Playing rugby in the wet is inevitable in both hemispheres, given its role as a winter sport.

We all grow up playing on muddy, wet and windy pitches that can limit a team’s ability to score points.

Here are some top tips from the professional game that you can employ at all levels in order to mitigate the very worst of conditions.

1. Limited phases in own half

If the weather is bad, you are often better off not having the ball and waiting to play from the opposition’s mistakes.

Employing a disciplined kicking game in your half to win the territory battle (meaning the ball is in the opposition half more than yours) will significantly improve your chance of winning the game. In fact, 68% of wet matches are won by the team who succeed in the battle for territory.

Having ‘signposts’ of where to kick from helps employ a good chase line. Try to kick from positions near the 15m lines - kicking into this channel limits the catching team to only one side to attack (see illustration below).