HOME Rugby Drills Contact Skills

Rugby: Contact and Support

I am so pleased with all of the drills and advice on rugby. I am a...

Mokie, Rugby Coach

DESCRIPTION

Ball carrier goes into contact with the tackle pads. Break through and offload to a supporting player.

COACHING POINTS

Low body position

Drive legs

Know where the support is coming from.

READ MORE

READ LESS

OFTEN USED WITH...

Offloads:

One group starts with the ball.

Player with the ball forwards towards the player with the pad.

The player hits pad with their right shoulder and ?pops? the ball off to the 1st player in the other group, who is running to receive the ball.

The next player hits pad with their left shoulder and ?pops? the ball off to the next player form the other group, who is running to receive the ball.

Drill continues until all players have carried out the drill from both sides.

Contact Skills

2 x Hit then pass:

Set up the practice as shown inside a 30m x 30m Grid.

6 Shields and 1 Ball.

Player 1 carries the ball before passing the ball to player 2 who bursts through the shields. Once through the other side, 2 passes to 3 and receives a return pass before bursting through the next set of shields

Once they are through the last two players with shields can move and try and block the runners. Player 2 has the option to pass to either player or go it alone.

Off Loads

Continuous layoff:

Player with the ball runs into contact and passes the ball out to the supporting player whom inturn passes it to the other side of the grid for the practice to repeat on the other side.

Contact Skills

Contact Pop Pass Contact:

Ball carrier goes forward, hitting in on the shield, turning to pop the call to a support player who passes the ball across the grid into the second channel for the first player in the opposite channel to take and advance on the the shield in their channel.
They hit in on the shield, turning to pop the ball to a support player who then passes the ball to the next receiver in the first channel.
Keep going, but don't forget to change the players on the tackle shields.

Warm Up

574191

1009

SIGN UP NOW FOR FREE

search our library of 1100+ rugby drills
create professional rugby coaching plans
or access our tried and tested rugby plans

Rugby

STAY CONNECTED

in more ways than one

sportplan_netball

JOIN SPORTPLAN FOR FREE

search our library of 1100+ rugby drills
create your own professional coaching plans
or access our tried and tested plans

Rugby

STAY CONNECTED

in more ways than one

sportplan_rugby

LATEST FROM THE BLOG

The 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour: What To Expect

As the Lions tour approaches with their first tour game this Friday against Argentina, we look ahead at what the fans can expect to see from both sides as the tour in Australia approaches...

June 18th, 2025

Cam Hughes