EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
No player likes to be tackled when carrying the ball, so arm them with evasion skills. This game promotes fast feet by changing stride patterns at pace while working on passing and communication.
Eight players and four balls in a 15m square with four agility ladders placed randomly within. If you do not have ladders, use channels of cones or poles (picture 1). Set up as many squares as players/ equipment permit.
When you blow a whistle, four players pick up balls and run through a ladder at pace (picture 2), stepping through every rung.
The other players jog around the square then run to a ladder for a pass before running through a ladder themselves (picture 3). Keep going for one minute.
“Heels off the ground, low centre of gravity, ball close to chest when going through a ladder.”
“Keep your head moving constantly, listen for calls and make quick, catchable passes.”
“Loud calls for passes.”
Avoiding a tackle as long as possible means more ground gained, more momentum and more time for support to arrive and keep things moving.
in Footwork and evasion, Small-sided games
Encourage your ball carriers to run at pace, looking to avoid contact by anticipating where the spaces are. This is a scanning exercise for just the ball carrier. They will make mistakes, yet start to become attuned to looking for gaps. MORE
Thinking outside the box is currently the order of the day with Covid! So, I have used giant ladders to teach attacking shape and scanning with my players. The focus of this game is attack, but there is some defensive lessons that can be taken from this game too. SET UP If you have the... MORE
in Rugby drills, Small-sided games
My “Find the bib” game is adapted from the game called “Drop-off touch”. It challenges the players to look for mismatches and also create them too. MORE
in Passing & Handling, Rugby drills, Small-sided games
A fun game which forces players to push their passes hard towards the target, improving their accuracy and pass strength. One group aims to intercept a pass with their own ball (the “skeeter"). This activity encourages hard passes to a target, so will create better passing habits. MORE
This is an adaptation of a game I use in school. It’s great as a warm-up or as a game to encourage and support creativity before moving towards a more rugby-specific game. It encourages and challenges evasion skills, spatial awareness, communication, as well as passing, kicking and catching. MORE
Here is my version of Tens which should allow all your players in your squad to get the most out of the modified version of the game. MORE
