Training

Pre-season rugby conditioning: a 6-week plan for union and league

What the research says rugby actually demands, how to build fitness without spiking your injury risk, and a week-by-week plan you can run before the APR Games in Las Vegas.

By Vegas Kings Rugby · 18 min read · Training

Vegas Kings rugby players in red and black hooped jerseys running a pre-season shuttle conditioning drill between cones at golden hour near Las Vegas

The short answerA good pre-season rugby conditioning plan builds training load gradually over about six weeks: three or four sessions a week that mix repeated sprints and shuttles, strength work, an injury-prevention warm-up and game-like conditioning, with one lighter week to absorb the work. Avoid sudden jumps in load, train the high-intensity efforts the game actually asks for, and test before and after so you know it worked.

Key facts at a glance

Union match running: about 5.7 km for forwards and 6.3 km for backs per game in a 2020 study of university players (Donkin et al.)
League match running: from about 3.6 km (hit-up forwards) to 6.8 km (outside backs) in NRL players (Gabbett et al., 2012)
Load spikes: in elite league players, an acute:chronic workload ratio of about 1.0–1.2 carried the lowest match-injury risk (Hulin et al., 2016)
Warm-ups work: World Rugby's Activate-style programme cut soft-tissue injuries by 40% and concussions by 60% in adult players (World Rugby, 2019)
Hamstrings: programs including the Nordic hamstring exercise roughly halved hamstring injuries in a meta-analysis of 8,459 athletes (van Dyk et al., 2019)
The target: the APR Games 2027, Memorial Day weekend, May 29–31, 2027, in Las Vegas

Every rugby season is decided, in part, before the first whistle. Pre-season rugby conditioning is where you build the engine that lets you make the tenth tackle as well as the first, keep your shape in defense late in a half and still have legs for the last carry. Get it right and you start the season fit and healthy. Get it wrong, usually by doing too much too soon, and you start it on the sideline.

At the Vegas Kings we are home to rugby union and rugby league players, and the two codes ask slightly different things of your body. This guide starts with what the research says each code actually demands, then gives you a six-week plan that works for both, built around one clear goal: arriving at the APR Games 2027 in Las Vegas ready to play three nights of 10-a-side rugby.

This is general training information, not a personal prescription. If you are new to training, coming back from injury or have any health concerns, get checked by a doctor or physical therapist first, and run the plan with a qualified coach or strength and conditioning professional.

What does a rugby match actually demand?

You cannot plan conditioning well without knowing what you are conditioning for. GPS research gives us a fairly clear picture, with one important caveat: numbers vary by level, competition and position, so treat them as a guide, not a target.

In rugby union, a 2020 study by Donkin and colleagues, published in Frontiers in Psychology, tracked university players in South Africa. Forwards covered an average of about 5,734 meters per match at around 68.6 meters per minute, with about 158 meters of high-speed running (above 5.56 m/s). Backs covered about 6,262 meters at 72.9 meters per minute, with roughly 459 meters of high-speed running, nearly three times as much as the forwards.

In rugby league, Gabbett, Jenkins and Abernethy studied professional NRL players with microtechnology and published the results in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport in 2012. Average match distances ranged from about 3,569 meters for hit-up forwards and 5,561 meters for wide-running forwards to 6,411 meters for adjustables (the halves and hooker) and 6,819 meters for outside backs. Forwards completed the most repeated high-intensity effort bouts, roughly one every 4.8 to 6.3 minutes of play.

Two lessons fall out of this. First, rugby is not a distance sport. Total meters matter less than the ability to repeat short, intense efforts: sprints, accelerations, collisions and getting up off the ground. Second, the demands are positional. A prop and a wing do not need the same conditioning, even on the same team.

