Are You Fit To Referee - Fitness & Fitness Testing…
Preseason is now upon us and clubs have started their preseason training. As Referees you need to be doing the same to be match-ready come the start of the season. The league season starts on the 7thSeptember 2024, but there will be preseason matches throughout August.
Fitness testing is becoming a bigger thing in rugby refereeing. At the top level fitness is a huge issue and those guys and gals are seriously fit. At Society level fitness is what you want to make of it, but if you have ambitions to referee at the top of our remit or to progress to Group and then Panel you will need to meet certain fitness bench marks.
Within the Society we have started to request that people do the Bronco Test. This is a 1.2km shuttle run (details below) and there will be an opportunity to run a Bronco Test at the Society conference in August. The Society is trying to build up a database of the times people record. In the future your fitness test results may affect the levels you referee at
Whatever your fitness regime, you need to get up and running (no pun intended). If you wish to do some self-testing, please record your times and add them to the database. Why not go down to your local club and join in with their sessions. While you are there you can give them some pointers on the law amendments.
I’ve had a look around the internet are various fitness tests and here is a some that I believe are useful and easy to do by yourself without specialist equipment; just a stopwatch, some cones (or any marker) and a tape measure.
The 5km Run.
This is an endurance test and has got to be the simplest of the lot. Put on your running shoes, step out of your front door and run 5km (or more if you want). Use a running watch, a smart watch, or your phone (anything with GPS) and record your time. If you want to get a bit more organised and get an “official” time, then join one of the many Park Runs (www.parkrun.org.uk).
The Bronco Test.
This is also an endurance test and is the one the Society wants you to do. Set up markers at 0m, 20m, 40m and 60m (If you are using a standard rugby pitch that is the try line, 2m short of the 22m line, nearest 10m line and furthest 10m line). You then run from the start to each cone and back (20m return, 40m and return, 60m and return) five times; a total distance of 1.2km. Record your total time. It is intended that you push as hard as possible, but that you also pace yourself to finish with little of nothing left in the tank.
The Wales Agility Test.
This is an agility test devised by the WRU. Set cones at 0m, 2m, 5m and 15m. Perform a Down & Up at the first cone (0m), run a figure 8 around the second and third cones (2m & 5m), sprint around the far cone and then back to the start. Record your time. Perform one rep every 40secs for a total of 10 reps. Add your time of each rep to get a total. A variation on this is the Illinios Agility Test, but this requires more cones and is run over a longer distance. You could also try the Arrowhead agility Test or the Cone Drill Agility Test.
There are lots of other endurance and agility tests out there, so pick what suits you and have a go.
Get Fit, Stay Fit.
Timothy Wilcox
Revised July 2024