Rugby Coaching Drills Video Library
Touch rugby - roll ball back
Warm-Up Games
Game for Communication Skills
A clever game created by Russell Earnshaw to encourage players to experiment and learn about communication
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JOIN NOWWasps - Keeping It Fun
We can all take things too seriously at times and need reminding why we take part in sport. It is not only the community game that keeps fun at the centre of things, the pro's do as well. This clip shows a simple fun game to use at the start of sessions
Drop off touch - start with a game
Chris Kibble of Esher RFC & Whitgift school says to start your sessions with a game. In this clip Chris runs a game called "Drop touch" where the players run back to a line when they make a touch. This is good for fitness and creating wholes to attack
Collision Fitness - Slaps & Taps
Combat style exercise for agility, tackle technique and general warm up. This should make players work hard on the their feet for 60 second bursts
Fun Offloading Game!
Ball control is the key element to an effective offload. Jim Evans from Harlequins uses some fun games to coach this skill
Mini Games
Some simple but fun games to use for getting very young players enjoying rugby
Collision Fitness - Spinning Bears
Another innovative exercise from "The Athlete Factory" which combines speed & power with technical accuracy. These exercises can be applied to all age groups to build confidence
Offside Touch - Heads Up Rugby
Use this game of offside touch to force your players to play with their heads up to identify space. One player per side can play in an offside position and players are allowed to kick.
Warm Up - Touch
A game of touch in a shortened pitch to keep the game moving quicker and keep all players active. Split players into separate games to ensure everyone is involved. Coaches are free to call turnovers and add any conditions to make it more dynamic.
Sharks and Fish Game
Sharks and Fish Game
Small sided evasion game
Developing core skills for agility and ball carrying
Breakout Touch Rugby Game
Breakout Touch Rugby Game
Hand-eye Coordination
This 4-man handling grid tests the coordination and peripheral vision of the central player. They have to accurately pass two balls quickly among the other 3 players. Change the central player regularly. Key factors : Communication - Concentration - Timing - Use wrists and not arms
Chase from the floor reaction drill
A great drill for developing reactions and speed off the floor
Catch Up Passing Game
A quick handling game to warm up. Handy if there's a few players standing around at the beginning of a session, waiting for others to turn up.
Using Games - 'Choke Ball'
Jake Sharp from Oaklands college delivers a fun game that requires a range of skills from the players. The coach uses lots of questioning to cement the learning and talk about why games are such an important coaching tool
Quick fire Attacking Game
This is a great game to keep players engaged by constantly testing their decision-making and execution in attack. Essentially, it's a 4 v 2 game where the attackers always have the advtantage, but they still have to make good decisions to score. It is a high-tempo game that requires the attackers to turn around and attack again straight after scoring.
Combat fitness - Press Up Jackal
Our combat & collision skills are behind the southern hemisphere and elite coaches are working hard to change this. Here is a simple exercise for both technique and fitness
Warming Up
Saracens academy coaches explain why they use games for their warm ups and show some examples
Gloucester Warm Up
Coaching is constantly changing and so does the "Warm Up", this clip goes inside the Gloucester academy squad during their end of season finals at the Allinaz stadium. You should find some new ideas
Pop Off The Ground Touch
Pop Off The Ground Touch
Ball Presentation Touch Game
Ball Presentation Touch
Small-side game - Ruck Touch
There are many versions of ruck touch with the support players needing to recognise the needs of the tackled player.
The defence should be conditioned to provide increasing pressure to the tackle area. This will develop the situation recognision of the attacking players who must play accordingly. Robotics in rucking regardles of the situation should be discouraged and the option of picking upthe ball and going forward should be an option
360 Games - Any Direction Attack
A warm up or starting 360 game where players can attack in any direction. This game is the basis to for coaches to then add numerous conditions based upon the focus of the session
Egg in the nest game
Owen Davies provides the main points for "Egg in the nest" game and why he uses games to keep the players engaged and active
End ball game for warm ups
A fun but competitive warm-up game that get's players switched on and ready to train.
Breakout Game
Breakout Game
Handling Relay - Over / Under
A fun game that combines stretching, movement and hand-eye co-ordination to get players warmed up but keeping the ball in hand.
Using Games To Problem Solve
It is important that coaches integrate "Problem solving" into their sessions. Disperse cones randomly and the defending players must guard them. With one more cone than defenders, the attacker must try to get to an empty cone before it is guarded!
Rugby-Football Game
A great fun game that combines rugby and football, that also tests the players skills for catch & pass, awareness and support play. This can be played with age groups from 13 / 14 upwards
Quins - Rugby Netball Game
Rugby netball is a ball game that is great for warm ups and getting a session started. The coach can set targets for the number of passes or set up goals to score through, just set the conditions you want to work to
Number Touch Game
Number Touch Game
Rugby Netball
Rugby Netball
How to carry the ball - Relay & fun
Devloping core skills and fitness for players learning rugby
Conor O Shea - Gamesense for elite
Conor O Shea relates GAmesense coaching within the professional environment
Hand eye coordination (SM)
A great drill for small groups, lots of passes and practice.
Team warm up
Warm up with individual ownership
Drop touch - Full pitch
In this game, defenders are randomly selected to sprint back to their try line before re-joining the game. This creates spaces for the attacking side to spot and exploit.
Rugby netball
A game for warming up and to develop players' awareness of space.
Rugby netball variation
Play a game to develop understanding - here the ball carrier cannot run with the ball.
Rugby Netball using goals on wide pitch
A game for developing players understanding of space out wide.
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