What position would I be best for?

Question
Hey! In the next couple of weeks I'll be joining a women's local team. I'm 18, 5ft 6, and about 200 lbs. I go to the gym regularly, and I think I'd be best with a position that needs strength (Prop?). I'm also a fair runner. I'm thinking I'll be a prop, so what type of training should I be doing at home, ect?
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Liz, pure strength is best during off season and power and speed closer to it good. Don't go nuts cardio it is counter productive. If you can run 3 miles well leave it at that. Do a lot of sprint work and aim to have a high work rate at practice and in pre-season games and match fitness will come.

I am not a fitness expert so work with a trainer. Strength and power and flexability are key.

TO be a great prop become a nerd for technique. If you can be rugby fit, strong and have size and ad on perfect adaptable technique you will be great.

Read over my old "prop answers" like the one below and use the links I have provided. You Tube is awesome for technique especially anything by "Mike Cron" All Black scrum coach. Watch as much professional rugby on tv as you can get and study the props (most don't) als as a basics Rugby for Doummies is a good book.

The thing about scrumming is having the ability to change what you are doing based on the situation. If scrum the exact same way every scrum the other prop will figure you out and a way to beat you. If you are smaller you are best working on getting lower with a straight back and being quick on the engage. Lower is always better. Your feet should get too much wide than your shoulders.

I suggest really studying scrum technique A LOT. it takes a lot of specialized technique to be a good prop and if you are strong and fit you will demolish any other prop if your technique is good no matter what their size.

As a coach I would rather have a smaller prop with awesome technique over a large prop with poor or (more commonly) lazy habits. Large props tend to rely on their size which is no good at the end of the game when it counts. Technique is what allows a prop to scrum just as hard in the last 10 minutes as they do in the 1st 10.

Study technique a lot, here are some places to start:

Here is a link of technique  / body position which you should treat as your gospel:

Scrummaging:

http://www.coachingrugby.com/rugby/coaching/unitskills/scrum/buildingthescrum.ht...

http://www.usarugby.org/media/EDocs/scrum.pdf

http://www.texasyouthrugby.com/download/748/docs/Building_the_scrum.pdf

Also there are some GREAT pointers on You Tube. If you go to You Tube and search using the key words: "building the scrum" you will find a great set of videos about scrum technique originally from www.rugbydevelopment.com Get the whole team to view them. Key word search "Mike Cron scrum" for direct tips from the All Black scrum coach.

Keep looking on You Tube for video by Mike Cron and other professional coaches about scrum technique.

As for explosive power, a lot of it is timing. Get a team mate to stand next to the scrum machine doing the calls of a ref: "crouch, pause, touch, engage". Go through the calls on your own facing the scrum machine and work on your technique and get your team mate to keep you honest or better yet to film you. Increase your hit power. maintaining technique up the level of 'punch' you give the scrum machine. Do 5 sets of 3 - 4 hits. evaluate technique between hits.

Get with your hooker and loose head and do the same as a unit. Then add the locks. You need to really get the lock to time with you so they are ramming you into the hit with control.

Tackling:


This link to You Tube is VERY good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQJ39bbq2uU

Here is some tackling advice:

The aim is to make a tackle to stop the play/player. Drive in hard and execute the tackle forcefully and wrap the player up well with your arms. The game of rugby moves fast enough that this will be enough to give your team the advantage. Read on for good technique but remember it DOES NOT HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT!!!! Even if you just grab the guys kersey and hold on till help arrives that will do! If you van execute the perfect text book takle then great but if it is ugly and works the result is the most important. Just do your best and commit.

Below is a past answer to a similar question. If you focus on the line of the players shorts / jersey or the string of their shorts then size will not be an issue. If a player is really big then letting them go buy and tackling from behind and sliding down the legs will bring them down. A firm grasp around the waist then drop down with all your might while squeezing their legs together.

Your head should go to the side that is "out of the way". If the player is running at you going to the left you head should go to the right side and vice versa. If the guy is running directly at you it would be best to put you head on the side the guy hold the ball but really don't over think it on that angle. The big thing is to drive your shoulder into the guys gut or lower sternum.

When tackling from the side the rule of thumb is "cheek to cheek" face to butt.

Here is a simple method for improving your tackle. When a player is moving towards you (or vice versa) do not look at their body as a whole, instead focus on the point of center between their hips. Often a coach will tell you to "eyeball" the "string of their shorts". This focus will allow your brain to only register the runner's center of gravity: the "mass" of their torso or core. No matter what a runner's arms, legs or head does the torso is usually stagnant.

Keep your feet active, stay on your toes either moving towards them or running in place. Close the space between you and the runner swiftly but stay in control. This is to limit the runner's options as much as possible. If you over commit to running into the tackle the player has a better chance of stepping you.

Focus on the "string of their pants" and drop your center of gravity to set up the hit. Bend at the knees, eyes up, straight back, hips lower than your shoulders like a prop in a scrum. Aim the shoulder to that string."Punch" into the players core with your shoulder and wrap the player up with your arms. Drive hard with little punchy steps of your legs.

To summarize:

1. keep the feet active "live"
2. focus on the "string of their pants"
3. drive the shoulder through the "string of their pants"
4. wrap the player up and drive with the legs in short steps.

Don't try to pick the player up, this is dangerous and will probably get you penalized. Drive hard with the shoulder and legs