Group	Typical match distance	What it means for pre-season
Union forwards (Donkin et al., 2020)	~5,734 m, ~68.6 m/min, ~158 m high-speed	Repeated efforts with contact, getting up and back into the line, short accelerations
Union backs (Donkin et al., 2020)	~6,262 m, ~72.9 m/min, ~459 m high-speed	Top-speed exposure, repeated sprints with recovery, change of direction
League hit-up forwards (Gabbett et al., 2012)	~3,569 m	Repeated high-intensity efforts: carry, tackle, play-the-ball, retreat 10 m
League wide-running forwards (Gabbett et al., 2012)	~5,561 m	Mix of contact efforts and longer support runs
League adjustables (Gabbett et al., 2012)	~6,411 m	High running volume plus constant decision-making
League outside backs (Gabbett et al., 2012)	~6,819 m	Most distance; kick-chase and high-speed running

The Kings' take

The best-conditioned player is not the one who runs the longest. It is the one who can sprint, hit, get up and do it again while his opponent is still bent over. Train the repeat, not the marathon.

How is conditioning different for union and league players?

If you have read our guide to rugby union vs rugby league, you already know why. League's six-tackle sets and 10-meter retreat create a rhythm of carry, tackle, get up, retreat, line up and go again. Union's contested rucks, scrums, lineouts and mauls add more static strength work and longer phases where the ball is not moving far but the bodies are working hard.

League players need repeated high-intensity effort capacity: shuttle runs combined with getting up off the ground, short sprints and simulated defensive retreats.
Union forwards need all of that plus the strength endurance to push in scrums and clean out rucks again and again. Our sister club the Blackjacks breaks down that contact work in rugby rucking explained.
Union backs need more top-speed exposure, because they cover the most high-speed meters.
Tens players, like those heading to the APR Games, sit in between: more space than in 15s, so more running per player, but the forwards still have to work in contact.

The good news for a club like ours, with players from both codes, is that the core of the plan is the same. The differences show up in the details: how much contact simulation forwards do, how much top-speed sprinting backs do, and which drills you pick in the game-like sessions.

How fast should you build training load?

This is the part most players get wrong. The urge in pre-season is to make up for lost time, and the result is a spike in training that the body is not ready for.

Researchers describe this with the acute:chronic workload ratio: how much you trained this week (acute) compared with your average over the previous few weeks (chronic). In a two-season study of elite rugby league players published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2016, Hulin, Gabbett and colleagues found that a ratio of about 1.0 to 1.2 carried the lowest match-injury risk. When recovery between matches was short, ratios of 1.6 or higher were associated with roughly 3.4 to 5.8 times the risk.

The same study found something just as important: higher chronic workloads, meaning a well-built base of training, appeared to protect players against injury when recovery was short. In plain English, fitness built steadily is protective. Fitness crammed in is risky.

For a six-week plan, that means:

Start from where you actually are, not where you were last season.
Increase total weekly running and training time in small steps.
Avoid doubling anything from one week to the next.
Include a lighter week to let your body adapt.
Track something simple, such as session minutes multiplied by how hard it felt on a 1–10 scale.

Vegas Kings rugby player doing a Nordic hamstring exercise on the grass while a teammate holds his ankles during a pre-season session at dusk — The Nordic hamstring exercise: lower slowly from the knees while a partner holds your ankles. Build the volume gradually.

Which injury-prevention work belongs in pre-season?

Conditioning is not just running. The most evidence-backed thing a rugby player can add to training is a structured warm-up that prepares the body for contact and change of direction.

World Rugby launched Activate, its injury-prevention exercise programme, on 9 September 2019. It includes movement control, muscle activation, strength and power exercises and neck work, in adult and age-grade versions. According to World Rugby, research co-led by England Rugby and the University of Bath found a 40% lower risk of soft-tissue injuries and a 60% lower risk of concussion in adult players, and 26% and 29% reductions respectively in youth players.

World Rugby's conditioning course notes that the studies behind it used balance training, whole-body resistance training, plyometrics and landing and cutting practice, and that the youth study's authors suggested at least three sessions per week for the greatest benefit. Consistency, they stress, is the key: the players who did the program regularly got the most protection.

