THE SEASON’S HERE
STAY STRONG, STAY EXPLOSIVE, AND OUTLAST EVERYONE AROUND YOU.
A 15-week in-season training system built inside professional rugby.
Proven in the 2024 NPC national championship season.
$20 per week. Cancel anytime.
In-season is where most players go backwards.
Training loads go up. Niggles stack. The gym gets dropped for “recovery”.
By the back half of the season, you’re slower, heavier, and running on empty.
This is what happens when you lack structure.
Every week without structure, is a week you fall behind.
Built for real rugby demands - every exercise selected has purpose
A proven template during the 2024 NPC season. We went the distance and won.
Designed to flex around team training, not fight it.
No-risk guarantee - cancel anytime it’s not working for you.
Pro Phase gives you a clear plan to:
Stay strong under contact
Develop your speed, power, and conditioning
Turn up game-ready, not wrecked
So you can dominate all season long.
What you get inside Pro Phase
Pro Phase is hosted inside a 3rd party app, TrainHeroic.
Once you purchase Pro Phase, you will be emailed a unique activation code and link to download.
Once inside the app, you will have a complete in-season rugby training system, ready to go.
You will get:
Strength splits to meet the real demands of a rugby season
Upper / lower and full-body options so you can match your gym work to your season schedule.
Speed and power primers
Short, targeted sessions performed 2 days before game day so you feel snappy, not sluggish.
Top-up conditioning menu
Off-feet and on-feet options for when you need extra fitness without wrecking your legs.
Game replacement sessions
Structured plans for weekends off so you don’t lose sharpness or momentum.
Recovery and reset ideas
Simple recovery options that help you bounce back between games.
End result:
You stay strong, explosive, and match-ready through the full 15-week block.
What this system would usually cost
This same in-season system costs $750 when I run it 1:1 with athletes.
15 weeks of in-season resistance training
Speed and power primer sessions
Top-up conditioning and off-feet options
Game replacement templates for bye weeks
Recovery and reset ideas
Get instant access to the full Pro Phase training system for $20 NZD per week.
Train with pro-level structure, without the cost of 1:1 coaching.
No forms. No hassle. Cancel anytime.
Real Athletes. Real Results.
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Matt will give you everything you need to reach your goals
"Before we worked together, I didn't know anything about gym plans, and how to train like a rugby player. Everything Matt has taught me is the reason I am where I am today. Matt will give you everything you need to reach your goals, but how willing you are to dig deep and do it is up to you. "
Stanley, NZ U20s
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If you want to train like a serious athlete, this is the kind of system that gets you there
"I used to over-train trying to juggle gym, running, and speed work. Matt’s program gave my week structure. Smart, balanced sessions that actually improved performance without burning me out. The way he programmed strength, off-feet conditioning, and recovery was next level. If you want to train like a serious athlete, this is the kind of system that gets you there"
Toby, Rugby League
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Matt gave me the knowledge and structure I needed to start progressing properly in the gym and on the field.
Matt gave me the knowledge and structure I needed to start progressing properly in the gym and on the field. It wasn’t just physical either. My mindset got sharper, and I became more mentally tough across the board. The fitness sessions were no joke, definitely tough, but they built the base I needed. If you’re serious about improving, this is the kind of program that delivers.”
Jeremiah, New Zealand U20s
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“Matt knows what it takes to get results.”
“Matt is genuinely passionate and highly knowledgeable about strength and conditioning. He knows what it takes to get results.”
Harry, New Zealand U20s -
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Every detail’s covered which makes his program so effective.
I used to struggle with weight gain and gym form, but training with Matt changed that. Every detail’s covered which makes his program so effective.
Jacob, Hurricanes U20s -
![100% worth it.]()
100% worth it.
“Matt helped me shift my whole mindset. His sessions push you to high standard and it brings the best out of you. Hard work, but 100% worth it.”
