EXPERT SESSIONS AND ADVICE FROM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED GRASSROOTS RUGBY COACHES
in Email Newsletters, Rugby coaching, Rugby drills
In all the excitement of the planning for the first full session back at training, I forgot three things that would have made a difference to training. Not perhaps the vital difference, but when you’ve coached for so long, it’s annoying when you make mistakes. I was lucky enough to work with three experienced co-coaches... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Return to play
With more and more sport opening up in the coming weeks, everyone will be excited about the prospect of training and even playing. For some teams, the training sessions will almost run themselves as the players are keen to just be back together and play. For others, they might have lost a certain amount of confidence, fearing that their months of inactivity will make a training session an horrific aerobic disaster zone. I think you have three tough decisions ahead of you. MORE
Back to training and there are five things you must do to ensure you make the most of your precious time with your players. Before we start, here are three things you shouldn’t do: 1. Do fitness testing. 2. Overload the players with too many skills. 3. Run extra sessions for catch up. Click here... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Tackling
With the contact rugby not far away, you will be planning some form of tackling practice to fit into your training sessions. In these unusual times, you might find yourself almost reteaching tackling for some players. Even for more experienced players, they will need time to rediscover the safe, efficient and effective techniques and skills.... MORE
in Core skills, Email Newsletters, Rugby drills
In Jason Tee and Mike Ashford's e-learning course, Turn your game model into a training session, they set out how you can solve a performance problem. For example, how would you improve your double tacking or quick ruck ball or passing out of the tackle. They suggest you break down coaching the problem into four stages. Depending on your current players' understanding, you can start your next training session at any one of those stages. MORE
in Email Newsletters, Kicking & Catching
Players who turn for training early often kick the ball around. While you might not want to intervene and allow them to have free play, you might want to make this a "thing". That is, "if you want to start 15 minutes earlier than the official start time, I will lay on some activities to do. They are voluntary". MORE
in Email Newsletters, Rugby drills
Returning to rugby is so exciting. But, like a hungry child who drinks too many fizzy drinks before a meal starts, we are in danger of blowing out our players in their first session and spoiling their feast.Instead, find the challenge points to give them the right opportunities to rediscover their pre-lockdown fitness levels. MORE
While our priority will be re-engaging players with games, we will still need to mix in "skill zones". This is another name for a more intense focus on a particular skill or technique. Have a bank of skill zones ready to drop into your sessions. Here let's focus on passing. MORE
With the exciting possibility of a return to rugby less than five weeks away, here are two ideas and a bunch of activities to get you and your coaches ready. MORE
When you return to rugby, there will be a long list of areas you need to do to rebuild your team's skill levels and understanding. Here are four games that can cover a range of outcomes, building in complexity, moving towards the full game. MORE
