My three go-to warm-ups
in Rugby drills, Warm Ups
"When asked what my three go-to U12s warm-ups are, I have no hesitation in listing them out", says Dan Brockhurst, owner of DB Sports Coaching. MORE
A session plan for defence
in Defence, Rugby drills
A four-part plan for a defence session. It keeps the players active through lots of games, while still focussing on good technique. MORE
Warm up with rondos, the grid game, prison break...
in Rugby drills, Warm Ups
Here are four great warm-up games to energise your players while working on skills and decision-making. Notice that I'm keen to showcase player-led activities for warm-up games. This is a good chance to build more cohesion amongst the players, while you are still providing a certain amount of control on the direction of the session. MORE
Can threats work in training?
Threats...what are they, what do they look like and how can we stop using them. MORE
Get it back
Being aggressive in the tackle and presenting the ball well will create quicker ball at the ruck. This session focuses on how your players take contact if they can’t avoid it. Winning the contest at the breakdown is a fundamental piece of your core unit skills. MORE
Webinar and links: Early season guide for U12s to...
in Pre-season, Rugby coaching, Rugby drills
Here’s the recording of the webinar on U12s to U16s early season planning with head of rugby at Desborough College, David Kilcoyne. When the recording starts, we are talking about what laws are coming into play at the start of the season, post covid, before we begin the main presentation after four minutes. Here are... MORE
Turn tackling into defence
in Defence
Players must work on their individual technique whilst cooperating with their team mates to reduce the options for the attack. This session develops this mindset. A tackler is part of the whole defence. A defence is not always breached because a tackle has been missed, but because a space is not covered. MORE
Close support, attack and defence
Work on the roles and skills of the attackers and defenders closest to the tackle area in a tight space. This activity puts the players in game-like situations to look for solutions. Though there are some principles to follow, this activity will give the players an opportunity to try out different ideas. Expect messy outcomes. MORE
Curves and jumps
Improve your players’ footwork as they run forward, so they beat opposition players, or at least create a chance for a good offload in contact. This is a simple session to set up and can be adjusted easily to suit the stages of your players’ development. MORE
Defensive curves
in Defence, Rugby drills
When the defence is outnumbered, it has to drift with the pass. It still has to go forward, but has to curve out at the same time. This session works on those curves. Defensive systems aim to cut down the time and space for the attack, even when they have to drift out. MORE
