Yoga and Rugby
Alex Mackenzie, founder of YogaKave, explains how she works with Bath Rugby to help improve performance on the pitch, lower injury risk and offer a sanctuary to game-weary sports professionals
Reading time: 5 minutes
Every special partnership begins with a shared vision and a common goal. Our collaboration with Bath Rugby was no different, born from a joint desire to bring yoga onto the rugby field and into the lives of elite athletes.
At first glance, yoga and rugby might seem worlds apart. One is rooted in explosive power and endurance, the other in mindful movement and meditation. But together, they create the ultimate balance of yin and yang. It’s in this fusion where the magic truly happens.
Having seen first-hand the success of our partnership with Bath Rugby, and the unique benefits it’s brought to their players, it raises a broader question: Why isn’t yoga more widely embraced not just at elite level, but in everyday training for recreational athletes too?
YogaKave was founded on a mission to break barriers and bring yoga to those who may have never considered it accessible. Our research in Bath showed that many still viewed yoga as a feminine-led practice reserved for the super-flexible. It had, in many ways, become an exclusive club, and not the inclusive, healing space it’s meant to be.
“Having seen first-hand the success of our partnership with Bath Rugby, and the benefits it’s brought to their players, it raises the question: Why isn’t yoga more widely embraced not just at elite level, but in everyday training for recreational athletes too?”
When we opened YogaKave in 2020, we wanted to shift that narrative. At the time, significantly fewer men in Bath practiced yoga compared to women. But with strong branding and a clear message, we’ve managed to turn that around. Today, many of our flexibility-focused classes have an equal gender split, sometimes even a higher male attendance.
YogaKave itself was born from humble beginnings. It started in a small, converted office space inside a local community centre, just 250 square feet, with five yoga mats and a big vision. Every penny we earned was reinvested into its growth. First, we expanded into the corridor and converted a tiny kitchen into a 10-mat studio. From there, the momentum carried us to the beautiful premises at Milsom Place in Bath. Today, we've grown into a 3,500 square foot sanctuary in the city and are proud to be one of the largest yoga studios in the southwest.
Still, we knew we could go further. We wanted to connect with athletes, professional and amateur, male and female, and show them how yoga could enhance their performance, prevent injury, extend their careers and build mental resilience.
Enter Bath Rugby. Thanks to the forward-thinking approach of head medic, Rory Murray, the club already had yoga within their training routine. But together, we saw the opportunity to take it to the next level integrating yoga into their weekly training routines in a way that was tailored to the physical demands of each player’s position.
“Yoga offers these players a rare moment of restoration, a chance to stretch tight, tired muscles, to support injury recovery. To quiet the noise and release the pressure of performance. It’s a structured sanctuary that brings them back to their bodies and to themselves.”
Professional athletes are often viewed as superhuman. They train very hard. Few talk about the sheer physical and mental toll it takes on the body. Rugby is relentless, with 11 months a year of hard training and intense competition. The pressure can be immense.
Yoga offers these players a rare moment of restoration, a chance to stretch tight, tired muscles, to support injury recovery. To quiet the noise and release the pressure of performance. It’s a structured sanctuary that brings them back to their bodies and to themselves.
At YogaKave, we’re proud to be a hot yoga studio, equipped with therapeutic infrared heaters that elevate the benefits of the practice even further. The warmth isn’t just comforting, its healing.
Some of the benefits our athletes (and members) experience include:
• Deep muscle relaxation: Infrared heat penetrates deeply, allowing for safer, more effective stretching and muscle release.
• Enhanced circulation: Boosts blood flow, promoting faster recovery and improved flexibility.
• Detoxification: A steady, gentle sweat helps eliminate toxins from the body.
• Joint and pain relief: Eases soreness and stiffness while supporting recovery from injury.
• Nervous system support: Encourages mental stillness and helps regulate the body’s stress response.
Our studio space has been intentionally designed to support this kind of healing. It’s dark, tranquil, and minimal, free from distractions, and perfect for cluttered minds in need of clarity. It offers a sacred pause from the outside world and a place to recalibrate.
For Bath Rugby’s players, it’s become more than just yoga, it’s become ‘the best hour of their week’. It’s not just how much they say they enjoy coming to YogaKave, you can see it in their performances too — boasting extremely low injury rates across the Premiership and seeing them this season compete in all of the major competitions and tournaments.
We couldn’t be prouder to be partnered with them. Yogakave and Bath Rugby will be pioneers of seeing yoga and rugby come together — and I have a feeling it’s a partnership that will inspire others next season.
Find out more about YogaKave at: yogakave.com
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
