Early pre-season calf and groin strains: what can teams learn?

By David Hanaie M.Ost
Registered Osteopath and Pitch-side Support for Maidstone RFC

The opening weeks of rugby pre-season are supposed to rebuild fitness, strength and confidence. However, they are also a period when calf tightness, groin pain and muscle strains can begin to appear across a squad.

When several players develop similar problems within the first fortnight, it should not simply be dismissed as bad luck. It may be an early indication that the physical demands of training are increasing faster than some players are prepared to tolerate.

This does not necessarily mean that training is too hard. Rugby players need to develop the capacity to sprint, accelerate, change direction, jump, tackle and repeatedly produce force under fatigue. The important question is whether those demands have been introduced progressively enough.

Why are early pre-season injuries so common?

Players do not all arrive at pre-season in the same condition.

Some will have continued running and strength training throughout the off-season. Others may have lifted weights but completed very little sprinting or change-of-direction work. Some may be returning from previous injuries, while others may simply have done very little structured training.

Research involving 502 professional rugby union players from 11 English Premiership clubs found that although only 22% of recorded training exposure occurred during pre-season, 34% of all training injuries were sustained during this period. Hamstring, calf, hip-flexor/quadriceps and adductor muscle injuries were among the most common training injuries reported in backs, while hamstring injuries were also common among forwards.¹

Pre-season therefore presents a difficult balancing act. Players need enough training to become robust, but suddenly introducing large volumes of running, sprinting or conditioning can overload tissues that are not yet prepared for them.

At the same time, consistently avoiding demanding training is not the answer. Players who complete more of pre-season may develop greater physical resilience later in the season. The goal should be to build training capacity progressively, rather than alternating between undertraining and sudden spikes in workload.²

Why do the calves become vulnerable?

The calf complex plays a major role in running, acceleration, jumping and repeatedly pushing the body away from the ground.

During rugby training, the calves must also tolerate:

• Repeated accelerations and decelerations
• Sprinting and high-speed running
• Sudden changes of direction
• Jumping and landing
• Training on firm or unfamiliar surfaces
• Increasing fatigue as the session progresses

A player may have good general gym strength while still lacking the specific calf capacity needed for repeated running and sprinting.

Previous calf injury is one of the more consistently identified risk factors for another calf strain. This means players with a history of calf problems may require additional preparation and closer monitoring when their running exposure increases.³

Calf preparation should also include both major components of the calf complex. Straight-knee calf raises place greater emphasis on the gastrocnemius, while bent-knee calf work increases the contribution of the soleus. Rugby players need both.

Why does groin pain appear?

The adductor muscles help control the pelvis and thigh during running, cutting, tackling and lateral movement. They are placed under considerable demand when a player pushes off, changes direction or attempts to control a slipping or widening leg position.

Groin symptoms may appear when players are suddenly exposed to large amounts of:

• Shuttle running
• Sharp cutting drills
• Wide defensive movements
• Repeated accelerations
• Reactive games and small-sided drills
• Fatiguing conditioning sessions

Adductor strength is relevant to groin-injury prevention, although strength is only one part of a much wider picture. Recent research continues to support targeted adductor strengthening and the early monitoring of groin symptoms.⁴

The Copenhagen Adduction exercise is one of the best-known examples. A structured adductor-strengthening programme based around this exercise substantially reduced groin problems in male football players. Rugby is a different sport, but the underlying requirement to tolerate running, cutting and lateral force makes progressive adductor strengthening relevant.⁵

What can teams learn?

1. Do not confuse general fitness with rugby readiness

A player may have spent the off-season cycling, bodybuilding or completing steady runs. That does not necessarily mean they are ready for repeated accelerations, maximal sprints and aggressive changes of direction.

Training should gradually progress from general running into more rugby-specific demands:

1. Controlled running at moderate speeds
2. Progressive accelerations
3. Faster running and planned changes of direction
4. Reactive agility and rugby-specific drills
5. High-intensity efforts under appropriate fatigue

Players need exposure to speed before they are expected to repeatedly produce it in matches.

2. Avoid introducing every demand at once

A single session might include fitness testing, repeated sprints, shuttle runs, contact work and a conditioned game. Each element may be reasonable in isolation, but the combined demand can be considerable.

Training staff should consider the total session rather than viewing each drill separately. The running, contact, gym work and previous sessions from that week all contribute to the player’s overall load.

Workload measurements can help guide conversations, but no single number reliably predicts injury. Research involving 696 players from 13 professional rugby union clubs found that relationships between commonly used acute-to-chronic workload calculations and injury were not consistent across the different calculation methods. Monitoring should therefore combine training information with player feedback, previous injury history and clinical judgement.⁶

3. Include calf and adductor strength before symptoms appear

Preventative work does not need to take over the session. A small amount of consistent strength work can be included within warm-ups, gym sessions or individual preparation. A basic progression might include:

Players should begin with an exercise level they can control and progress the resistance, range, speed or complexity over time. Jumping straight into high-volume Copenhagen exercises or repeated maximal hopping can create soreness rather than readiness.

4. Use a structured rugby warm-up

A warm-up should prepare players for the actual demands that follow. It should progress from general movement into activation, running mechanics, changes of direction and higher-intensity rugby movements.

