Yoga for Rugby: Neck, Shoulders and the Week After a Game

Rugby produces a fairly consistent set of physical consequences: a thick, stiff neck and upper back, shoulders that have taken repeated load, hips that are tight from both scrummaging and sprinting, and a body that is asymmetric because almost everyone binds, carries and tackles off the same side.

Midweek work that addresses those specifically is worth considerably more than generic stretching.

The neck

Forwards in particular carry an enormous amount of neck work, and the training for it is quite properly about strength rather than range. What tends to get neglected is the ability to rotate.

A neck that is strong and has lost rotation is a neck that compensates from the upper back and shoulders, and it is uncomfortable to live with.

Rotation work, gently. Seated, slow, both directions, without forcing. Compare sides. Asymmetry here is nearly universal and worth knowing about.

Thoracic rotation, which does much of the work people attribute to the neck. If the upper back turns, the neck has less to do.

Do not do aggressive neck stretching, particularly into end range, and particularly if there is any history of a stinger, concussion or persistent symptoms. That territory belongs to a physiotherapist.

The shoulders

Repeated contact, repeated overhead work in the lineout for some, and a lot of pulling and pushing.

Thoracic extension first, always. A shoulder attached to a stiff upper back has to find range it does not have.

External rotation with the arm elevated, which is the position most commonly restricted.

Scapular control under load. More valuable than range for a contact athlete. Shoulders in rugby need to tolerate force, and control is what provides that.

The hips

Sprinting demands hip extension; scrummaging demands sustained flexion under load; both leave the front of the hip short.

Half-kneeling hip flexor work with the pelvis tucked first, adductor length, and hip rotation in both directions. The adductors are worth specific attention. Groin complaints are common in rugby and the tissue takes a lot of work.

The asymmetry

Nearly every player has a dominant side for carrying, binding and tackling, and over a season the difference is measurable.

This is worth testing rather than assuming. Rotate each way and compare. Stand on one leg and compare. Reach behind your back on each side and compare. Then spend more time on the worse side, not equal time, more time.

The week around a game

Day after: movement, not stretching. Walking, easy spinal movement, ten minutes. The instinct to stretch out a stiff post-match body is understandable and mostly unhelpful when tissue is sore.

Two to three days after: this is when the real range work belongs, once soreness has settled.

Later in the week: keep it light. Nothing new, nothing deep close to a game.

What needs someone else

Any neck symptom that involves numbness, tingling or weakness down an arm. Any suspicion of concussion, which has its own return protocols that override everything else. A shoulder that feels unstable or catches. Persistent groin pain. All of these are physiotherapy or medical questions and stretching around them is a bad idea.

Where a teacher helps

The asymmetry work is what benefits most from someone watching, because players compensate very effectively and cannot see themselves doing it. A player who believes they rotate evenly is usually wrong, and correcting for it changes how the next season feels.

Sessions are live on video, thirty or sixty minutes, which fits a midweek evening.

Questions people ask

What should rugby players do midweek?

Thoracic extension and rotation, shoulder external rotation with scapular control, hip flexor and adductor length, and specific work on whichever side tests worse. General stretching is a poor use of the time by comparison.

Should I stretch my neck?

Gently, for rotation, and never aggressively into end range. Improving thoracic rotation reduces what the neck has to do. Any numbness, tingling or weakness down an arm means stop and see a physiotherapist.

When in the week should I do range work?

Two to three days after a game, once soreness has settled. The day after is better spent on easy movement and walking. Avoid anything deep or unfamiliar close to the next fixture.

Is it normal to be more flexible on one side?

Extremely, in a sport where almost everyone binds, carries and tackles off the same side. It is worth testing rather than assuming, and worth spending more time on the restricted side rather than equal time on both.