hard yards

British  

plural noun

1. a great deal of effort or hard work, esp in playing a sport

   Dallaglio's ability to make the hard yards and cross the gain line

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Example Sentences

"Now we can start hard yards and finding a way forward on security in the Arctic," said the prime minister.

From BBC

"Now we can start hard yards and finding a way forward on security in the Arctic, which may seem a long way away, pretty remote, but actually it does matter to all of us in terms of the safety and security of our country," he said.

From BBC

"We talk a lot about doing the hard yards and sometimes at this level you can beat teams through persistence and put the effort in that maybe other teams won't."

From Barron's

These epic trips could be made easier by success - the prospect of glory making the hard yards feel a little lighter.

From BBC

“As we get more and more of the hard yards behind us, my excitement about what’s possible for Citi grows exponentially,” Fraser said.

From The Wall Street Journal