RUGBY PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
Fitness for Life.
Picture this: You’re 85 years old, hiking up a windswept hill with a mischievous grin, whilst your grandkids struggle to keep up. Sounds impossible? Not if you embrace sport, fitness, and health as a lifelong adventure, something we love doing here at LWC.
Exercise isn’t just about chiselled abs or running marathons. It’s about resilience, mental sharpness, and longevity. Just look at the Blue Zones - those rare places on Earth where people routinely live past 100, and live well. Their secret? Daily movement, strong communities and an unshakeable zest for life. They don’t grind out deadlifts in fluorescent-lit gyms. Tthey walk, swim, stretch, and lift things because life demands it.
At LWC, we champion this philosophy. Sport isn’t a phase. It’s a lifelong pursuit of challenge, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Whether you’re smashing a rugby tackle, perfecting a tennis serve, or finding peace in a morning run, you’re investing in a future where your body serves you well, not the other way around.
So, take the stairs, chase a ball, climb a mountain, bowl away swingers, try Yoga. Because when sport and fitness become your adventure, life doesn’t just last longer. It gets richer, wilder, and infinitely more fun. So tighten those laces, take a breath and step up and out into a world of infinite possibilities, a world that begins within our idyllic 1200 acre campus and culture.
ADAM WILLIAMS HEADMASTER
Welcome to the Team.
LWC Performance Rugby Programme
Congratulations on your selection as part of The LWC Performance Rugby Programme.
This programme acknowledges your achievements and potential as a rugby player. Rugby at LWC is evolving rapidly, and you are joining an exciting period for the sport within our school.
This two-year programme outlines your pathway toward rugby excellence while balancing academic commitments. In summary, it aims to:
• Develop you as a player technically, physically, and mentally.
• Foster a lifelong passion for rugby.
• Prepare you for competitive rugby and explore potential careers in and around the rugby industry.
The programme requires you to:
• Commit fully to all sports scholarship expectations at LWC.
• Attend all scholarship talks and workshops.
• Represent LWC in other sports alongside rugby.
• Participate in the coaching and mentoring of younger pupils.
• Actively engage with your rugby mentor.
• Commit to annual rugby tours to leading venues.
• Help raise the profile of rugby at LWC and beyond.
Programme Overview
This two-year programme is designed to develop rugby talent while ensuring balance with academic responsibilities. It focuses on technical development, physical conditioning, mental toughness, tactical awareness, and match preparation.
The programme is structured to align with the school timetable while preparing you for local, regional, and national competitions.
Key Areas of Focus
1. Technical Skills
Develop core skills: passing, tackling, scrummaging, lineout work, and kicking.
Conduct regular assessments to track consistency and identify areas for improvement.
2. Physical Fitness
Build strength, speed, flexibility, and endurance specific to rugby. Emphasise injury prevention and recovery.
3. Mental Skills
Enhance focus, confidence, and resilience under pressure.
Use sports psychology techniques such as visualization and composure drills.
4. Tactical Skills
Improve game awareness, decisionmaking, and positional play. Analyse match footage to refine strategies.
5. Match Preparation
Create a structured competition calendar. Simulate match conditions during practice sessions.
6. Academic Balance
Balance rugby training with school commitments and other sports participation.
Develop time management strategies with your rugby mentor.
7. Leadership
Mentor and coach younger pupils in rugby (Years 7-9). Represent LWC rugby at ambassadorial events.
8. Career Opportunities
Explore career paths in rugby, including coaching, sports management, or playing professionally, with support from LWC connections.
Components of the Programme
1. Technical Training
• Skill Drills
Focus on accuracy and consistency in passing, tackling, and breakdown techniques.
• Position-Specific Training
Develop positional skills for forwards and backs, including scrummaging, lineout jumping, and kicking.
• Game Simulations
Practice under live conditions to replicate match intensity.
• Video Analysis
Regularly review match footage to fine-tune performance.
2. Physical Conditioning
• Strength Training
2-3 sessions per week, focusing on power, explosive strength, and stability.
Key exercises: Deadlifts, squats, bench press, sled pushes, and pull-ups.
• Speed and Agility
Include sprint drills, ladder exercises, and change-of-direction training.
• Flexibility and Mobility
Daily dynamic stretches and foam rolling to enhance range of motion. Weekly yoga or Pilates sessions
• Endurance Training
Include cardiovascular exercises such as interval running or cycling twice a week.
3. Mental Skills Development
• Performance Psychology
Set short-term and long-term goals. Practice pre-match routines, including visualization and breathing techniques.
• Logbook
Track daily reflections on practice, mental state, and game decisions.
4. Tactical Awareness and Preparation
• Game Strategy
Study opposition strengths and weaknesses, and develop game plans.
• Match Simulation
Practice under pressure in scenarios that mimic match conditions.
• Post-Match Review
Assess performance with feedback on strengths and areas for growth.
5. Academic Integration
• Prioritise key training sessions around academic exams.
• Use planners to manage practice, fitness, and study sessions.
• Incorporate rest days to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
Seasonal Plan
Pre-Season (Summer Term)
Focus: Build physical base, refine technique, and set goals.
Activities:
• Skill analysis with rugby professionals.
• Strength and flexibility focus in gym sessions.
Competition Season (Autumn Term)
Focus: Peak performance and match readiness.Activities:
• Practice matches with game-specific objectives.
• Tactical preparation and positional drills.
Rugby 7s (Spring Term)
Focus: Understanding and training towards rugby 7s
Activities:
• 2x pitch sessions per week. 1x morning gym.
• Develop core skills and game understanding related to 7’s
• Compete at national and county events such as Rosslyn Park
Example Weekly Schedule
Day
Monday A team training (Skill session) 1 hour
Tuesday Rest and Recovery Day n/a
Wednesday Morning gym session
Skill drills and games
Positional training/Unit work.
Cup fixtures 1 hour (7-8am) 2 hours
Thursday Access to sports therapist to support injury management and recovery plans.
Recovery session with Sports therapist (if after a game)
Set play session (forwards/backs) into whole team gameplay
Throughout the day. 1 hour (if game day before) 2 hours
Friday Team run through (Game preparation) 1 hour
Saturday Access to sport therapist before game
Match day (including hosting opposition post-game) 1 hour 3 hours
Sunday Recovery day. Session plan shared by Sport therapist 1 hour