The second piece is the hamstrings. Hamstring strains are common in any sport with repeated sprinting. A 2019 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by van Dyk, Behan and Whiteley, covering 8,459 athletes, found that injury-prevention programs including the Nordic hamstring exercise reduced hamstring injury rates by up to 51%. Start with a low number of slow reps and build up; the exercise makes the hamstrings sore at first.

The Kings' take

Nobody gets picked for doing a great warm-up. But you cannot get picked from the treatment table. Fifteen minutes before every session is the cheapest insurance a rugby player can buy.

How do you test your fitness before and after?

Testing tells you whether the plan worked and keeps you honest. Keep it simple and repeat the same tests in the same conditions at the start of week 1 and the end of week 6.

The most popular rugby running test is the Bronco, also called the 1,200-meter shuttle. Set markers at 0, 20, 40 and 60 meters. One set is a run out to 20 meters and back, then 40 and back, then 60 and back, which adds up to 240 meters. Five continuous sets make 1,200 meters, and you record the total time. Topend Sports lists men's times of 4:15–4:25 as elite professional level and notes that professional backs typically run around 4:20–4:45 and forwards around 4:50–5:10. Your first test simply sets your baseline.

Other useful markers, if a coach can run them safely:

A 10-meter and 40-meter sprint for acceleration and speed
A strength marker in a lift you already do with good technique
Body weight and how you feel (sleep, soreness) each week

Rugby fitness testing is a topic on its own, and we will cover what clubs measure in a future Kings News article.

The 6-week pre-season conditioning plan

This plan assumes you already train a little, two or three times a week, and have no current injuries. It uses three or four sessions a week plus team practice if you have it. Every session starts with a 15–20 minute injury-prevention warm-up in the spirit of Activate. Strength work follows the principles in the Lions' guide to strength training for rugby, and jump work follows their plyometrics guide.

Week	Focus	Conditioning	Strength and prevention
1	Baseline and base	Test (Bronco, sprints). Two sessions of extensive intervals, e.g. 15 s run / 15 s walk blocks at a comfortable hard pace	Two full-body sessions at moderate loads; Nordics 2 sets of 3–4 slow reps
2	Build	Slightly more interval volume; add short accelerations (10–20 m) with full recovery	Two strength sessions; add single-leg work and neck strength; Nordics 2–3 sets
3	Build and repeat efforts	Repeated shuttles (20–40 m) with get-ups off the ground; first small-sided conditioning game	Two strength sessions; low-volume plyometrics with good landings
4	Lighter week	Cut volume by roughly a third; keep a little speed work	One or two lighter strength sessions; keep the warm-up every session
5	Game-specific peak	Repeated high-intensity effort blocks matched to position; small-sided games; top-speed exposure for backs	Two strength sessions focused on power; Nordics maintained
6	Sharpen and retest	Lower volume, high quality; short sharp efforts; retest Bronco and sprints early in the week	One short power session; rest and recover before competition

Weeks 1–2: build the base

The goal is consistency, not exhaustion. Two conditioning sessions a week of intervals (for example, blocks of 15 seconds running and 15 seconds walking) build aerobic fitness without hammering your legs. Add short accelerations in week 2 with full recovery between reps. Two strength sessions a week keep you robust for contact. If you are completely new to the sport, start with Downtown Rugby's guide on how to start playing rugby as an adult before you take on this plan.

Week 3: repeat efforts

This is where rugby-specific conditioning starts. Shuttles of 20 to 40 meters with a get-up from the ground before each rep mimic the carry, tackle and get-up rhythm of the game. League players can add a 10-meter backpedal after each effort to simulate the retreat. Union forwards can add short pushes against a tackle shield held by a partner. Keep rest periods honest and stop the set if your technique falls apart.

