Youth development beyond LTAD models

Long term athletic development (LTAD) studies tend to stop once athletes have left school and receive their first professional contracts. This creates a gap in our understanding of and ability to influence player development.  Rugby Union is a late maturation sport, and within the UK there is no formalised age grade league beyond 18 years of age. The benefit of this is that it creates a 3-5 year window where few players achieve regular first team involvements, allowing practitioners to focus players' individualised development plans (IDP) around physical development. This period comes wit...