Training Practices in Youth Rugby Players

The quantification and evaluation of training practices in youth rugby players, including exposure to competition and training loads, is important for supporting long-term athletic development. Training loads in youth rugby are highly variable within and between players, and the characteristics of training practices have been shown to differ by age category, playing standard and region. This chapter presents the research that has explored the training practices and training loads of youth rugby players, including periodisation frameworks with macro- and mesocycle overviews, weekly training loads, session characteristics and comparisons to match-play demands. The second part of the chapter provides a practical overview on methods of training load measurement, data analysis, visualisation and communication, as well as considerations on training to competition ratios in youth rugby. The chapter concludes with a range of recommendations to practically monitor training loads of youth rugby players, as well as practical implications regarding data interpretation, communication and additional considerations to improve decision-making for key stakeholders.