What the Yo-Yo test is
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test is a shuttle-running fitness test designed for intermittent sports. Unlike the beep test, which is continuous running, the Yo-Yo gives you a 10-second recovery walk after every 40m of shuttle running. That makes it much closer to what your body actually does in a rugby match — flat-out efforts with short, incomplete recovery.
How it works
You run 20m out and 20m back to recorded beeps. After each 40m shuttle, you have 10 seconds to walk through a small cone box before the next shuttle starts. The pace gets faster every level. You are out when you miss two beeps in a row.
- Cones set 20m apart, with a 5m walking box behind the start line
- Two beeps per shuttle: one for the turn at 20m, one for the return
- 10-second recovery walk through the cone box
- Pace increases incrementally — usually every 1-2 levels
- Score = total distance covered when you drop out
IR1 vs IR2
There are two versions. The IR1 starts at a moderate pace and is used for amateur and developing players. The IR2 starts faster (around the speed you would drop out on IR1) and is designed for trained adult athletes. Most senior club and academy programmes use the IR1; elite professional setups often prefer IR2 because the test ends sooner and discriminates better between fit athletes.
How rugby positions compare
Published benchmarks for senior club and international rugby union players on the Yo-Yo IR1 typically fall in these ranges:
| Group | Yo-Yo IR1 distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| International backs | 2200-2800 m | Backs cover more high-intensity running in matches |
| International forwards | 1400-2000 m | Lower scores reflect body mass, not lower fitness |
| Club / academy backs | 1600-2200 m | Wide spread by training age |
| Club / academy forwards | 1000-1600 m | Front row sits at the lower end |
How it compares to other tests
Three intermittent-sport tests come up most often: the beep test (continuous shuttle), the Yo-Yo (shuttle plus recovery), and the Bronco (1200m time trial). They tell you different things.
- Beep test: measures sustained aerobic capacity — best for endurance sports
- Yo-Yo IR: measures repeated high-intensity capacity with short recovery — best for rugby/football/hockey
- Bronco: measures a mix of speed-endurance and lactate tolerance over 5 minutes — quick to run, easy to score