineouts and restarts, forward for acceleration and leg drive, and sideways for stepping and cutting. A good program covers all three, and moves from low to high intensity. Here's a typical progression many coaches use:
| Level | Example exercises | Intensity | Rugby carryover |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Landing and rhythm | Snap-downs, jump-and-stick landings, pogo hops, skipping, line hops | Low | Safe landings, ankle stiffness, foot speed |
| 2. Jumps in place and to a box | Squat jumps, countermovement jumps, box jumps (step down), tuck jumps | Low to moderate | Vertical power for lineouts and restarts |
| 3. Horizontal jumps | Standing broad jumps, consecutive broad jumps, bounding, skater bounds | Moderate | Acceleration, first 10 m, side-step power |
| 4. Single-leg work | Single-leg hops and sticks, lateral hops, single-leg bounds | Moderate to high | Cutting, stepping, landing on one leg in contact |
| 5. Shock and reactive work | Depth jumps, drop jumps, hurdle rebounds | High | Reactive strength for leg drive and changes of direction |
| Upper body | Medicine-ball chest passes, rotational throws, slams, plyo push-ups | Low to high | Fends, passing power, hitting rucks |
Two rules apply at every level. First, land well: soft, quiet, knees tracking over the toes, hips back, chest up. Second, every rep is fast. Plyometrics are not conditioning. When your jumps get slower or your landings get noisy, the set is over.
How many jumps should a rugby player do?
Volume in plyometrics is usually counted in foot contacts, every time a foot (or both feet) hits the ground in a jump. NSCA guidelines, as summarized for students at SUNY Cortland, suggest starting points per session of roughly:
- Beginner: 80–100 contacts
- Intermediate: 100–120 contacts
- Advanced: 120–140 contacts
The same guidelines recommend 48–72 hours of recovery between plyometric sessions, not training the same body area on consecutive days, long rests between sets (a work-to-rest ratio of about 1:5 to 1:10), and 5–10 seconds between depth jumps with 2–3 minutes between sets. As intensity goes up, volume should come down. Ten depth jumps are a harder session than fifty line hops.
Off-season, many field-sport athletes do two to three plyometric sessions a week. In-season, most drop to one or fold a few low-volume, high-quality jumps into a lifting session, because training, matches and running already put a lot of impact through the legs. World Rugby also advises that high-intensity training should be avoided for 48 hours after a game.
More jumps isn't better. Better jumps are better. We'd rather see 40 explosive, perfectly landed contacts than 150 sloppy ones. Count your contacts, stop while you're still fast, and come back fresh.
Is plyometric training safe for rugby players?
Done sensibly, yes, and good jumping and landing work is part of how rugby reduces injuries. World Rugby's Activate warm-up, launched in September 2019 with England Rugby and the University of Bath, includes plyometric and landing exercises alongside balance, strength and change of direction. According to the University of Bath, it was linked to 26% fewer soft-tissue injuries and 29% fewer concussions in youth players, and 40% fewer soft-tissue injuries and 60% fewer concussions in adults.
Plyometrics are still high-impact, so the basics matter:
- Build strength first. World Rugby stresses that basic functional competence must be in place before you load it. Our strength training guide covers that foundation.
- Use a forgiving surface. Grass, rubber mats or a sprung floor are good. Concrete, tile and hardwood are not. Very thick mats and mini-trampolines are also poor choices, because they slow the rebound.
- Wear supportive shoes with good ankle and arch support and a stable, non-slip sole.
- Warm up properly with dynamic movement such as skipping, jogging, lunges and footwork.
- Progress gradually, from low-intensity to high-intensity drills, and from two legs to one.
- Get advice if you're injured or returning from a layoff. World Rugby recommends a reconditioning program before returning to full training. Check with a doctor or physiotherapist before starting if you have an injury or a health condition. This guide isn't medical advice.
Contact skills that use your new power, such as tackling, rucking and lineout lifting, should be learned under a qualified coach. The APR coaching clinic, May 28–31, 2027, in Las Vegas is a good place to start.
How do plyometrics fit into a rugby training week?
Plyometrics work best when you're fresh, so most coaches put them early in a session, after the warm-up and before heavy lifting or conditioning. Here's a simple off-season example for a club player who already lifts. It isn't a personal prescription; have a qualified coach adjust it to your level and schedule.
- Day 1, lower-body power + strength: warm-up (for example World Rugby Activate), then pogo hops 2 × 10, box jumps 3 × 5, broad jumps 3 × 4. Then squats and Romanian deadlifts. About 60 contacts.
- Day 2, upper body: medicine-ball chest passes 3 × 6 and rotational throws 3 × 5 each side, then presses and pulls.
- Day 3, speed + horizontal power: warm-up, skips, bounding 3 × 20 m, lateral hop-and-stick 3 × 4 each leg, then short acceleration sprints of 10–20 m with full recovery. Finish with a trap-bar deadlift or split squats.
- Rest at least a day between the two jump-heavy days, and keep track of contacts so they rise slowly over the weeks.
Pairing jumps with heavy lifting in the same session, sometimes called complex or contrast training, is common with experienced players. Beginners will get plenty of progress from doing each piece well.
