With 16 elite clubs, 466,182 registered players, Sydneysiders love their rugby. Sydney also has one of the highest overall involvement rates for rugby union in the world. Their love for the sport is so strong that some take an interest at as young as five years old. And as they grow up becoming better at the sport, it’s normal to encounter a few roadblocks along the way.
One of these roadblocks is making sure their bodies stay strong and healthy. Rugby is a high-impact and contact sport, so chances are some players will get injured at some point during the game. However, rugby players can keep their bodies healthy by following tips from experts in physiotherapy sydney area-based.
Warm Up Correctly
Out of sheer excitement, it’s inevitable for some players to start the game as early as possible. After changing into their rugby gear, the first thing that’s on their minds is to play right away. This is most common in players that are still young or who are still new to the game. They might be unaware of or tend to forget that their body isn’t prepared yet to run and tackle people.
Without warming your body up, there’s a high probability of you getting injured while playing. Before you step into the field, your body needs to warm up because your muscles and joints are still stiff. They need to loosen up because if you move too quickly; you may have problems like cramps. If you don’t want to strain or tear your hamstring, make sure you do your stretching correctly and efficiently.
Improving Tackling Techniques
Most rugby players in Sydney that are still amateurs are susceptible to injuries, especially if they don’t have the correct tackling techniques mastered yet. These techniques were created to use the body properly to put another player down without hurting your neck, shoulder, and other body parts. The tackler is usually the player that gets injured the most because of their playing position.
Professional rugby players in Sydney already have mastered their tackling technique because of their years of experience and training. If you’re still a beginner at the sport and get the tackler position, it’s critical to learn the proper tackling techniques. Even if you already have an effective tackling technique, you can still do more to improve it. The best method of improving the technique is to start all over from the basics and ensure your body is positioned correctly. You should master the basics before slowly increasing your speed and tackle strength. You can either get further help from your coach or an expert in physiotherapy sydney area-based that has treated many rugby players since they know which part of your body you need to strengthen the most.
Refining Fitness Levels
Aside from improving your tackling techniques, you should also focus on strengthening and hardening your body. With the amount of physical contact you get each game, your body needs to withstand these impacts to avoid leaving the game with an injury. The most efficient way of getting your body up to rugby standards is with frequent exercise and strengthening at the gym.
You also need to improve your stamina, as this can be detrimental during the second half of the game. Research shows that most injuries happen in the second half of the match because players are tired and lose concentration, causing them to lose their techniques and eventually injuring them. This is something you need to continuously work on for years to ensure your stamina increases.
With the many injuries that rugby players encounter, make sure you don’t end up with significant injuries that may force you to stop playing. You have to follow these simple physiotherapy tips to make your body strong and efficient for the game.
Author: Ester Adams
