World Rugby are suggesting elite players have a maximum 15 minutes of full contact training per week as part of new guidance aimed at improving player welfare.
The global governing body has issued the “contact training load” guidance after consultation with nearly 600 players from 18 elite competitions around the world.
World Rugby estimates that up to 40% of injuries are sustained in training and the guidance aims to reduce the amount of time players spend in any kind of contact in preparation for matches from the current average of around two hours a week.
Australia coach Dave Rennie said he had not been consulted by World Rugby’s researchers and wanted more guidance as to what constitutes “full contact”. He also raised the concern that players needed to be primed for the physical demands of matches.
New Zealand coach Ian Foster gave cautious endorsement of the 15-minute rule but was also curious about World Rugby’s definition of “full contact”.
“Fifteen minutes I would say would be about right, gut feel,” he said.
World Rugby is also engaged in a wide-ranging study with New Zealand Rugby and Otago University aimed at understanding “nature and frequency of head impacts” in the game.
