The benefits of stand-up paddle boarding for professional rugby players

Stand-up paddleboarding is a complementary sport for a rugby player. Titouan Guilon, a scrum-half who plays in the French second division, explains.

"Recreational SUP boarding is complementary to playing ruby every day. I have loved board sports (skateboarding, surfing, windsurfing) since I was a kid, and it fits in well with playing scrumhalf for USBPA in the French professional second division. I joined a professional club, because I wanted to make a career of playing rugby. After joining the training centre in La Rochelle, I started surfing and SUP boarding on a regular basis at the nearby spots on the Île de Ré.

Titouan Guilon

#1 A complementary activity

For me, stand-up paddle boarding and rugby are perfectly compatible. The energy I exert depends on what I choose to do (touring, surfing, racing).~When I’m training hard, I usually prefer touring on my SUP board. I take the time to escape, think about something other than rugby and get closer to nature, which I love. ~When I’m not playing competitively, I prefer surf SUP boarding or surfing. This form of SUP boarding demands more energy, but the risk of injury is still very limited, so well suited to a professional rugby player.

#2 The benefits of proprioception

SUP boarding is one of the sports that exercises the most muscles, due to the instability of the board and the need to work your core muscles permanently. Professional rugby players practise proprioception every day in our daily workouts to build up our muscles and the injury-prevention sessions.~These exercises consist of making more or less complex movements when unstable, with bosu balls, waffs or elastibands. The goal is to remain stable and keep your balance. These exercises improve the nervous transmissions from the muscles to the brain. So Stand-up paddle boarding is a great fun exercise, because the body has to react to every unexpected movement of the board. I want to carry on playing rugby and stand-up paddle boarding for as long as possible, and to progress in both sports.

#3 My choice of sup board

Since I now play for Bourg-en-Bresse, I can only go surfing very occasionally. So, I opted for the 12’6x29 Itiwit touring boarding for intermediate users, which also allows me to go fast on my SUP, while remaining stable. This inflatable board is very easy to transport, son I can use it every week for touring on lakes and rivers and to train for racing. In April, I took part in the “Ré SUP Contest”, a 12-km downwind race on the Île de Ré. The board was great and stable and even allowed me to ride over the bumps. ~My favourite spots:~La Rochelle: Chef de Baie~Île de Ré: Les Grenettes-le Lizay~Finistère: La Torche-Pors Carn~Le Lac d’Annecy ~The river Ain: Neuville sur Ain~

Discover other users’ adventures

Descending the wouri river in Cameroon with a stand up paddle

Stéphane Nedelec, an adventurer who has already rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, made the first descent of the Wouri River in Cameroon from Toumbassala to Douala on a stand-up paddleboard with 3 other people. He recounts this extraordinary nautical adventure

I took part to a 220 kms non stop sup race lasting 31 hours

Alex, from the Decathlon store of Hautmont (France), took part in a 220 km non stop sup race lasting 31 hours in Holland

I came 2nd in the Annecy Fat Race with an Itiwit inflatable sup

Vincent, Itiwit ambassador, came to Annecy to compete in the Fat Race on the famous lake at the foot of the Alps.

Travelling down the Seine inflatable stand up paddle

Travelling down the Seine on an inflatable stand up paddle

Stéphane Nedelec, an adventurer who has already rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, set himself a new challenge: travelling 500 kilometres down the Seine on a stand-up paddleboard completely autonomously whilst collecting litter. He recounts this challenging and inspiring nautical adventure.