Devoted fans of each sport will insist otherwise, but American football and rugby have a lot in common. Both are fast, hard-hitting sports that demand a huge amount of strength along with the endurance to keep going. The drills used in one can freshen up training in the other. With so much in common, it makes sense for rugby players to borrow some of the drills NFL teams use, and that's what we look at here.
Sprints
Much of being a good rugby player comes down to how fast you can move around the pitch. As in any sport, players with above-average speed have a big advantage over everyone else, so variations of the sprint are an excellent starting point.
The 40-yard dash is the most celebrated NFL test and the standard benchmark for a player's speed. But testing speed isn't the same as building it. Weighted sled sprints and hill sprints are both excellent for developing acceleration, and neither is easy. Lower-body strength plays a huge role in how effective you are as a rugby player, and after a good hill sprint session you'll definitely feel it in your legs. Our acceleration drills go into more detail.
The three-cone drill
Another drill you'll see at the NFL Scouting Combine is the three-cone drill (also called the L-drill). Speed is a huge part of a player's value, but being able to change direction at a moment's notice matters just as much.
Three cones are set five yards apart in an L shape. The player sprints to the second cone and back, then runs around the second cone, weaves round the far cone and finishes back past the start, all while being timed. It tests acceleration, deceleration, body control and tight turns: exactly what you need to step a defender or track an attacker.
The 20-yard shuttle (5-10-5)
The 20-yard shuttle, also called the 5-10-5 or pro agility drill, is another combine favourite. Starting in a three-point stance, the player bursts 5 yards to one side, touches the line, sprints 10 yards the other way, touches the line, then sprints 5 yards back through the start.
It shows how well a player can accelerate, change direction and decelerate. In rugby you're constantly changing direction in defence, and that burst of acceleration in different directions is a great asset. Run it in training, and time it every few weeks to track your progress.
The bench press test
Being able to bench a heavy weight once is good, but both the NFL and rugby demand muscular endurance too. At the combine, players bench press 225 lb (about 102 kg) for as many reps as possible.
As a rugby player, it can be worth testing yourself this way every few months to check your upper-body strength endurance is improving. If it isn't, consider adding some higher-rep work to your programme. Choose a weight that suits your current strength rather than copying the NFL's 225 lb, and always use a spotter.
Borrow from both games
The similarities between rugby and American football show up in what players do on the field, so it makes sense to borrow drills from the best NFL programmes. If you want to become a better rugby player, look to the NFL for something fresh in training, just as NFL coaches have borrowed rugby-style tackling techniques to make their game safer.
Want to know which sport is tougher? Read our scientific take on rugby vs American football.