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
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
08/28/2018 | Mini tag
Participation and fun are the core outcomes for under 7s. However, concentrate on: Evasive running to score tries - that is running forward but able to step to the side of a defender. Catching and passing - probably when the players are static. Don’t worry about defence. 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
01/6/2019 | Rugby drills
Split your playing group into three teams. Two teams on, one off. Play in a narrow channel, swapping teams when there's an error or a try. MORE
04/23/2019 | Rugby drills
04/21/2019 | Rugby drills
04/19/2019 | Rugby drills
04/18/2019 | Passing & Handling
04/10/2019 | Attack
04/4/2019 | Passing & Handling
04/16/2019 |
Often, the ball carrier’s closest support comes from the player who has just passed the ball, or the player who might next receive it. Neither are particularly well placed to support from depth, so this session helps them move into positions to provide the most effective help in the contact area. MORE
04/15/2019 |
Build a team defence ethic by having players defend in threes and fours. This session is far more practical than simple “line, shout and up” type exercises, because during a match there are so many situations to cover. Players will have to cover both narrow and wide spaces, improving their tackling and communication. MORE
04/9/2019 |
If all your players follow this session, you will win quicker ruck ball – I guarantee it. The idea behind the session is simple. The more players who arrive in the contact area at below the hip height of a standing player, the more effective your team’s rucking will be. 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
04/16/2019 | Rugby coaching
Young players tend to crowd around the ball, but this honeypot effect can mean your team doesn’t exploit space elsewhere. Embrace their enthusiasm and still develop some shape to your attack. MORE
04/5/2019 | Podcast
I had a very enjoyable chat with Andy Stevens, Club Coaching Coordinator at Ellingham & Ringwood RFC. He was very open about his journey from U6s (and his wife's persuasive qualities). MORE
04/3/2019 | Rugby coaching
Rugby is essentially the same game, no matter the age of the players. But as a coach you need to vary your methods when training youngsters to help them grasp the basics. Here’s how to do it… MORE
03/28/2019 | Rugby coaching
The late John Wooden, a legend from US basketball, built his coaching career on 15 personal qualities. Use his five foundation blocks to help take your own team to his pinnacle of “competitive greatness”… MORE
04/23/2019
The more you can replicate game situations, the more players can transfer their techniques and skills. Here are four scenarios where the players have to make lots of decisions. MORE
04/18/2019
Good scrum ball is one of the most powerful sources of possession, whether you are trying to score tries or simply clear your lines. As a coach, you may have been lucky enough to play in the forwards and know your way around the scrum. However, there’s so much that’s new, it’s important to know... MORE
04/16/2019
Improve your defensive cohesiveness by practising more as a group. In this newsletter, we explore lots of different ways of challenging your players in unusual situations to enhance their connections and understanding. First, we have the VIDEO: Two defensive-based conditioning drills. A great warm-up activity, it’s good for all the tackling ages. Take this a bit... 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