Week 4: the lighter week

It feels wrong to slow down halfway through pre-season, but this is where your body absorbs the first three weeks. Cut total volume by about a third, keep a little speed work so you stay sharp, and prioritize sleep. The workload research above is a reminder that the base you build counts, but only if you are healthy enough to keep building it.

Week 5: game-specific peak

Now the sessions look more like rugby. Small-sided games, for example five-on-five in a narrow channel, train fitness and decision-making together. Forwards do repeated effort blocks with simulated contact and get-ups. Backs get regular top-speed exposure, such as a few 30–40 meter sprints at near-maximum speed with long rests. If you play contact drills, they belong under a qualified coach with proper technique; the Knights' guide on how to tackle in rugby safely covers the fundamentals.

Vegas Kings attacker carrying an oval rugby ball toward a gap in a floodlit small-sided conditioning game with teammates wearing numbers 9 and 6 in support — Small-sided games train fitness and decision-making at the same time, which is exactly what tens rugby rewards.

Week 6: sharpen and retest

Reduce volume, keep intensity. A couple of short, sharp sessions keep you fast without adding fatigue. Retest early in the week so the results are not affected by the lower volume, then compare with week 1. Go into competition fresh, not flat.

The Kings' take

Gold standard is not a slogan. It is six weeks of turning up, doing the boring warm-up, taking the lighter week when it is due and testing yourself honestly. The flashy part comes later, on the field.

How should you time pre-season for the APR Games?

The APR Games 2027 runs Memorial Day weekend, May 29–31, 2027, in Las Vegas: 10-a-side rugby, two 20-minute halves, evening kickoffs and three fields. Every player is guaranteed at least three pool games, so you need to recover from one match and be ready for the next within the weekend. That is exactly what repeat-effort conditioning and a sensible taper prepare you for.

Counting back six weeks, a plan that starts in the week of April 19, 2027 puts week 6 in the week of May 24, finishing just before the Games. If you want to attend the APR coaching clinic, which runs May 28–31, 2027, plan your final week so you are fresh for it. Details are on the APR clinic page.

Training in Las Vegas also means training in heat as the weather warms up. Even with evening kickoffs, it pays to get used to warm conditions gradually. A 2021 roundtable in the Journal of Athletic Training on preseason heat safety recommends at least 14 consecutive days of heat acclimatization, with shorter sessions at first, high-intensity work scheduled for cooler parts of the day, shade, unlimited fluids and good sleep. Those guidelines were written for school athletes, but the principle of building up gradually applies to adults too.

Get fit for a crown in Las Vegas

The APR Games 2027: Men's Elite ($10,000 prize pool), Women's Social ($5,000) and Youth divisions. Player entry is $299 and includes a team jersey, a full kit bag, at least three pool games and opening-night access. Full rules and squad sizes will be confirmed with player registration.

Join the APR Games waitlist

What about nutrition and recovery?

Conditioning only works if you recover from it. The basics are not glamorous: regular meals with enough protein, carbohydrates around hard sessions, plenty of fluids, and seven to nine hours of sleep. If you want individual advice, a registered dietitian or sports nutrition professional is the right person to ask.

Some players use supplements on top of a good diet. If that is you, choose products made for athletes and check them with a qualified professional first. APR partner Clann13 makes supplements for athletes, and food still comes first. We will cover rugby nutrition and recovery basics in more detail in a future article.

Heading to Las Vegas from out of town for the Games? Our partner Luna Appleton covers where to stay, eat and celebrate in the city, which makes it easier to plan around your rest and recovery.

Common pre-season conditioning mistakes

Starting too hard. Week 1 is for finding your baseline, not proving a point.
Only running long and slow. Rugby is about repeated short efforts; long steady runs have a place early on, but they are not the main event.
Skipping the warm-up. The evidence for structured injury-prevention warm-ups is among the strongest in rugby.
Ignoring position. A prop and a wing need different emphasis.
No lighter week. Adaptation happens during recovery.
Not testing. Without a before-and-after, you are guessing.
Training contact without a coach. Tackling and rucking need proper technique and supervision.