Finn, Hurricanes U20’s
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He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
"One of my biggest challenges was putting on size—and actually keeping it. Training with Matt gave me a much better understanding of how to gain quality mass. He kept things tight and structured with my training, which really helped me fall into a strong routine. If someone’s working with Matt, I’d tell them to listen up—he knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Alex, Hurricanes U20s
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Matty helped me make serious shifts in body composition and strength
Matty is definitely a great trainer and he knows a lot about physical development and what can make you go from average to great. I’d highly recommend Matty if you are looking to see shifts in your body make up and your strength in the gym.
Dom, Wellington Lions
ABOUT MATT HIGGINS
Hi I’m Matt, S&C coach, performance nerd, and the person who built this system.
I've spent over a decade inside elite rugby, including Head of Performance in the NPC. I know what in-season training actually looks like when the pressure is on, because I've been in the gym, and on the field where it happens.
2× national titles
A proven track record of winning in rugby at the highest level
Head of Performance & Nutrition in professional rugby
Leading elite teams in performance strategy, strength & conditioning, and performance nutrition
From academy to international stage
Coaching athletes across every level of the game
Experience behind the framework:
When I stepped into the 2024 NPC season, I had one clear challenge in front of me. How do you keep rugby athletes getting faster, stronger, and more powerful in season, without breaking them in the process?
Most in-season programs fall into one of two traps. They either push too hard in the gym and leave players flat on game day, or they back off so much that strength, speed, and power quietly bleed away across the season. I needed a system that did both. I wanted to find a way to keep performance climbing while keeping bodies resilient.
So I spent six months building and refining what eventually became Pro Phase. I pulled apart our entire in-season approach and rebuilt it from the ground up. The focus was simple. Prioritise what works. Focus on the movement patterns in the gym that actually carry over to the field. Squat, hinge, push, pull, jump, sprint. Then organise those into a structure that balances stress and recovery across the week so athletes can lift heavy enough to grow, but still feel sharp when it matters.
Every part of Pro Phase was designed to solve a real problem players face in season.
How do we keep top-end speed while collisions go up?
How do we keep power high when legs are still heavy from the weekend?
How do we build strength in key areas that reduce soft tissue and contact injuries, instead of adding “junk volume” that just makes people tired?
The result was an in-season system that gave our athletes clear structure, smart progressions, and a balanced lifting distribution across upper, lower, and total body work. Enough load to keep progressing. Enough recovery to stay healthy. It was the framework we used throughout the 2024 NPC season, where we went the distance and finished as national champions.
Pro Phase is that framework, now packaged so developing and aspiring players can tap into the same system that was battle-tested in elite rugby. It is not a random collection of workouts. It is a proven in-season performance plan built to keep you explosive, robust, and ready to perform, week after week.
How Pro Phase was born:
Cancel anytime.
FAQs
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Pro Phase is designed to work around team sessions. Use it to fill the gaps and stay on top of what team training can’t cover.
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No stress. It’s flexible by design, just pick up where you left off.
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If you’re playing serious rugby; club, academy, representative, and care about improving, this is for you. If you are not dedicated to becoming a “pro” with your habits, actions and mindset, this isn’t the program for you.
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This is a gym-based programme. A basic commerical gym setup is all you need. I’ve designed it this way on purpose so there’s nothing stopping you.
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It will work for you. It’s been battle tested.
In saying that, you can cancel anytime if it’s not for you.
Just email prophase@higginsperformance.co.nz to cancel anytime. -
There’s no auto-renew to worry about, once the 15 weeks is up you’re done - and a lot stronger than you were when you signed up.
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There are three distinct 5-week training blocks in the programme. Each block is carefully programmed to give you the edge - without additional fatigue. If you only have 6-10 weeks in-season, you will still benefit immensely from the training system, and you can cancel once your season ends. Just email prophase@higginsperformance.co.nz when you’re ready to finish up.
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Pro Phase is designed for serious rugby players aged 16 + who are already training regularly and want a proven in-season system to get faster, stronger, and more resilient. I would want you to have at least two years of weight training experience before starting this programme. It’s not for beginners.
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