Develop quick thinking under pressure to ensure the players make good and accurate decisions in contact. Once the first defender is beaten, the attacker has to decide whether they can offload the ball or have to take contact. MORE
“The supporting player starts in front of the ball carrier, while the defender has his back to the attack. When you shout play, with the supporting player walking forward and the defender out of position, the players will have to think quickly to come up with winning solutions.” MORE
Use parent stations to allow you to run lots of activities with a parent overseeing each activity.
It requires one parent, minimal setup and minimal instructions. Each station runs for two to three minutes before the players move to another station. MORE
Use parent stations to allow you to run lots of activities with a parent overseeing each activity.
It requires one parent, minimal setup and minimal instructions. Each station runs for two to three minutes before the players move to another station. 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
Change your try lines so they extend up the edges of the pitch to create a new sort of challenge for the players. The initial outcomes may seem strange, yet you may find the longer-term benefits help your team’s go forward. MORE
Run backs moves in a competitive format to force players to run the correct lines under pressure. This session/game will enhance “move” execution and decision making. It is best run as a unit skills session with the backs and, because players are running at each other, they will need to play with their heads up. MORE
Mauling could be a very powerful weapon for you this season and you don’t have to be a big side to use it. Here’s a simple tactic – set up a maul from the back of rucks to give your side go forward and tie in their defenders. It is easier than you might think to execute. MORE
This session is fun, easy to set up and works your players’ footwork and conditioning. The players will be jumping and side stepping around a “shipwreck” trying to avoid “pirates”.
The game further develops the decision making elements from the initial session. (You can also get the players to set up the “wreck”.) MORE
Get your players ready for contact with these games. They'll warm up your players’ shoulders and upper bodies in a fun way to prepare for sessions involving contact. It will put them into dynamic positions that they might not usually be used to. MORE
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
Host Phil Llewellyn with guests review some of the many great podcasts, books, articles and webinars from the last week.
This week's guests: Charlie Morgan, Senior Rugby Writer at The Telegraph and Ross Hamilton, freelance Rugby Analyst working with BT Sport, formerly Saracens and England analyst.
THIS WEEK’S CONTENT
Two Sides – British and Irish Lions Documentary
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game – Michael Lewis MORE
Our players spend more time on the ground than any other ball-related sport. We need to think differently about how players interact with the ground when they are off their feet to improve their effectiveness in attack.
Wrestling and martial arts set up bouts where the contestant who is pinned to the ground loses. Rugby is different. While a tackler will want to fell a ball carrier, they aren’t allowed to hold them down after the tackle. MORE
Dan Cottrell chats to Owen Woods, Community Rugby Coach for Gosport & Fareham RFC.
Owen was previously in the Air Force for 4½ years and then the police for 17 years. In June 2021 he started up his full-time role to promote rugby and its core values, the vision being to put the club and values at the heart of the community.
He has coached his son's rugby team for the last six years. He is a level 2 coach, a qualified referee working in schools in the local community delivering rugby sessions to children from 7 to 13. MORE
These days, we, as coaches seem to be stifling attacking flair as we grow an ever-increasing fascination with attacking systems, structures and the latest trend: ‘shape.’ Could this infatuation be creating a generation of robots who know where to stand, but struggle to play the game? Let's aim to strike the balance in kids' rugby. 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.”
