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1 vs 1 Ball Retention

The ball carrier walks up to the defender and turns away to present the ball to their own team. The defender should try to turn the ball carrier and keep him facing away from support.

Ball Presentation

Box agility running

Players line up in two groups on the first cone. On GO, the first players side step to the second cone, go around it and run backwards to cone three where they side step the opposite direction to cone four where they turn and sprint back to the start and pass the ball to the next player. When both players have received a ball they repeat the drill Its a good idea to have groups next to each other so they can compete against each other.

Agility & Running Skills

Catching a high ball

Call for the ball! Head and eyes up looking at the ball, get in line with the ball. Quickly move to the ball's 'drop zone' Adjust position to get under ball, hands up and ready to take ball Turn the body to protect during contact and also to avoid a potential knock on if dropped ball Raise one knee to protect yourself from any potential contact (Note: it's illegal to be tackled in the air). As you land on your feet brace yourself for contact.

Catching

Driving Maul

3 attackers against two defenders with contact pads. Ball carrier takes ball into contact turning before hitting pads and presenting the ball.Next two players bind on either side and drive the maul to the end of the grid to score.

Maul

Fast Footwork

Setup as shown. 2 groups with one ball per group. The first players in each group sprint to the second blue cone then quickly back step to the first. Then they sprint to the third, back step to the second,, then sprint to the fourth where they side step to the next cone. At that cone, they sprint forwards to the next cone then side step to the last cone which they turn around and sprint back to the start and pass the ball to the next player.

Agility & Running Skills

Introduction to ruck

In small teams, play a modified game where if the ball carrier is touched on the shorts with both hands of a defender, the ball carrier must go to ground and present the ball to a support player who passes the ball from the ground unopposed Change possession once a try has been scored.

Ruck

Lateral Pass

Passing

More Loop

Tell your players the following...... The ball carrier (A) runs straight in a line and makes a normal lateral pass to the supporting player (B) After passing the ball A runs towards and behind B After B catches the pass they angle their run towards the direction the pass has come from and so create space A runs around B and straightens as they receive the pass In effect you want the players to loop around the new ball carrier after they make their pass.

Passing

Progression in ruck

In groups of four, the ball carrier runs out, turns and passes the ball to the second player. The first player then becomes a defender. Player 2 goes into contact and tries to drive the defender forward but when stopped, slides down to ground and presents the ball. Player 3 then drives over player 2, clearing the defender out of the way. Player 4 picks up the ball and runs on to the end where the drill is restarted running back down the grid

Ruck

Tag Maul Game

Groups of 10. 5 v 5 Match. Players start the game and after each touch the touched player must simulate a MAUL by turning and setting up the ball. Allow 1 player to drive in on the ball.

Maul

Turn-Over Game Sevens - Rugby ...

Tell the players the following...... We are going to play a game, the 7 defenders will stay in defence throughout, and the 5 attacking players will remain the attack. If for any reason the ball is lost, it is given back to the attack. The attack scores by scoring a try in the normal way. The defence scores by turning the ball over. That's it, play. As the game develops, increase the size of the playing area. Switch the attackers and defenders.

General

Back To Back Turn & Chop Tackl...

Players stand back to back with coloured cones either side. When the coach shouts go both player run around their white cones. The coach shouts a colour and the ballc carrier runs towards that cone. If the attacker runs to the tacklers left hand side they must tackle with their left shoulder, if they run right they must tackle with their right shoulder.

General

123 Play Divots Warm Up - Rugb...

 The Moles want to turn the cones onto their head, and the Green-keepers want the cones the right way up. Let the kids play, you can start the game by shouting '123 Play Divots!'. After playing for some time, lets find out who is winning - but don't take too long counting. Now tell the players that they must do one press-up before turning a cone - let the game start again. Play for another minute or two.

General

Grids Handling - Rugby Drills,...

