Get your session buzzing with these three activities for an active warm-up. By using games, chaos and lots of movement, the players will be using all the key physical literacy skills in a busy environment. MORE
A Digital Video Games Approach is more than putting points and levels into your training. Let’s start to unlock their power. By Amy Price, FA Women’s National Coach Developer and coach developer with GreyMattersUk.com, with Dan Cottrell. MORE
The best tacklers read the movements of the ball carrier and anticipate where they are going. This session improves anticipation skills by focusing on the core of the ball carrier. MORE
Get your ball carriers used to running forward to score tries. This session can be run as a warm-up or as a proper tackling session as well.
Often players fail to run forwards even when they know the try line is that way. This session should encourage them to attack a space in front them and go for it. MORE
Your side will have its fair share of stars, good players and not-so-good. Keep all the players involved and happy, and make each one feel they are a world-beater. MORE
Use this blocked attack game (one team attacks for a period of time) to challenge players to apply the principles of play under pressure. The attacking team get extra “lives” for good support when they score tries. MORE
Scenarios offer a great way of engaging your players in games. By putting the players in a specific point of a well known match, they get the opportunity to develop their game management. For younger players, scenarios give them the opportunity to be their favourite players of their favourite teams. For older players, scenarios give them the opportunity to challenge their decision making with regards to the score-line and also how to deal with specific threats or weaknesses in future opposition. MORE
Here is an easy-to-coach contact technique that will help break through defensive lines. It is especially good if you have a smaller team, a support player simply latches on to the ball carrier and pushes him through the defender. MORE
Better tacklers anticipate where a ball carrier is going. You can improve anticipation skills by using this session to help focus on the core of the ball carrier. The hips don’t dummy, so if the tackler can keep his eyes on this area, he should make more tackles. MORE
Deception and pace break down organised defences. This session teaches a front line attack to pass to a player arriving at speed from a “hidden” second wave using timing, passing and running angles of both front and back players to hide the threat until the last moment. MORE
Here are four great warm-up games to energise your players while working on skills and decision-making.
Notice that I'm keen to showcase player-led activities for warm-up games. This is a good chance to build more cohesion amongst the players, while you are still providing a certain amount of control on the direction of the session. MORE
Bird and LJ caught with Rachel Lund, former England international and now a Gloucester-Hartpury player who is studying to become a physio.
They asked her about the following:
Her journey from minis player to premiership.
Combining and juggling her commitments as an international and club player whilst studying full time for a degree.
Whether she would have changed to a full-time contract if she had been offered it.
The importance of having many career options.
Her current degree in physiotherapy.
How her degree combines with her sport. MORE
Is a team run without opposition a necessary evil? Experienced schools and club coach Bill McDonald considers both sides of the argument, with solutions to some of the pitfalls and ways to make your team runs more effective. MORE
In 5 simple handling homework tasks, we’ve come up with some ideas for players to practise their handling at home. We’ve called it homework, but I’m never sure that’s a good idea. The word sounds like something most kids will do everything in their power to avoid. MORE
Bird and LJ catch up with England Women's assistant coach, Amy Turner.
Amy played 59 times for England, at scrum-half, centre and hooker. She played in three World Cups and helped England win seven Six Nations Grand Slams.
She is currently a World Rugby intern. Formerly a police officer, she worked for the RFU as a Performance Pathway Officer and coached men's rugby too. MORE
Lineout training should be based around getting the basics right first. When Gary Gold was coaching the South African team with Victor Matfield and they were the best lineout in the world, he used to say: "They know where the ball is going, but Victor will always beat them into the air."
But a lineout is not just about the jump/lift. It's also about what happens afterwards. Here are four activities to develop different aspects of this set-piece situation. MORE
There are so many elements to passing, which ones do you concentrate on first and how do you train them?
Here are a bunch of the priority skills you need and then great ways to train them. MORE
The RFU has brought forward plans to reduce the tackle height at age grade rugby to below the armpits.
Talking to experienced school coaches in particular, they don't see much change in the impact on the game as a whole. However, it is an excellent opportunity to reexamine your tackle technique training. 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.”
