The athletic performance of elite rugby league players is improved after an 8-week small-sided game training intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of a small-sided game training intervention on the intermittent shuttle running performance, speed, and repeated sprint ability of elite rugby league players during the competitive phase of a rugby league season. Ten elite rugby league players from a Stobart Super League team academy underwent 2 small-sided game sessions per week over an 8-week period. Each session consisted of four 10-minute blocks of 1 small-sided game, interspersed with a 3-minute recovery. Changes in physical performance were assessed before and after the training intervention with an intermittent shuttle running test (30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test), speed tests (10-, 20-, and 40-m linear sprints) and a repeated sprint ability test (8 × 20-m linear sprint, departing every 20 seconds). Results showed that the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (+1.29%), 10-m (-3.17%), 20-m (-1.37%), and 40-m (-0.96%) sprint times and mean sprint time (-2.11%), total sprint time (-2.11%), and percentage of sprint decrement (7.10 vs. 5.93%) during the repeated sprint ability test were significantly improved after the training intervention. Based on these results, it was concluded that an 8-week small-sided game training intervention was an effective method for improving the physical performance of elite rugby league players during the competitive phase of the season.

RAS ID

18258

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

1-1-2014

Faculty

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School

School of Exercise and Health Sciences / Centre for Exercise and Sports Science Research

Copyright

subscription content

Publisher

Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

Comments

Seitz L.B., Riviere M., De Villarreal E.S., & Haff G.G. (2014). The athletic performance of elite rugby league players is improved after an 8-week small-sided game training intervention. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(4), 971-975. Available here

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182a1f24a