Bring your speed to the APR Games
The APR Games 2027 run Memorial Day weekend, May 29–31, in Las Vegas: 10-a-side rugby, two 20-minute halves under the lights. Men's Elite ($10,000 prize pool), Women's Social ($5,000) and Youth divisions. Player entry $299 includes a team jersey, kit bag, at least three pool games and opening-night access.
Join the APR Games waitlistWhy does explosive power matter even more in tens rugby?
The APR Games 2027 are played as 10-a-side rugby with two 20-minute halves. With fewer players on a full-size field, there's more space, so the first step, the outside break and the chase back all count for more. Every player, forward or back, needs acceleration, and you'll need to repeat it with less recovery. Plyometrics, sprinting and lifting together are exactly the mix the 2025 rugby review found works best.
Speed shows up in defense too. The Vegas Knights' guide to blitz, drift and line speed explains why getting off the line fast changes a whole defensive system. If you're coming from another code, the Vegas Kings' union vs league explainer covers how lineouts and set pieces differ. For the bigger picture, the Vegas Blackjacks' history of rugby in Las Vegas traces how the city got here, and Downtown Rugby's touch rugby guide is a low-contact way to sharpen your footwork.
The Lions are one of five founding franchises of American Pro Rugby; you can meet every team on the APR teams page and follow the wider game on APR's rugby news. Rep the pride in training with gear from the APR merch store.
Recovery and fueling matter as much as the jumps. Our partner Clann13 makes supplements for athletes. Talk to a qualified professional about what's right for you; a solid diet and good sleep come first. And if you're traveling in for the Games, our partner Luna Appleton covers where to stay, eat and celebrate in Vegas.
Power is the second word in The Lions Code: "Explosive force in every contact." Explosive doesn't happen by accident. It's built one quality jump at a time, with a training partner who calls out a sloppy landing. Train it like a pack.
Want a strength block and one skill broken down every week? Join The Breakdown, APR's free weekly newsletter.
Frequently asked questions
What are plyometrics in rugby?
Plyometrics are explosive jumps, hops, bounds and throws that train the stretch-shortening cycle, your ability to load and rebound quickly. In rugby they build acceleration, lineout jumping, stepping and leg drive.
Do plyometrics make you faster for rugby?
They help most as part of a full program. A 2025 systematic review of 26 studies and 644 rugby players found that resistance training combined with plyometrics and agility drills produced the largest sprint improvements.
How many plyometric jumps should a beginner do?
NSCA guidelines suggest starting beginners at roughly 80 to 100 foot contacts per session, with intermediate athletes at 100 to 120 and advanced athletes at 120 to 140. Lower is fine when the drills are intense.
How often should rugby players do plyometrics?
Many athletes do two to three sessions a week in the off-season and about one in-season, with 48 to 72 hours of recovery between plyometric sessions.
Should I do plyometrics before or after lifting?
Usually before, after a good warm-up, so every jump is fast and well controlled. Fatigue makes landings sloppy and reduces the training effect.
Can rugby players do plyometrics during the season?
Yes. A 2025 study of adolescent rugby union players found six weeks of combined plyometric and resistance training in-season improved jump power, squat strength and change-of-direction ability. Keep the volume low and avoid hard sessions within 48 hours after a game.
What surface is best for plyometrics?
Grass, rubber gym flooring or a sprung floor. Avoid concrete, tile and hardwood, and avoid very thick mats or mini-trampolines, which slow the rebound.
Do I need to be strong before starting plyometrics?
A basic strength base and good landing technique should come first. Start with low-intensity jumps and landings, and save depth jumps and single-leg bounds for later.
Are plyometrics good for injury prevention in rugby?
Jumping and landing work is part of World Rugby's Activate warm-up, which is linked to 26 to 40 percent fewer soft-tissue injuries and 29 to 60 percent fewer concussions in youth and adult players.
Do forwards need plyometrics as well as backs?
Yes. Forwards use explosive power for lineout jumping and lifting, scrum and ruck leg drive and short carries, while backs use it for acceleration and stepping. The exercise mix and volume can differ by position, so plan it with a coach.
Keep reading
Sources
- Sanz-Matesanz M, González-Fernández FT, Blanco-Luengo D, Martínez-Aranda LM. Optimising Sprint Performance in Rugby: Insights from a Systematic Review of Training Methods. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 10(1):51, January 2025
- Walsh CM, Esformes JI, Moody JA, Byrne PJ. Effects of a Combined Plyometric and Resistance Training Programme on Adolescent Rugby Union Players. Muscles 4(2):17, June 2025
- Effects of an eight-week plyometric training program on sprint and jump performance in adolescent elite rugby players. 21st ECSS Congress, Vienna, July 2016
- SUNY Cortland: Plyometrics, summary of NSCA program design guidelines (volume, recovery, surfaces, progression)
- World Rugby Passport: Rugby Ready, physical conditioning
- University of Bath: World Rugby launches preventive exercise programme designed to reduce injuries, 11 September 2019
- American Pro Rugby: APR Games 2027
This guide is general information, not individual coaching or medical advice. Learn plyometric exercises and contact skills under a qualified coach, progress gradually, and consult a doctor or physiotherapist before starting a new program if you have an injury or health condition.