EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
01/11/2019 | Rugby drills
Don’t be deceived – this handling exercise looks simple but will quickly turn to chaos! It will get players thinking, talking and organising as they need to problem-solve whilst retaining the accuracy of their skills MORE
01/13/2019 | Rugby drills
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
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
07/20/2018 | Mini tag
Use simple “house” rules in training and games to help reduce the chance of selfish players dominating your team’s possession and preventing you scoring more tries. 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
10/18/2018 |
Pull the core skills of contact together with an age-old game with a twist. MORE
08/24/2018 | Scrums & Lineouts
A simple game that integrates the scrum within a competitive context and teaches the huge part scrums play in retaining or regaining possession. MORE
01/15/2019 | Rugby drills
01/11/2019 | Rugby drills
01/9/2019 | Rugby drills
12/30/2018 | Rugby drills
12/29/2018 | Rugby drills
12/28/2018 | Rugby drills
01/15/2019 |
Training can easily isolate skills without forcing players to change mindsets quickly. This session concentrates on working players hard in one area and then pushing them into decision-making situations. It will improve fitness, communication and organisation. MORE
01/14/2019 |
Any player may be in a position where he is chasing a kick and he finds either the opposition player jumping for the ball or sliding on to the ground to gather it. Here is a session to work on the best options to tackle the player and avoid conceding penalties. MORE
01/8/2019 |
Defensive systems are not an excuse for individuals to miss tackles. This session puts defenders in a line and then isolates one of them in order to make a tackle in their channel. This has to be run with full contact to make sure players match up correctly. MORE
11/4/2018 | Warm Ups
Use this agility, handling and decision-making activity as a way of getting players thinking, moving and interacting. It comes from our Skills Conditioning and Fitness DVD. MORE
11/3/2018 | Rugby drills
Use this simple warm-up as a way of getting players thinking, moving and interacting in short bursts of time. It comes from our Skills Conditioning and Fitness DVD. MORE
10/6/2018 | Warm Ups
Use this kneeling down passing exercise to work on good upper body style for passing, where the players use their shoulders and hip rotation to generate power in the pass, and elbows and wrist to create acceleration and accuracy. It's also good for working on catch and pass techniques in isolation. MORE
01/17/2019 | Team Management
Making substitutions is a challenge for coaches because there’s an implied criticism of the players involved. So accentuate the positive and make the process a chance for development and enjoyment. MORE
01/14/2019 | Rugby coaching
Rugby should always be fun, no matter the age of the participants. But the progression from elementary contact to the physical game enjoyed by older players needs to be carefully managed. MORE
01/14/2019 | Tips
Rucking is the main new skill for the players at under 10s and it will one v one. MORE
01/9/2019 | Refereeing
Thank you to the great twitter-sphere, here is a summary of the insightful responses of those who find themselves reffing their team on a Sunday morning. MORE
01/17/2019
The way we coach is an important as what we coach. The most compelling messages are not just content-driven. They matter to the recipient. MORE
01/15/2019
Rugby is essentially an invasion game. One of the core skills is evasion, and therefore, by definition, interception. Evasion is not just running to where a defender isn't. It's try to fool them at the same time, to make that easier. Of course, the defender should be thinking the same, just in reverse! MORE
01/10/2019
An offload is just another name for a pass out of the tackle. It's a powerful skill because it can create opportunities to attack a less-organised defence. If it is so powerful, why don't more teams use it? Because there are plenty of risks involved, firstly in terms of the difficulty of the skill. Reduce these risks by using the following techniques, activities and games. 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
