Fitness Trainer, Strength Coach, Fitness & Strength Conditioner, …..these are some of the titles being used to describe the increasingly important role of the rugby trainer.

The relevance of specialist roles is being highlighted more and more with backs coaches, forward coaches, scrum technicians, defence specialists and so on.  Some have posed the question – are these specialist personnel all necessary? Especially when you see several international touring teams with almost more management than players!  I cannot answer for all the specialist support roles but through my contact with coaches, players, team management, medical personnel and trainers, I can vouch for the fact that the role of the Fitness Trainer is an essential element in the performance of the team.

Historically the warm-up and warm-down [if this occurred!] was performed by the coach [or a senior player] and still is where resources don’t stretch to additional personnel.  As the wider conditioning needs of the players have become defined, understood and more specialized so to has the need for the skill level to be raised of both the coach and trainer.  Technology improvements and implications have also changed the manner in which coach’s coach and trainers train!

For the player, professionalism has also emphasized the importance of being fit, strong, fast, powerful, flexible and healthy – not to mention highly skilled in the game of rugby.  It is vital that the knowledge and awareness of each of these areas is transferred from experts [and possibly also from experienced recently retired players] to those in contact with the players at as many levels of the game as possible.

This transfer is beginning to take place at the Academy level but I wonder how many Super 12, NPC and international level players in New Zealand really understand what they need to be doing and what they should be doing to be in their best possible physical shape for a s long as possible.

All international teams, super 12 teams, NPC division 1 and numerous division 2 & 3 teams now have Fitness Trainers.  Some teams at the upper end have more than one trainer and can therefore either divide up by the function they perform [strength, speed, conditioning, …] or by players, e.g. forwards & backs.  Depending upon the contracted period of the trainer, their role can encompass the off-season, pre-season, and in-season needs of the players.

Obviously the longer the contact period between trainer & player the greater the impact the trainer will have and therefore the better the player should be.  I say should here because ultimately the work has to be done by the player and also the quality of the expertise, i.e. the trainer, must be sufficient that the player learns, develops and improves their major asset = their body!

Over time a natural career pathway has evolved for trainers to move through the ranks not too dissimilar to coaches and players.  Trainers can now look to provincial, super 12, and national appointments not to mention some lucrative overseas options for those with the CV to match!

The rapid increase in demand for trainers has shown up a serious shortage of experienced & skilled practitioners.  There are numerous graduates emerging with sports science qualifications, biomechanics and physiology degrees but unfortunately these aspiring trainers fall short in the hands-on aspect.  At the other end of the scale there are a handful of very experienced trainers with years of invaluable practical knowledge that NZ is losing to overseas clubs.  That loss is affecting the trainer mentoring potential within NZ rugby.

My major comment to the new trainers would be to keep it simple and watch & learn from a practical perspective.  In reality not everything happens how it should or supposedly does in theory!  Take the academic blinkers off and be open to advice – there is a lot of experience, wisdom and knowledge from which you can learn and grow as a trainer – a trainer of people and players.

Richard Dryden

Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand Coach

Strength & Power Trainer