1) Run out (2 steps) turn and pop ball to a support player. 2) Run out (2 steps) turn and let support player take it out of your hands. 3) Run out - go to floor (facing support runner). Chest pass up to support. Progression: Support player tells person in front which of the above he wants.

General

Drop Off Passing - Rugby Drill...

4 cones with 2 balls.Players start running at the same time and when the meet in the middle, the blue players give a drop off pass to the red player before both continuing their run to the opposite end to which they started.

General

Seven In Touch Sevens - Rugby ...

The following are the laws for this game: Equal number of defenders and attackers. Normal laws of sevens rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over. The attacking team gets 8 touches before the ball has to be turned over. Change this to suit your training goals. When an attacker is touched they: stop running, turn and present the ball to a support player who waits for the entire defence to gather in around the defender that made the touch. Following a touch all defenders must gather in and be connected by touching another defender. Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence restart the game. If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters. If the defence does not get in quickly, the attack can gain 10 meters. Judge this depending on your player's fitness. There is no kicking.

General

Building The Defence 2 - TURNO...

Tell your players the following......... The coach will call a number e.g. 1. That attacking group must attack, aiming to score a try at the opposite end of the grid. The defence must try to stop them, but their target is to turnover the ball. Simple as that - except the number calls will be quick - there will be no delays between attacks, so the defence must be Sharpe and respond quickly to what they see. That's it - lets play. Don't forget to change the defenders.

General

Switch Over Attack Passing - R...

Drill to practice attacking organisational skillsSet up a grid roughly 20m wide and 20m long, with different coloured cones at one end and 5m away from that end (see diagram).3 defending players line up at one end (blue players between white cones) and 5m infront of them 4 attacking players line up (red players between green cones). One further defender waits at the opposite end of the grid.On the coaches command the three defending players run to the green cones and turn to defend. Meanwhile the four attacking players run to the white cones and turn to attack, receiveing the ball from the coach (grey). They are trying to score at the far end of the grid (red cones).Once the attack have beaten the defensive line the final defender may move forward off the try line (red cones) and try and defend.

General

7 v 3 Decision making - Rugby ...

Groups of tenOne ball per groupDefenders equidistant, can only move forwards and backwardsAttackers bunched to startOnce at the end turn straight around and repeat

General

Periperal Vision Passing - Rug...

X throws ball up and A must the pass the 2nd ball to X, who catches passes to B. X then catches the original ball and throws it up again, while B passes the 2nd ball back to X who passes it on to A who then catches original ball again.

General

Choke Tackle Progression Tackl...

5 stage progression session. Bibs.Balls Cones. 1. Warm up - Wrestle One player with the ball trys to fight their hips away from the other play who fights to to keep his/her hips infront of the other player. 2. 50% Side --> Front TacklePlayers start on oppsoite side of grid. Ball Carrier runs across while the defender makes a tall tackle, whist trying to get his hips in a front on position. Low to High hit, aiming for under the elbows or ball. 3. 2nd Defender introduced. Double team tackle. Inside player hits low to high under elbow, keeping hips square. The second player aims for the ball and fights to keeps attacker off the ground. 4. Rugby Netball in 7m x7m grid. Attacking team tries to complete 8 passes while the defending team tries to complete a choke tackle on one of the attacking players. Turn over once a choke tackle has been successfully executed. 5. Contact Game Half pitch contact game, with defending team aiming to complete a choke tackle. Turn over when one is made.

General

Rugby: Speed pass challenge - ...

Groups of 8Ball Cones2 sets of 4 players line up back to back.Cones are places 3m apart and 3 in fornt of both set of players.When the coach says go the players must complete 4 passes before reaching the far cones. Then they must turn and do the same off coming back. (1 rep) Its a race agaisnt the opposing attackers to compelete the the reps given.

General

1 vs 1 Ball Retention Ball Pre...

The ball carrier walks up to the defender and turns away to present the ball to their own team. The defender should try to turn the ball carrier and keep him facing away from support.

