Rhino Guide to Rugby Crash Mats

A crash mat is used to provide a safe landing surface during contact training drills. Common uses include teaching falling technique to younger players, lineout lifting practice, high ball and kick receipt coaching, and contact conditioning circuits. The mat absorbs ground impact so players can train with full commitment without injury risk from the surface.

Junior Crash Mat: 1m x 1m x 20cm. The smallest and lightest in the range, designed for mini and junior players. Compact enough to handle and store without folding.

Players Crash Mat: 1.2m x 1.5m x 20cm. A larger surface for senior players, folds in half to 1.2m x 75cm for storage. Good all-round mat for contact and landing work at U15 level and above.

Club Crash Mat: 1.2m x 2.4m x 30cm. The longest mat in the range gives a generous 2.4m landing area when fully open. Folds to 1.2m x 1.2m for compact storage. Ideal for full squad sessions and conditioning circuits.

Crash Mat Pro: 1.8m x 1.8m x 30cm. The largest footprint, designed to give a full lineout pod landing zone. Folds to 0.9m x 1.8m. The 1.8m square is wide enough for multi-player lineout drills without the jumper landing off the mat.

Adult and senior players generate significantly more force on landing than junior players, due to greater body mass and higher fall velocities. A 20cm mat absorbs the lighter impact loads of junior players correctly but does not provide enough deceleration distance for larger adults. The extra 10cm of foam in the 30cm mats allows the impact to be absorbed over a greater depth, reducing peak force transmitted to the player. Putting adult players on a junior mat is not safe for regular contact training.

Yes. All Rhino crash mats are designed for both indoor and outdoor use. The heavy-duty outer cover handles moisture, grass, mud, and artificial turf conditions. Outdoor use on hard ground and artificial turf actually makes mat thickness more important, since there is no natural give in the surface beneath the mat. The Club and Pro mats are particularly well-suited to sustained outdoor training volumes.

Both are 30cm senior specification mats. The Club Crash Mat (1.2m x 2.4m) is built for regular club training volumes and is the right choice for most senior amateur and semi-professional clubs. The Crash Mat Pro (1.8m x 1.8m) is larger and built to professional specification for academy and first team use, where training intensity and volume is higher. The Pro also provides a wider square landing zone specifically suited to lineout lifting.

Yes. The Players, Club, and Pro mats all fold in half. The Players mat (1.2m x 1.5m) folds to 1.2m x 75cm. The Club mat (1.2m x 2.4m) folds to 1.2m x 1.2m. The Pro mat (1.8m x 1.8m) folds to 0.9m x 1.8m. The Junior mat (1m x 1m) is compact enough to carry without folding. This makes all mats practical for clubs with limited storage or shared facilities.

The Crash Mat Pro is the standard for lineout lifting practice. At 1.8m x 1.8m it gives the full square landing zone a lineout pod needs. Lineout jumpers are lifted to full height and land back down repeatedly, generating significant impact loads. The Pro specification foam handles this use case at the required intensity and longevity. For club lineout practice at lower intensity, the Club Crash Mat is also suitable.

Yes. Rhino offers a bespoke service on crash mats. If you would like mats with your club badge, colours, or sponsor branding applied to the cover, contact the team at sales@rhino.direct with the subject line "Customised Crash Mats" to discuss options.