Rugby: Rugby League - Touch Rugby Variation

Break your players into two teams.

• One team goes to attack, and one to defence.
• There is no kicking in this game.
• Normal laws of rugby do not apply e.g. the ball can be passed in any direction.
• The ball is passed from player to player, but once the ball is caught - the ball carrier must stop moving. They can move only to pass the ball to another player.
• The defenders can close down attackers, working to remove attacking options.
• Defenders can intercept the ball, but must leave the ball carrier alone once the ball is cause. They can apply pressure on the pass, similar to the pressure that a bastleball player might apply (but consider using this as a progression).
• Tries can be scored by attackers who catch the ball inside the oppositions in goal area.
• Dropped balls result in a turn over.

Tell players the following....

1. Each Player will work individually, unless told otherwise.
2. Players can run in any direction: moving forward or side to side.
3. They must remain within the grid trying to avoid contact by running into space, sidestepping for example.
4. They will have a ball each.
5. When the coach calls stop, all players must be at least 1m from the nearest player.
6. From time to time players will be ask to do things e.g. 1 press-up. Following completing the instruction - players should keep moving.
7. You will be asked to pass your ball - before doing anything make sure you communicate with another player, you agree to pass to each other, and then you make the pass!

• This part of your warm-up should be no more than five minutes.

• With each new instruction to players you'll be having a race, lets see which group is the fastest - no cheating!
• Don't spend too much time talking, get the players into their groups quickly and tell them to do the following:

1. Pass the ball between your legs to the person behind you - keep going until the ball reaches the end of the line.
2. Same thing as above, but this time when the ball reaches the end of the line, the player at the end runs the ball back and the ball starts the same journey again. This is repeating until the every player has run from the back to the front of the line.
3. Same idea but this time under legs then next person passes over head, next under legs (under/over/under etc.)
4. Same idea but twist hips to pass to person behind first to the left then to the right - back person runs to front.
5. As above but just over the head.
6. Progress this with your own ideas e.g. pass to the person behind you with one hand etc.

• This warm-up should be full of fun.

Players stand in a inner circle and have an outer circle 5m behind them.

2 players in the middle. one player passes the ball to one of the outside players. The other central player runs at the player with the ball rips the ball off the player and presents the ball to the original passer. This player then passes the ball to another player in the circle and the practice repeats it self.