World Rugby’s Activate programme provides a structured, progressive warm-up designed specifically for rugby. World Rugby reports that regular use is associated with a 26–40% reduction in muscle and ligament injury risk, with greater benefits occurring when teams perform the programme consistently.⁷

A warm-up should not be treated as something to rush through before the “real” training begins. It is part of the training.

5. Encourage players to report symptoms early

Players commonly continue training through calf tightness or a mild groin ache because they do not want to appear unfit during pre-season.

However, there is an important difference between normal post-training soreness and a developing muscle problem.

Symptoms that deserve assessment include:

• Pain localised to one area
• Pain that increases during running
• Pain during acceleration or changing direction
• Reduced strength when pushing off
• Pain during a calf raise, hop or adductor squeeze
• Altered running mechanics
• Symptoms that worsen from one session to the next

Early reporting may allow training to be modified before a minor problem becomes a time-loss injury.

What can coaches do in practice?

Coaches do not need to remove demanding work from pre-season. Players need to be prepared for the speed, contact, fatigue and physical intensity of competitive rugby.

However, a few practical steps may help teams introduce those demands more progressively.

Ask about off-season preparation

A short conversation at the beginning of pre-season can help identify which players have continued sprinting, running and strength training and which players may need a more gradual return.

A player who has regularly attended the gym may still have completed very little running or change-of-direction work.

Look at the complete session

Consider how much running, sprinting, change of direction, contact, conditioning and gym work is being combined.

A demanding drill is not necessarily a problem by itself. The difficulty may arise when several high-load elements are placed into the same session or repeated across closely spaced sessions.

Modify volume without removing the training stimulus

Players with limited off-season preparation or a recent injury may still be able to take part, but with fewer repetitions, reduced running volume or more recovery between efforts.

This allows them to begin rebuilding capacity without completely removing them from rugby training.

Use the warm-up consistently

A structured programme such as World Rugby Activate is most useful when it is performed regularly rather than introduced only after injuries begin to appear.⁸

Make early reporting normal

Players should know who to speak to if they develop calf tightness, groin pain or another concern.

Reporting a symptom should not automatically mean being removed from training. In some cases, an early adjustment may allow the player to continue with an appropriate modified session.

Should injured players simply rest?

Complete rest may settle symptoms temporarily, but it does not rebuild the capacity required for rugby.

Rehabilitation will normally need to restore strength before gradually reintroducing running, acceleration, change of direction and rugby-specific movements. The appropriate progression will depend on the location and severity of the injury, the player’s previous history and their response to loading.

A player being pain-free while walking does not automatically mean they are ready to sprint, tackle or complete repeated conditioning drills.

The wider lesson for teams

Several calf or groin strains appearing early in pre-season should prompt questions rather than blame.

Teams should review:

• What preparation players completed before returning
• How quickly running and sprinting volumes increased
• Whether change-of-direction work was introduced progressively
• How demanding drills were combined within each session
• Whether calf and adductor strengthening was included
• Whether players felt comfortable reporting early symptoms
• Whether previously injured players received individual preparation

Injuries cannot always be prevented. Rugby is physically demanding, and soft-tissue injuries will sometimes occur despite good preparation.

However, an early cluster of similar injuries can provide valuable information. It may be a sign that players need a more progressive bridge between the off-season and full rugby training.

The aim is not to make pre-season easy. It is to build players who are physically prepared to tolerate hard training, recover from it and remain available when the competitive season begins.

This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for individual medical assessment. Players experiencing persistent pain, significant weakness, swelling, bruising or difficulty walking or running should seek an appropriate clinical assessment.

References

1. Brooks JHM, Fuller CW, Kemp SPT, Reddin DB. Epidemiology of injuries in English professional rugby union: part 2—training injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39(10):767–775. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2005.018408. ↩︎
2. Windt J, Gabbett TJ, Ferris D, Khan KM. Training load–injury paradox: is greater pre-season participation associated with lower in-season injury risk in elite rugby league players? Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(8):645–650. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-095973. ↩︎
3. Green B, Pizzari T. Calf muscle strain injuries in sport: a systematic review of risk factors for injury. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(16):1189–1194. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-097177. ↩︎
4. Quintana-Cepedal M, Vicente-Rodríguez G, Crespo I, Olmedillas H. Is hip adductor or abductor strength in healthy athletes associated with future groin pain? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2025;59(7):501–509. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2024-108836. ↩︎
5. Harøy J, Clarsen B, Wiger EG, Øyen MG, Serner A, Thorborg K, et al. The Adductor Strengthening Programme prevents groin problems among male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Br J Sports Med. 2019;53(3):150–157. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-098937. ↩︎
6. West SW, Williams S, Cazzola D, Cross MJ, Kemp SPT, Stokes KA. Training load and injury risk in elite rugby union: the largest investigation to date. Int J Sports Med. 2021;42(8):731–739. doi:10.1055/a-1300-2703. ↩︎
7. World Rugby. What is Activate and why should coaches use it? World Rugby Passport [Internet]. 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 27]. ↩︎
8. World Rugby. What is Activate and why should coaches use it? World Rugby Passport [Internet]. 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 27]. ↩︎

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