Tag: Tackle

Strengthening rucks, tackles, and scrums

Having good leg muscles and a strong core will improve your rucks, scrums, and tackles.

I’m not sure if other teams use this term exactly, but one of the exercises my team does to strengthen the core is the constipated puppy.

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It is a good way to practice getting low for tackles and avoiding being too high, which can lead to a penalty.  It also reinforces strong body positions in rucks and scrums, thereby making them safer and less likely to collapse or bridge.

A constipated puppy, as shown doing by the woman in the photo above, is where your legs and knees are at 90 degree angles, your hands are about shoulder width apart, and your back is flat.  If another person were to go up and shove you and you have a strong body position, you will not move.  Imagine that you are sucking your belly button into your back and puff your chest out to help remember to keep your head up.

Doing a plank (propped up on elbows, forearms and toes with a flat back and straight legs) or a superman (balancing on your stomach with arms and legs extended in front and behind you) can also help improve core strength.

Doing these during commercials while watching TV is a great way to exercise without altering your schedule.

Tackles

In rugby, one is only allowed to tackle the player carrying the ball.  There is a slight exception, where if the person just passed the ball, but there is too much momentum, it is safer to complete the tackle.

When you hit the other person at or above the shoulders, it is considered a high tackle. Don’t do these. This is where a lot of injuries happen. The lower the tackle, the better. Getting low also makes it harder for the ball carrier to prevent being tackled.

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Pictured above is a good example.  She is getting low, wrapping up, and popping up a little to give it some oomph. She also made sure she had her teammates with her to ruck over her when she goes down.

Wrapping up (wrapping you’re arms around the person getting tackled) is a good way to make sure you go down to the ground with them. Popping your shoulder into her gut knocks her breath away and makes her think twice the next time she sees you running at her when she has the ball.

Do not panic and do not hesitate, whether you are the ball carrier or the tackler. This is also a way that injuries happen. Limbs flail and are more likely to get injured. Players don’t fall correctly.