Ok let’s talk about that Brazilian women’s rugby thing I saw online. Woke up thinking about it, grabbed my notebook, and decided to figure out why they got so tough. Did a deep dive, like actually trying to follow their footsteps, not just reading.
First Step: Seeing Past Stereotypes
Started where everyone starts, right? Videos of the team. Old ones vs. recent ones. Man, the difference was obvious. Earlier games? Smaller players, seemed slower maybe, skills were… developing. Recent stuff? Boom! Bigger, faster, hits like trucks. Felt like I was watching two different teams. So my first practice move: Acknowledging this wasn’t just luck. Something real changed.
Practice Session: Digging into the ‘Why’
Instead of just nodding, I decided to pretend I was helping build this team. What bricks would I use?
1. Body Stuff: Old training vids showed decent fitness, sure. But the new strength programs? Woah. Focused on raw power needed for rugby collisions. Weights weren’t just for looking good. Think:
- Seriously pushing heavy things (deadlifts, squats).
- Moving weight explosively (cleans, pushes).
- Grinding out tough sprints pushing against resistance.
Practice note: They built physical tools specifically for smashing through tackles and dominating tackles. Not just running laps.
2. Money & Help Matters: Remembered seeing grainy footage from years back. Training facilities looked… basic. Sometimes just a field, maybe some cones. Fast forward? Better fields, proper gym gear popping up in clips. Official kit looked newer too. My realization practice: Better resources mean consistent training. Less time fixing old gear or finding a safe place to train. More time actually getting stronger and learning rugby.
3. Building the Machine Behind the Players: This was the sneaky one. Early days, seemed like maybe just a couple of coaches doing everything. Recent interviews? Whole teams of specialists: strength coaches, nutrition experts, physios working full-time just for this squad. Practice insight: World-class athletes aren’t built alone. That army of experts keeps bodies healthy, fixes weaknesses fast, pushes limits safely. Missing that is like trying to drive a race car without a pit crew.
Putting it Together
So after watching, reading reports, listening to player interviews, the “simple reasons” clicked:
- They stopped just playing rugby and started building rugby bodies specifically.
- Investments meant they could actually do the right training consistently.
- They hired the right people to stop them breaking and make every bit of training count.
Final Practice Thought: It looks simple written down – 1. Bigger Bodies, 2. Better Stuff, 3. More Helpers. But seeing the journey from shaky to strong made it clear: actually doing it took focused effort, money, and building a whole system around those players. Simple plan? Maybe. Easy? Hell no. Powerful? Hell yeah.