Physical fitness of elite women's rugby union players over a ...

From the time men’s rugby union became professional worldwide in 1995, the science
examining the sport and its participants has developed rapidly to meet the increased demand
for knowledge of the requirements of the game and the characteristics of players (Nicholas,
1997). As a result of the physical demands of the game, the anthropometric and physical
characteristics of elite players have become highly developed. However, little is known about
the optimal way to enhance physical fitness in female rugby players, and to what extent
aerobic power, speed, muscle strength and power should be trained during the competition
season. The finding of different magnitude of changes in physical fitness during the season in
elite female rugby players will have important implications for team selection and
highlighting the need to determine the appropriate training strategy and periodisation required
to elicit improvements in physical fitness in elite team sports (Granados, Izquierdo, Ibáñez,
Ruesta, & Gorostiaga, 2008).
The aim of this study is to establish descriptive data for elite South African women’s rugby
union players and to determine the changes in anthropometric and physical characteristics of
the players within a competition season.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As far as it can be ascertained, no study published has monitored the physical fitness levels of
women’s rugby union player throughout a competitive season. Several studies have described
the anthropometric and physical characteristics of women’s rugby union players; however all
of these studies have been limited to a single fitness testing session performed either at preseason,
mid-season or post-season.
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