Relationship Between Leg Muscle Strength and Leg Explosive Power in Rugby Athletes Based on Playing Position

Rugby performance depends heavily on the ability to generate high levels of force and power during repeated match actions, including sprinting, accelerating, jumping, tackling, rucking, and physical contact. Because these demands differ between backs and forwards, the relationship between maximal leg strength and explosive power may also vary according to playing position and sex. This study aimed to examine the relationship between leg muscle strength, assessed using the one-repetition maximum (1RM) Back Squat, and leg explosive power, assessed using the Vertical Jump test, among rugby athletes based on playing position and sex. A quantitative descriptive-correlational approach with a cross-sectional

Design: was employed. The participants were 26 rugby athletes aged 15–25 years, consisting of 13 males and 13 females, who were categorized as backs or forwards and selected using total sampling. The overall analysis demonstrated a strong, positive, and statistically significant correlation between 1RM Back Squat and Vertical Jump performance (r = .689, p < .001; R² = .474). When analyzed by sex, the relationships were weaker and nonsignificant in males (r = .387, p = .191) and females (r = .433, p = .139). In contrast, significant correlations were observed in backs (r = .738, p = .002) and forwards (r = .784, p = .004). The female-back subgroup showed the strongest significant relationship (r = .798, p = .018), whereas male backs and female forwards showed weak or negative nonsignificant associations. These

Findings: indicate that maximal leg strength is related to explosive power, but the magnitude of this relationship differs across positional and sex-based subgroups. Strength and conditioning programs should therefore be individualized according to playing position, sex, and specific performance demands.