EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
01/19/2019 |
There are over 3000 different pages of content on this site. Here's a guide of where to start if you want to solve the following problems. MORE
01/13/2019 | Tackling
Develop good footwork in the last few steps before the tackle. First, to power into a tackle situation, and then to adjust as the tackle target moves either to the left or the right. This activity uses low-impact outcomes with tackle tubes to focus on the technical aspects of the skill. MORE
01/5/2019 | Rugby coaching
Teach the basics of the game, with a game, playing walking rugby. Stop the game to highlight key areas and ask the players for solutions. MORE
05/4/2019 | Small-sided games
We know what a challenge getting youngsters to listen can be. So how do you get them motivated and having fun? It starts with the warm-up, when you need to set the tempo for your session… MORE
03/23/2019 | Rugby drills
Use this tag game to improve tagging ability. You could also change up the tag to grab or even full tackling for older, more experienced players. MORE
11/13/2018 | Email Newsletters
Need to inject some new ideas in training. Sometimes the old games have run their course. Well, for the time being anyway. Here are some fun games which are quick to set-up and, with few rules, give the players new challenges. Though they are primarily aimed at mini-tag, you can easily adapt them for older players. I think you find the energy generated quite uplifting. MORE
05/22/2019 | Rugby drills
Pit forwards against the backs in this exercise to develop straight running and quick handling. It puts your players’ skills under pressure and the session can be adapted to suit groups of any size. MORE
02/25/2019 | Rugby drills
Challenge your players to work out better ways to use the 22m drop-out as a way of pressurising the opposition. This fun game promotes accurate kicking, hard chasing and role understanding. MORE
02/3/2019 | Rugby drills
Create a heads-up defensive system where the players are far more aware of the situation in front of them. That means they know if they can commit to a dominant tackle, or have to hold their position to ensure the attacking team can't exploit gaps. MORE
05/24/2019 | Passing & Handling
05/21/2019 | Footwork and evasion
05/18/2019 | Contact
05/16/2019 | Rugby drills
05/15/2019 | Rugby drills
05/14/2019 | Rugby drills
05/21/2019 |
Players love simple targets. Not just simple targets to achieve, but simple targets to understand like moving the ball from one end of a box to another. That’s why they will enjoy “blast”. It works on the ball carrier and his support making progress up the field whilst a defender attempts to prevent their progress. This expands into a match situation where the “blast” might be used. MORE
05/20/2019 |
Switch passes - also known as “cuts” - should be a natural part of the passing armoury. This session uses a simple exercise that can be set up with lots of stations. Players will learn that timing and angles are as important as the pass itself. MORE
05/14/2019 |
A “willingness to fight to win the breakdown battle” is such a key area that the team that wins it almost invariably wins the game. “Ruck wrecker” will develop your players’ techniques and their attitude to winning the breakdown. MORE
03/16/2019 | Rugby drills
Improve the body positions to drive in a maul, scrum and through a ruck with this simple body drive warm up. MORE
02/24/2019 | Rugby drills
Improve the catching agility of your players, so they can get used to taking passes from lots of different angles. MORE
12/30/2018 | Rugby drills
Use this activity to warm-up players' footwork and handling the ball skills. In particular, it develops avoiding obstacles without losing speed. MORE
05/23/2019 | Rugby coaching
A good “drill” will challenge and motivate players whilst serving as a stepping-stone towards their all-round game accomplishment. Embrace these principles to fine-tune your sessions… MORE
05/17/2019 | Rugby coaching
It’s been a long season and the finishing line is in sight. Now’s the time to energise your coaching to help your team end with a flourish. These four tried-and-tested methods will see you right… MORE
05/11/2019 | Rugby coaching
For something so quick, there are a lot of decisions that go into a ruck. So to gain clarity in your decision-making, break down the breakdown by separating which techniques to use and when… MORE
05/9/2019 | Podcast
Liza "Bird" Burgess was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2018. With 93 caps for Wales and GB, she's also an experienced international and club coach. Now assisting Susie Appleby at Gloucester-Hartbury in the Tyrrells English Premiership, she shares her approach to coaching, what inspires her and how she's changed her delivery. These are exciting times for the women's game as more women take up the coaching reigns - it was great to catch with a good friend and a beacon for the game. MORE
05/23/2019
How many times have you seen an overlap go to waste? Not a 2 v 1, but if you have 4 v 3 or 5 v 3? MORE
05/21/2019
In coaching, there’s a time to tell and a time to ask. Both are powerful ways to help players understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as give them opportunities to learn. I asked one of our expert grassroots coaches, Ian “Didds” Diddams, to come up with the essential questions to use with yout players,... MORE
05/16/2019
The Sky Sports try of 2018 was scored by Jersey Reds in their English Championship game against London Irish. Their attack coach Ed Robinson gave me some amazing insights into how the try was crafted, including nuggets you probably won't pick up from just watching the clip. MORE
“The boys have really enjoyed the drills from Rugby Coach Weekly. It's been great having them at my fingertips and every training session this season we tried new things, which I believe helped keep the boys interested and enthusiastic.”
Phil Hopkins, Perigueux, France
72 of the Game's Tactical Concepts in Simple, Plain Language MORE
With so much to cover when coaching young players, it can be a daunting task to know the basics... now there's help MORE
