ABSTRACT
Strength and conditioning is essential for the youth rugby player. It supports the development of strength, power, speed, aerobic fitness, and improved body composition that is required for long-term success. This chapter summarises the scientific literature that has investigated strength and conditioning training interventions in youth rugby players and discusses the changes in physical qualities that occur following different forms of training. Specifically, it examines the literature that has investigated different forms of conditioning (e.g., sprint-intervals, high-intensity interval training, small-sided games) and resistance training (e.g., programming methods, periodisation models), and provides an overview of these different training interventions. Due to the many different forms of training that can be implemented, this chapter highlights limitations of the current literature and provides future research directions to support the physical development of youth rugby players.
