Indicators of speed abilities of qualified female rugby sevens players at the beginning of the preparatory period

Abstract

The outcome of a rugby sevens match largely depends on the physical preparedness of female athletes. Speed abilities play a significant role in the structure of physical training of qualified female rugby sevens players.
The purpose of the study was to determine indicators of speed abilities in qualified female rugby sevens athletes.
Materials and methods. The study involved 30 female athletes from the women’s rugby sevens teams «Lionesses» (Lviv) and «Odesa National Team» (Odesa), who were preparing to participate in the Ukrainian Rugby Sevens Championship. Speed abilities of qualified female rugby sevens players at the beginning of the preparatory period were assessed using a 50 m sprint from a standing start, with split times recorded at 10 m, 20 m, and 40 m, as well as a standing vertical jump.
Results. Indicators of speed abilities of qualified female rugby sevens athletes at the beginning of the preparatory period were determined. These indicators create prerequisites for the rational assessment of the current state of speed development in female rugby sevens players. A comparison of speed preparedness indicators showed that in the 10 m sprint test, the «Lionesses» team achieved 88% of the performance level of world-class athletes, while the «Odesa National Team» reached 76%. The highest indicators relative to the world-class level were observed in the 20 m sprint for the «Lionesses» team (96%) and the «Odesa National Team» (97%), as well as in the 40 m sprint for the «Lionesses» team (97%) and the «Odesa National Team» (94%). The standing vertical jump reached 89% in the «Lionesses» team and 88% in the «Odesa National Team» compared to world-class rugby players. The developed indicators may subsequently be used as benchmarks for pedagogical control in educational programs in rugby and rugby league for women in institutions of physical culture and sport.
Conclusions. The mean indicators of both teams in the 50 m sprint and the standing vertical jump were lower than the normative values. None of the athletes from either team met the standard for the 10 m distance; four athletes (26.7%) from each team met the standard for the 20 m distance, and six athletes (40%) from the «Lionesses» team met the standard for the 40 m distance.
It was found that at the beginning of the preparatory period, the development of explosive strength of the leg muscles in qualified female rugby sevens athletes was below the norm. Only five athletes (33.3%) from the «Lionesses» team and three athletes (20%) from the «Odesa National Team» met the standard for the standing vertical jump.
Compared to the athletes of the «Odesa National Team» players of the «Lionesses» team demonstrated better starting speed (t = −10.10, p < 0.01) and a greater ability to maintain maximal running speed for a longer duration (t = −4.94, p < 0.01), whereas the Odesa athletes showed better indicators of maximal running speed (t = 7.36, p < 0.01). Thus, qualified female rugby sevens athletes at the beginning of the preparatory period demonstrated lower levels of speed abilities compared to qualified world-class athletes.