Why the Kings train this way

The Vegas Kings were founded in 2024 as a home for rugby union and rugby league players. Our players arrive with different backgrounds, different codes and different starting points. A shared conditioning plan, with position-specific detail on top, gets everyone to the same place: ready to compete.

That is the Kings Code in practice. Ruthless in the work, Gold Standard in the habits. If you want a reason to start, the APR Games in May is a good one. If you want something to watch while you train, our Rugby League Las Vegas 2027 guide covers the NRL and Super League weekend at Allegiant Stadium on February 27, 2027.

Want to see who else you might line up against? Meet the APR franchises on the APR teams page, including the Vegas Knights, Vegas Blackjacks, Downtown Rugby and Vegas Lions. Kit up for training with official gear from the APR merch store, and get one skill and one strength block every week in The Breakdown, the free APR newsletter.

Frequently asked questions

How long should rugby pre-season be?

Six weeks is a practical minimum for most amateur players who already train a little. It allows a base phase, a build phase, a lighter week and a sharpening week before competition. Players starting from very low fitness should allow longer.

How many times a week should I do rugby conditioning?

Three or four sessions a week, including strength work, suits most amateur players. Injury-prevention warm-up research suggests doing the warm-up at least three times a week, ideally before every session.

How far do rugby players run in a match?

It depends on code, level and position. One 2020 study of university union players found about 5.7 km for forwards and 6.3 km for backs. A 2012 study of NRL players found about 3.6 km for hit-up forwards up to 6.8 km for outside backs.

What is the Bronco test in rugby?

The Bronco is a 1,200-meter shuttle run: five continuous sets of 20, 40 and 60 meter out-and-back runs. The total time is a common measure of rugby running fitness.

What is a good Bronco time?

Topend Sports lists men's times of 4:15 to 4:25 as elite professional level, with professional backs typically around 4:20 to 4:45 and forwards around 4:50 to 5:10. For amateurs, the best benchmark is improving on your own baseline.

Is conditioning different for rugby league and rugby union?

The core is the same: repeated high-intensity efforts, strength and injury prevention. League adds more carry, tackle, get-up and retreat patterns. Union forwards need extra strength endurance for scrums, rucks and mauls, and union backs need more top-speed running.

What is the acute:chronic workload ratio?

It compares how much you trained this week with your average over recent weeks. In a 2016 study of elite rugby league players, a ratio of about 1.0 to 1.2 carried the lowest match-injury risk, while large spikes carried much higher risk.

Does the Nordic hamstring exercise prevent injuries?

A 2019 meta-analysis of 8,459 athletes found that injury-prevention programs including the Nordic hamstring exercise reduced hamstring injury rates by up to 51%. Start with low volume and build gradually.

What is World Rugby Activate?

Activate is World Rugby's injury-prevention exercise programme, launched in September 2019. Research behind it found 40% fewer soft-tissue injuries and 60% fewer concussions in adult players who used this type of warm-up.

When should I start pre-season for the APR Games 2027?

The APR Games runs May 29–31, 2027, in Las Vegas. A six-week plan starting the week of April 19, 2027, finishes the week of the Games. Start earlier if your current fitness is low.

Keep reading

Rugby union vs rugby league: the differences explained Rugby League Las Vegas 2027: the Allegiant Stadium weekend guide Vegas Lions: strength training for rugby Vegas Knights: how to tackle in rugby safely APR Games 2027: dates, divisions and the $299 player entry Global rugby news from American Pro Rugby More from Kings News

Sources

This article is general information about rugby training, current as of October 2026, and is not medical or personal training advice. Rugby is a contact sport: get medical clearance before starting a new training program, learn contact skills under a qualified coach, and stop and seek professional advice if you feel pain, dizziness or unusual symptoms.