Vertical jump test
The vertical jump test measures leg power. One common way of performing this test is to stand side- on to a wall and reach up with the hand closest to the wall, keeping the feet flat on the ground. The highest point the fingertips can reach is marked. The athlete then jumps vertically as high as possible to touch the wall at the highest point of the jump. The difference between the reach height and the jump height is the score.
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The Springbok locks obviously need to be able to jump high in the lineout, and thus their vertical jump figure should be at least 65cm. This test doesn’t just test the ability to leap up, however – it also gives an indication of explosive power, which is very important for the backs.
Very good explosive power, indicated by the vertical jump, is in the 61-70cm range for men and 51-60cm for women. More than that is excellent. The average is about 41-50 for men and 31-40 for women.
10m Sprint Similarly, the 10m sprint, which is done on a rugby field, tests explosive power – specifically, the ability to accelerate rapidly and powerfully. This is particularly important for the backs, but most of all for the inside backs when they make a dash for a gap in the opposition’s defence. Thus, their maximum time to run the 10m is only 1.65 seconds.
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