Rugby is a game of strength. It requires a lot of physical preparation to avoid physical trauma. But is that it? This article is about the less superficial part of rugby games, yet as decisive.
Every tackle, pass, and split-second decision in rugby is shaped by psychology. Whether you're an athlete who wants to improve their performance or a rugby fan who loves learning about the game, this article will teach you about aggression, hierarchy within teams, and rugby identities that are woven into the fabric of the game itself.
Rugby is one of the most psychologically intense team games. No wonder that nearly 20% of rugby players report depressive and anxiety symptoms [1]. Moreover, physical trauma, like concussions or musculoskeletal injuries, causes even more distress for mental health.
Not to say that rugby isn't rewarding. Rugby players are reportedly among the most mentally and physically advanced athletes. Understanding psychological components of games can either amplify the strengths or sabotage performance.
Aggression is one of the most visible psychological components in rugby and one of the most misunderstood. Aggression in sports isn't bad. It's an emotion that fuels tackles and builds defensive resilience. Without aggression, there would be no breakdowns, hence, no game.
Uncontrolled aggression in rugby, however, sometimes reflects symptoms of certain mental health disorders. Similar levels of aggression can be seen in Borderline (BPD) and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), as BPD screening suggests. Here are signs of uncontrolled aggression in rugby games:
Overcommitting to tackles to "make a statement."
Escalating physical confrontations after perceived disrespect.
Playing past the whistle or ignoring referee authority.
Chasing impact hits instead of positional discipline.
Why can the border between a game and unhealthy aggression be blurred? Putting aside game specifics, aggression in rugby is closely tied to players' emotional dysregulation. Players are expected to access intensity on demand and then switch it off instantly, and it requires years of intense psychological preparation.
Teams and players can still counterbalance unhealthy game aggression with certain tactics:
Clear role-based expectations, e.g., who brings physicality, who stabilizes.
Emotional regulation training and therapy, and motivational "toughen-up" speeches as an addition.
Leaders' and coaches' validation after big hits or calls.
Normalizing mental health feedback as an addition to performance reviews.
In rugby, aggression is a friend. And the enemy is poorly regulated aggression. Teams that learn to harness intensity with control gain a decisive advantage in single matches and long-term strategies.
Trust is not abstract in rugby. It's a prerequisite for a successful game. The governing body of Rugby Union, World Rugby, has a solidarity value written in its rules: "Rugby provides a unifying spirit that leads to life-long friendships, camaraderie, teamwork and loyalty which transcends cultural, geographic, political and religious differences" [2].
In rugby, trust and teamwork show up through:
Willingness to commit to shared defensive structures instead of over-relying on attacks.
Passing instead of forcing individual plays.
Consistency in showing up to rucks, scrums, and support lines.
Trust in teammates and their abilities, especially under pressure.
Psychologically, trust in rugby is built through predictability. Players need to know not only that teammates are skilled but also that they are reliable when things go wrong. Of course, it means that the trust should be deserved on training and mock games, but it also means normalizing mistakes as part of "enjoying the moment."
Here are some tips on how rugby teams can strengthen their trust with team members:
Clear communication before the game, including what's accepted on the field, defensive and attack strategies, responsibilities among team members, etc.
Leaders who protect teammates publicly and address issues privately.
Shared accountability instead of finding the guilty ones after a game.
Team rituals that build friendship connections.
Rugby positions had centuries to establish themselves. Hence, they don't just complete certain functions. There are strongly established identities, like reliable props or independent wingers.
Although most positions within rugby are fluid and can be exchanged within the game, it's common among players to internalize their roles. Sometimes, the positions become so ingrained within players that their sense of self becomes fused with their position. The result of "Rugby Identities" appears under high pressure and expectations when a player wants to give it all to deliver.
Position-tied identity shows up when:
A player equates self-worth with starting selection.
Being benched feels like personal rejection, not tactical rotation.
Injuries trigger identity crises (1.5 times higher odds of depression/anxiety developing after sustaining injury) [3].
Psychologically, this fusion can be risky. When identity depends too heavily on role, any threat to that role feels like a threat to the self. This can lead to defensiveness, jealousy, or emotional shutdown. It also makes transitions, such as moving up levels or retiring, significantly harder.
It's highly advisable for teams to rotate responsibilities and positions to reduce ego attachment. When the stakes in the game are too high, at least allow athletes to try on different roles in training. The strongest rugby teams develop players who know who they are beyond their jersey number.
Captains, senior players, coaches, veterans, and rookies all occupy different psychological positions that form a hierarchy. It's debatable whether a fixed hierarchy brings more good than harm, but flexible role division significantly improves structure. When it becomes rigid or fear-based, it can quietly damage performance and morale.
In rugby, hierarchy shows up through:
Who speaks in huddles and who stays silent.
Whose mistakes are tolerated and whose are punished.
Who gets trusted in high-pressure moments.
Psychologically, a healthy hierarchy helps players understand expectations and roles. Problems arise when hierarchy is enforced through intimidation or favoritism while neglecting competence and accountability. Younger or less experienced players can bring the top deliveries but hesitate to ask for help or play overly safe out of fear of judgment.
How to balance hierarchy in rugby? Coaches should be welcoming towards feedback. If it's impossible, it's highly recommended to hire objective HR who'd collect anonymous feedback and turn it into a lesson for all team members.
Entitlement in rugby is like in any other rewarding sport. There is a talent that's noticed and even glorified. → The confidence turns into favoritism and entitlement. → Entitlement undermines team dynamics due to a lack of accountability.
Psychologically, entitlement is often linked to fragile self-worth, which can be a sign of narcissism, ADHD, childhood trauma, anxiety, etc. In rugby, entitlement can look like:
Expecting guaranteed selection regardless of form.
Disengaging when not given a starring role.
Ignoring team strategy in favor of personal glory.
Resenting feedback from coaches or teammates.
Prioritizing personal career and brand over the team's image.
Entitled team members might take a negative toll on the team by disrupting cohesion. As in a team sport, rugby rewards more collective effort than individualism, which creates double standards. Moreover, a leader who cultivates entitlement in other players won't be seen as reliable and authoritative.
In order to prevent entitlement, effort and consistency should be rewarded. That's why hierarchy and omnipresent standards for all players can be useful as well.
Rugby is not just played with the body and strategic parts of the brain. There are also emotions, identity, self-management, and relationships with team members and competitors.
The most resilient teams are not those that deny the psychology of rugby, but those that work with it. When players learn to regulate intensity, trust each other, and stay accountable to the collective, rugby becomes more than a space for growth, on and off the field.
High prevalence of harmful drinking habits and gambling among professional rugby players: mental health symptoms and lifestyle risks among New Zealand Super Rugby players—a cross-sectional survey. By T. Dorfling and M. L. Fulcher. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. August 2024.
Our values. World Rugby. 2026
Impact of concussion and severe musculoskeletal injuries on the onset of mental health symptoms in male professional rugby players: a 12-month study. By Ö. Kilic, P. Hopley, et al. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. December 2019.
