How do you develop a style of play that suits the strengths and weaknesses of your players

How do you develop a style of play that suits the strengths and weaknesses of your players?

A “style of play” isn’t a diagram; it’s a reflection of your players’ strengths and personalities. 

Too often, we mimic professional rugby without asking what our team enjoys most. 

The starting point is simple: what brings your players success and fun? 

• If they love to run and pass, then create width and movement. 
• If they thrive on contact and ruck contests, build a plan around that. 

Enjoyment and identity must sit at the centre. 

Passing ability often shapes your style: strong passing sides can attack wider channels; developing teams might attack closer to the ruck.

By U13s or U14s, strike runners become vital, and the team’s “go-forward” starts with those who can dent and disorganise defences. Therefore, your style of play works towards creating spaces to unleash your strike runners rather than exhausting themselves trying to do it all.

Set-piece efficiency also influences how you play: a weak scrum means faster exits, while a strong one builds control. 

Whatever the approach, think how success means other teams find you awkward to play against because your group knows exactly what it’s good at. Therefore, explore, with the players, what they are good at, and play to those strengths.

A style of play is built on players’ joy and confidence, not imitation.