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.
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
Referees are very sharp on ball poachers who put their hands on the ground before grabbing for the ball. You must make your players whiter-than-whiter and also far more accurate in this area. It will reduce your penalty count and increase your chances of stealing the ball. Make sure that your ball poaching is not... MORE
You might hope not to have to get involved in refereeing, or “game coaching” as it is becoming known, or you might be dead keen to try. These days the objective is a free-flowing game, so the person with the whistle is more of a helper than a referee. Each side having a coach is... MORE
Now we are back into the swing of the season again, it’s time to give our training fresh impetus. Here are 40 of our latest sessions, activities, games, tactics and coaching advice to give you momentum. We’ve split it into: handling, attack, contact, defence, kicking, coaching, games, set piece and mini rugby. Handling VIDEO: Handling... MORE
Players love games...and so do we! But are you getting the most out of them? We've got a series of ways to you can exploit the natural desire to play games in training to help develop your players' skills, teamwork and general play. MORE
With the 2019 World Cup final only two days away, there's never been a better time for coaches to show players what's happening at the top end of the game. And then to put some of these into practice during training and into matches. MORE
Improve your players' handling by giving them plenty of opportunities to pass the ball in training. Not all the passes are the same, and not all passers either. Help your players discover which works best for them, while giving them hints and tips on how to progress. MORE
From our Rugby Coach Weekly archive of Touchline Tales, commenting on a game in an U15 Cup tournament. Last weekend we lost 20-22 in a cup game. The opposition scored at the end from a disputed lineout on our line and we felt our jumper was impeded. MORE
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
