If you are involved with coaching rugby players then you will either be working with them in a team type environment (you are a rugby coach) or in a one on one type situation, helping your star pupil, your son etc to get better at rugby.

The approach for each one though is completely different. Team fitness is as much about managing numbers and trying to keep people interested as it is about serious fitness programming. It shouldn’t be about this of course but this is what happens.

One on one training is normally based on developing skills, kicking practice, passing practice etc. As I have discussed numerous times this day and age your skills are only important if you are physically in a ball park to compete.

The great advantage of team training is that if you happen to have a rubbish player or someone who is out of shape etc then you can simply replace them with a better player. Not the most Olympic of attitudes and the taking part that counts but this is what happens in a team environment. This happens as players go fo academy places, to break into first team squads. If not good enough you are simply discarded/

Working one on one you face the difficulty of not being able to trade your son in or if you are working developing a player to go up through the ranks as you meet players of a better standard you need to find ways to outperform the opposition.

Both approaches, team and individual coaching HAVE to cover the 6 basic principle areas of fitness training. Almost no one does these and thus almost any team or player can steal a heck of a march on their opponents by following an appropriate plan

Once this is in place then as a team coach you must focus on developing your weaker links. This is the reasons why you will not get more wins or to a higher level. As a one on one coach you will need to develop the hidden factors of success. These include posture, muscle function, hormone systems and more.

Coaching style is also different, the shout at them discipline approach of a team maestro doesn’t really sit so well with a one on one coach. A measured, supportive and analytical approach is more suited to the one on one environment,

The team coach will use/be limited to a much smaller selection of fitness exercises while the individual coach has a lot more options and a much greater opportunity to dramatically increase performance.

The reality is that still in rugby now, despite the obvious changes in rugby in the professional era both team coaches an those who work individually are leaving a lot on the table in terms of what they could be getting out of their players. While most coaches are ok with this an ever increasing number want to take things to the next level. If that is you then check out the Fitness Victory Formula for Team coaches or Star Performer Blueprint for coaches working one on one.

Agree? Disagree? Have a thought to share? Comment below, it is always good to hear from you.