EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
08/23/2019 |
Here's a collection of our latest sessions, activities, drills, games and advice so you can make the difference this season. 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
09/7/2019 | Rugby drills
Use these breakout exercises to focus on handling decision-making before returning the players to a game. Avoid stopping and starting – just let it run to allow the attackers to find solutions. MORE
09/4/2019 | Rugby drills
Here’s how Mike Hall, formerly head of academy at Bristol, likes to put together an academy session for his U16 players at Bristol. Each session has two themes but we're going to look at one half of it – in this case, moving the ball into space. MORE
09/1/2019 | Small-sided games
Fast and fun, this energetic game originates from India and will develop your players’ footwork, teamwork and contact skills. MORE
09/17/2019 | Girls/Womens
09/13/2019 | Rugby drills
09/11/2019 | Contact
09/9/2019 | Rugby drills
09/8/2019 | Core skills
09/6/2019 | Contact
09/17/2019 |
Defenders must be ready to take the man in front of them. This session focuses on man-to-man marking, so the attack feels like it is running into a wall of defenders. It requires good footwork and working with the other defenders to make sure there are no holes in that wall.Defenders must be very noisy at all times, constantly telling team mates who they are marking. MORE
09/16/2019 |
Some players are built for taking the ball into the heart of the defence: these big beasts are your primary runners. But they must rely on support players to provide options – whether for a pass, offload in the tackle, or help in the contact area. MORE
09/10/2019 |
Retrieving kicks can mean a chance to counter attack, but it carries risks. Your ball carrier is likely to be behind his team mates and therefore needs to find support so he does not become isolated. This session is about players’ options when running with the ball. MORE
08/6/2019 | Warm Ups
A physical, fun and warm-up, log rolls encourage teamwork and prepare players for contact. Split players into groups of at least six. Put five players in a row, on the ground, shoulder-to-shoulder. Put another player, on their back, across these players, lying across their middles. On your call, the group has to propel the... MORE
07/18/2019 | Rugby drills
One of the key influences you have on your team is in the hour or so before the match. Learn how to maximise that time to bring the best out of your players and get them flying from the first whistle. MORE
07/16/2019 | Email Newsletters
Getting ready for training needs players to get their bodies and minds in tune. Play lots of games to motivate and engage the players. Then break out into skills zones where your players can start to concentrate on the details. Here are four warm-up skills activities which can be mixed into your training routines, all from our growing video archive. MORE
09/13/2019 | Rugby coaching
There’s a powerful school of thought that tells us we should be coaching more through games than drills. Let’s for a moment see why that makes sense. MORE
09/12/2019 |
We know that parents are the biggest influence on their children’s lives and character, but coaches have such a key role to play in the creation of effective sporting environments and setting the tone to allow parental engagement to flourish. What do we mean by setting the tone? Well this can range from anything as to how coaches behave at training or on match day or the dialogue and messaging that we give both our parents and our players. MORE
09/6/2019 | Rugby coaching
Jack Pattinson, academy and DPP coach at London Irish, in the South of England, talks to me about how he plans his coaching and what principles drive his sessions. I challenge him about the balance between skills training and game training, what the future player needs to know and how he measures success. MORE
08/31/2019 | Rugby coaching
During a session, you’ll often want to keep feedback to a minimum until you have more time to speak to the individual. Use this range of phrases to add value to your on-the-spot praise… MORE
09/12/2019
Whether you are refereeing in training (a good thing!) or have to referee your team on a Sunday (not such a good thing!), you will probably find yourself refereeing in some capacity this season. You will need to be confident that you can apply the laws as a coach to satisfy referees who take charge of your team. And if you do find yourself reffing, then it's far more than that...game management, crowd control, position, language, whistle control and signals. MORE
08/22/2019
Because there are so many possible situations at rucks, teaching these skills is a real challenge for coaches. You need to create a balance of good techniques first and then bring them into game contexts as soon as possible. MORE
08/20/2019
The more players learn, the more they improve. Learning is about retaining relevant knowledge and then using it in the right context. Our expectation is that our training sessions will do this. We are probably not that scientific in our approach, though the main thrust of what we do tends to lead to improvements. Let’s tighten this up with some training ideas and solutions to give our players more opportunities to learn 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