General

Go To Goal Touch Warm Up - Rug...

The following are the laws for this game: Normal laws of rugby apply; a knock on etc. results in a turn over. The attacking team gets 8 touches before the ball has to be turned over. Change this to suit your training goals. It would be ok to have unlimited touches, changing the defence and attack after a set period of time. A player is touched only when the defender has made a two handed touch, you can change this to one hand if you wish. Defenders cannot hold the attacker, nor can the attacker use significant force to push through defenders. Defenders who make a touch run to the furthest in goal area and back before being back to re-join the defensive line. You will find that several defenders will be making their way forward and back at any given time. If an attacking player is touched while in posession of the ball: they stop, set the ball down, stand over it, and the scrum half is allowed to move the ball again to restart the attack. The defence must remain onside following a touch. Only when the support player passes the ball out can the defence press up on the attack. If the defence goes offside or operates illegally, the attack gains 10 meters. Don't forget to switch the teams around. Tries only, no conversions - keep the game tempo high. There is no kicking.

General

Grids Ball handling - Rugby Le...

1) Run out (2 steps) turn and pop ball to a support player. 2) Run out (2 steps) turn and let support player take it out of your hands. 3) Run out - go to floor (facing support runner). Chest pass up to support. Progression: Support player tells person in front which of the above he wants.

General

Pressure Cooker Passing - Rugb...

4 players stand on the middle cones in the grid, avoiding the corner cones. The 2 players at the top and the bottom of the grid will have a ball. The players on the sides of the grid will have one ball between them. The 5th player will be the ball carrier. The ball carrier starts at the top of the grid facing the bottom. Moving forward they will take a pass off one of the middle players and pass the ball onto the other middle player. They will then collect a pass off the player in front of them, before popping the ball back to them. They will then turn and once again collect a pass off one of the middle players before moving it on to the other middle player. They then take a pass off the top player before popping it back and starting the exercise again. They keep going until told to switch with another player. The player in the middle can turn and flick the ball to the static players at the top and bottom of the grid, as well as popping the ball.

General

3D Touch Rugby School - Rugby ...

Players can run with the ball and pass in all directions. If a player is touched while in possession of the ball, it is an immediate turnover (ball put on the floor). The team that scores, turn to attack the other way. This rewards teams scoring and means defensive side have to work to get the ball back.

General

Rugby: Speed pass challenge - ...

Groups of 8Ball Cones2 sets of 4 players line up back to back.Cones are places 3m apart and 3 in fornt of both set of players.When the coach says go the players must complete 4 passes before reaching the far cones. Then they must turn and do the same off coming back. (1 rep) Its a race agaisnt the opposing attackers to compelete the the reps given.

General

Ruck 5 Ruck - Rugby Drills, Ru...

General

Driving Maul Maul - Rugby Dril...

3 attackers against two defenders with contact pads.Ball carrier takes ball into contact turning before hitting pads and presenting the ball.<BR>Next two players bind on either side and drive the maul to the end of the grid to score.<BR>

General

Push Push 2 Sevens - Rugby Dri...

Tell the players the following...... When the attack advances the defenders PRESS UP on the attack. The attackers must pass the ball down the line, no inside passes. The defenders PUSH/DRIFT across pushing the attack towards the sideline. When the attack reaches the end of the grid, if it reaches the end - the attack turn and sets - as does the defence. The exercise restarts. This is a full contact exercise. Don't forget to switch defenders into attack.

General

Union Jack Passing - Rugby Dri...

Tell your players the following... On GO Player A passes to B who in turn passes to Player C. At the same time Player E passes F. Once the players have passed the ball they then swap with the opposite player. Player A swaps with Player E, player B swaps with Player F, Player C with Player G, Player D with H. It's important that players only swap once they have passed the ball and only pass it when a player is in position to receive it. So - players swap following a pass - with their opposite number, the pass is always left.

