EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
in Attacking Principles of Play, Small-sided games
Despite being the most fundamental attacking and defensive principles of play, getting a team to Go Forward can often be a challenge. Use a game of Pitch Invaders to emphasise the importance of this principle. MORE
Create adaptive defenders who can react to the problems in front of them and make accurate defensive calls. This game works on both sides of the ball with the attacking team looking to get past the defence and score within the allocated number of phases. MORE
Use a game with a "freeze" reward to challenge your players’ awareness, scanning, communication and to plan ahead. The game involves the attack or defence (depending on your focus) freezing the opposition as a reward for completing an agreed criteria. For example, if a team complete five dominant tackles, they can freeze the opposition for 3 seconds to realign. MORE
in Girls/Womens, Small-sided games
You can simply add in different rules to transition the netball game into a game of touch. However, the game of rugby netball on its own is also a fertile ground for practice design and player development. Here are a few variations to make rugby netball a key training game for you and your players. MORE
Use a game of “Colours” to challenge the awareness and communication skills of your players. The game revolves around different coloured try lines (and eventually balls), either the players or coach can call the change of colour, which then changes the direction of the attack. The challenge: All the players must react to the change in direction of the pitch, being aware of which try line is where, where their players are aligned, which way they are now attacking and defending, and communicating to support a faster, more effective transition. MORE
in Passing & Handling, Rugby drills, Small-sided games
Use this game-exercise-game activity to develop passing skills for all ages of players. You control the intensity to suit the skills of the players. They have to inject the energy. Use a game to motivate the players to improve their passing, then develop it in an exercise before returning to the game. MORE
in Girls/Womens, Small-sided games
Try this fun game to help players work on defensive organisation. By forming a physical defence chain, players work together to stop attackers from scoring. This game also helps attackers identify gaps on the wings and learn to execute opportunities. It develops an idea from Andrew Drayton who coaches Credition girls, Devon. MORE
in Rugby drills, Small-sided games
Here are two versions of the same game. In each one, it is a basic 2 v 1, but the angles of attack and defence keep changing depending on the target. It really challenges the role of the support player to put themselves in a good position to give the ball carrier options. MORE
in Attack, Rugby drills, Small-sided games
Improve your players’ understanding of their roles to make sure you can retrieve kicks and attack space when in possession. Play with your Terms and Conditions, not the kicking teams’. When a team kicks into space, the defending team needs to communicate and fan out so it can run back at spaces. MORE
in Return to play, Small-sided games
Rugby is missing real competition. Whilst we can see how competition can sometimes hinder development, especially when coaches only prioritise work in sessions to achieve this goal, it must be said that without it lurking in the background, sessions feel a bit detached. MORE
