Kevin Till - Science of Sport: Rugby

First published in 2015 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book published 2015

Kevin Till and Ben Jones 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 107 9

1 The Movement and Physiological Demands of Rugby
Damien Austin and Tim Gabbett

2 Fitness Testing for Rugby
Kevin Till and Ben Jones

3 Monitoring Fatigue and Recovery
Ben Jones, Jamie Highton and Craig Twist

4 Nutrition and Ergogenic Aids for Recovery
Daniel Owens, Ben Jones,Warren Bradley and Graeme Close

5 Strength and Conditioning for Rugby
Paul Comfort

6 Injury Rehabilitation: A Practical Guide
David Joyce and Emidio Pacecca

7 Decision Making for Rugby
Donna OConnor and Paul Larkin

8 Skill Testing for Rugby
Sharief Hendricks

9 The Young Rugby Player
David Morley and Colin Sanctuary

10 Talent Identification and Development
Kevin Till, David Morley, Stephen Cobley, Balin Cupples and Donna OConnor

11 The Science of Rugby Referees
Stacey Emmonds, Amy Brightmore, Stuart Cummings and John OHara

12 A Framework for Planning your Practice: A Coachs Perspective
Bob Muir, Kevin Till, Andy Abraham and Gareth Morgan

Kevin Till is a senior lecturer in sports coaching at Leeds Beckett University. He completed his PhD on talent identification and development in rugby league. He has published numerous academic articles on his research within rugby. Recently, his research interests have revolved around player development within youth rugby, where he now co-leads the Carnegie Adolescent Rugby Research (CARR) project. Kevin is also currently working as a strength and conditioning coach at Leeds Rhinos RLFC and Yorkshire Carnegie RUFC.

Ben Jones is a senior lecturer in sport and exercise physiology at Leeds Beckett University. His PhD explored fluid and sodium homeostasis in rugby players, but more recently he has undertaken and published numerous research articles around adolescent rugby performance and development. Ben also co-leads the Carnegie Adolescent Rugby Research (CARR) project and is head of academy athletic development at Leeds Rhinos RLFC and Yorkshire Carnegie RUFC, overseeing strength and conditioning and sports science provisions to academy players. You can follow Ben on Twitter @23Benjones.

Andy Abraham is principal lecturer and academic group lead for sports coaching at Leeds Beckett University. He has been engaged in research and teaching in sports coaching since 1997. His principal interests are in coach and coach educator practice, expertise and development. He is a voluntary coach in youth rugby union.

Damien Austin has worked in all three major football codes in Australia, as a high performance coach for the Sydney Swans football club, Sydney Roosters rugby league and Queensland Reds rugby union teams, plus New South Wales Swifts netball side. Damien has completed a PhD specializing in high-intensity activity profiles in professional rugby codes, having previously completed a masters and bachelors degree. He has also authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed international journals and presented at a variety of conferences and seminars in strength and conditioning and sports science.

Warren Bradley is a performance nutritionist working with professional athletes at an elite level while concurrently conducting PhD research in sport nutrition. His research is focused on the energy expenditures and intakes of elite rugby players during the pre-season and competitive season, and assessing the metabolic demands of a competitive rugby game while manipulating energy intake. Warren has provided nutritional guidance for professional athletes as a performance nutritionist with Munster Rugby and England Rugby.

Amy Brightmore is currently undertaking research for a PhD in the evaluation of movement and physiological demands of rugby league referees and is a lecturer in sport and exercise physiology at Leeds Beckett University.She is an experienced applied sports scientist, having worked with amateur and professional athletes across a range of sports disciplines.Amy has provided sports science support to the Rugby Football League referees for many years and has worked as the sports scientist for a Premiership rugby union club.

Graeme Close is a reader in applied physiology and sports nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University, where he is the programme lead for the MSc in sports nutrition. His research is focused on the effects of vitamin D deficiencies in athletic performance, the role of antioxidants in the recovery of muscle function, applied nutrition in elite sport and the etiology of age-related loss of muscle mass.Graeme is an accredited strength and conditioning coach (UKSCA), an accredited physiologist (BASES) and on the Sport and Exercise Nutrition register (SENr) as well as being on the SENr board. Graeme is currently the expert nutrition consultant to England Rugby and the lead nutritionist for British Ski and Snowboard as well as working with European and US tour golfers and professional jockeys.

Stephen Cobley received his PhD in developmental and sport psychology from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2009. He is currently a senior lecturer in motor control and skill acquisition and sport and exercise psychology within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney in Australia. His research interests examine developmental factors that constrain learning and performance.This research and applied work has led to the evaluation, modification and writing of athlete and coaching programmes and policy for sport governing bodies and associated organizations. Stephen has co-edited Talent identification and development: International perspectives.

Paul Comfort is the programme leader for the MSc in strength and conditioning at the University of Salford. Paul is an accredited strength and conditioning coach and has combined lecturing with work and research in applied environments across a range of sports including rugby league, rugby union and football for more than a decade.

Balin Cupples is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney currently exploring contributing factors in successful talent development environments and pathways in rugby league. Balin works full time as head of athlete development with an Australian National Rugby League (NRL) club. In this role, he oversees all aspects of athlete physical preparation from the NRL through to the elite youth performance pathway. Balin is a former professional player who has coached at various levels within rugby league and lectured in sport coaching and administration.

Stacey Emmonds is currently undertaking research for a PhD in the physiological and movement demands of professional rugby league referees and the implications for decision-making. She is a senior lecturer in PE and sports pedagogy at Leeds Beckett University, head of strength and conditioning for the England Womens rugby league team and head of academy sports science and medicine at Leeds United football club.