Hamstring training for rugby: Nordics, hip hinges and how much is enough

Rugby players should train their hamstrings in three ways every week: a lowering exercise such as the Nordic curl, a hip-hinge lift such as the Romanian deadlift, and some fast running. The dose is smaller than most people think, about 2 sets of 4–6 Nordics once or twice a week, and it should never drop out during the season. This guide explains why, how to progress the exercises and how to fit them around club training and games.

Why rugby players need hamstring work

In a study of English professional rugby union, hamstring injuries cost an average of 17 days each, running caused 68% of them, and recurrent strains were more severe than new ones (25 days lost against 14) Brooks et al. 2006. A large 2020 review of risk factors across sports found that older age and a previous hamstring strain were the strongest risk factors, with a recent strain raising the risk most Green et al. 2020.

Two things follow. First, hamstring work matters most for players who run fast: back three, centres and back-rowers. Second, anyone with a past strain should treat it as part of their training for good, not a phase.

A note on what training can and can’t do: across studies, programmes that included the Nordic curl were linked with about half the rate of hamstring injuries van Dyk et al. 2019. In a randomised trial of Danish footballers, a 10-week Nordic programme followed by weekly sessions was linked with far fewer hamstring injuries over a season, especially repeat ones Petersen et al. 2011. In professional rugby, players who did Nordics alongside their usual work had fewer and less severe strains Brooks et al. 2006. That’s strong evidence, but it’s about reducing the rate, not a guarantee. Strains have many causes, including fatigue late in games and sudden jumps in high-speed running.

The three parts of hamstring training

1. Nordic curls (lowering strength)

Kneel with your ankles held (a partner, a bench or a Nordic strap), body straight from knees to shoulders. Lower yourself forward as slowly as you can, keeping your hips straight, until you can’t hold it, then catch yourself on your hands and push back up. Only the lowering phase counts.

You don’t need high volumes. A systematic review found that low-volume Nordic programmes produced eccentric strength and muscle-length changes similar to high-volume ones after 6 weeks or more Cuthbert et al. 2020. Lower volumes are also easier to keep doing, which is the whole point.

Expect soreness at first. New lowering work causes a lot of soreness and costs strength for about 3 days the first time. Start low in the off-season or pre-season, never in the 72 hours before a match. After a few sessions of the same exercise the soreness drops sharply. If you stop for two months or more (a summer break, an injury), restart at the learning stage.

2. Hip-hinge strength

The Nordic works the hamstrings from the knee. Hip-extension exercises work them from the hip, and they load the muscles differently: in an MRI and muscle-activity study, the 45° hip extension worked the long outer hamstring (where most strains happen) relatively more, while the Nordic worked the inner hamstring (semitendinosus) more Bourne et al. 2017. So do both.

• Romanian deadlift: the main lift. Start with several sets of 8–10 until your technique and back are solid, then 5–6 reps; only strong players need 2–4.
• 45° hip extension or glute-ham raise: 3 × 8–12.
• Single-leg Romanian deadlift: 2–3 × 8 each side; adds balance and left–right work.

Squats don’t cover the hamstrings well, so every week with lower-body lifting should have at least one dedicated hamstring exercise. Leg curls are fine as a small extra, not the main thing.

3. Fast running

Hamstring strains happen most at high sprint speed, so the muscle needs regular exposure to it. Keep at least one short near-maximal sprint every week. Back-three players who get no near-top-speed running at club training in a week should add 3–4 runs at 90–95% over 30–50 m, ideally on a day away from heavy hamstring lifting. Hamstring drills in the warm-up (A-skips, B-skips, straight-leg runs) 2–4 times a week help too. Our speed training guide has full sessions.

How much, by position

These are the Match Ready Coaching Rules defaults: the evidence supports the Nordic for everyone, and the extra dose for backs follows where most high-speed running happens.

Fitting it into the season

• Off-season and pre-season: Nordics 1–2 times a week, hip hinges 2–3 times a week. This is when to build up.
• In-season: keep Nordics going at low volume (2 × 4–6) once or twice a week, in your main strength session 2–3 days after the game, never within 72 hours of the next match. One hip-hinge session a week at 5–8 reps keeps the strength.
• Never drop it. Hamstring work never drops out in-season. Strength fades over weeks without training, and restarting means the soreness all over again.

Not sure which days? The gym week planner shows your strength day around your fixture and club nights.

A sample in-season strength day for a winger

Here is how the hamstring work sits inside a normal session two or three days after a Saturday game:

• Warm-up with B-skips and straight-leg runs, 2 × 20 m each
• Jumps 3 × 3
• Trap-bar deadlift or squat 3 × 4–5
• Romanian deadlift 3 × 6
• Nordic curls 2 × 5 (lowering only, as slow as you can)
• Split squat 2 × 8 each leg, calf raises, neck holds in the rests

That’s about 45 minutes, and the hamstring work takes less than ten of them.

Coming back from a hamstring strain

Follow your physio. Once they’re happy for you to run, build back from short distances to long and from smooth to flat out, and reach near top speed in training before your first game. Tightness at the old injury site ends that day’s sprinting. Don’t replace missed sprint sessions with extra weights. A past strain moves you onto the full hamstring dose for good.

Common mistakes

• Doing Nordics only in pre-season. The benefit comes from keeping them going.
• Too many, too soon. Three sets of 10 on day one guarantees you’ll skip the next session.
• Nordics the day before a game. Keep them at least 72 hours out.
• No fast running. Strength without speed exposure leaves a gap.
• Relying on stretching. There’s little evidence stretching on its own reduces hamstring strains.