General

Rugby: Changing Direction - Co...

<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Two players are racing to get back to the middle after touching cones on opposite sides.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Two players start facing each other on the middle cone and await the coaches signal.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Players will accelerate to the cone on one side, turn and accelerate to the other side, turn again and accelerate back to the middle.

General

Fast Hands Passing - Rugby Dri...

Drill to practice fast, accurate passing.Set up a T shape with 3 cones roughly 5m away from the central cone (see diagram)One player stands on each cone, the player in the middle of the T is the player who works (yellow).The players on the outside (blue) take it in turns to pass to the working player (yellow), who must catch the ball and pass it to the free player on the edge (see video.PROGRESSIONS:Start slowly and increase the pace at which the players pass to the working player, giving them less time to catch and pass the ballIncrease the distance that the working player must pass the ball.

General

It's All Rip and Roll To Me! W...

You may consider these two points when looking to challenge or build confidence. Keep your player briefing, brief! It's best not to have your players standing around listening to you - let them play, let them discover. Split your players into two teams, giving each team their own set of coloured bibs. Normal laws of rugby apply e.g. if you knock the ball on - then it's turned over to the opposition. When touched the ball carrier must turn, a support player will drive onto the ball ripping and rolling or ripping and popping to another attacking player. The defender that made the original touch cannot make a second touch on the player who rips and rolls. The defenders should act as they normally would during a match. If the ball goes into touch, the put-in should be quick. If that can't be the case - the point of the put in becomes the offside line and the defenders must remain behind that line. The ball must go at least 5 meters and can travel straight or backwards. There is no kicking in this game. You decide on a number of touch options e.g. unlimited touches, 4/8 touches, or make it a little more complex with 4 rip and pop touches, and 4 rip and roll touches (this last option forces the team to employ both tactics or lose the ball). Don't be afraid to experiment with different law variations and let us know what worked for you!

General

Attack from Turnover Match Rel...

2 Teams Ball Tackle Bags 3 Tackle bags are in a break down formation. With one player from the other team opposite them. The tackle bag team is lined up as if they are about to attack. The non tackle bag team must line up as if they are defending.The ball is rolled in the player with no tackle bag on the opposite team must get the ball away from the break down as quickly as possible with the tackle bags putting lots of pressure on. The non takcle bag team then must re-align as quickly as possible aiming to score from the turn over ball.

General

Continuous break Match Related...

Coned area 30 metres by 30 metres with two teams of players on one side Coach kicks the ball is kicked into the the grid. 2 different numbers are called with the 1st number being for the number of attackers and the 2nd the number of defenders The attackers have to field the ball, turn and counter attack against the defenders

General

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turn DRILL CATEGORIES
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Ball Presentation Drills
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Ruck Clear Out Drills
Sevens Drills
Ball Presentation Drills
Decision making Drills
Ruck Clear Out Drills
Sevens Drills
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Contact Skills in the Tackle

Instil confidence and tackle toughness into your players with this tackling from the front, side and back session! Build their knowledge of the benefits of tackling and how different type of tackle can determine the way the phase plays out.

Developing offloading and 2nd wave defence

Here's a bumper session that covers two crucial elements of the game - it's not one to be missed. Click through below and try it with your squad tonight

Improving your Passing Skills

Get your players passing accurately and with variety in this session

Attacking part 1

It?s all about points scoring with this session. Encourage your players to continually offer support to develop fine techniques to attack with crisp plays.

Improving Kicking Accuracy

Add an extra dimension to your game plus scrub up on the absolutely essential kicking techniques with this kicking session packed of videos and drills.

Position Specific Speed Training

Get your team the fastest and most agile out there. As the season deepens, we all need to stay on top of our game; make sure every position is covered with this intense drill.

Understanding the importance of effective offloading to secure possession

Develop your team's decision making ability to recognise how and when to set up an offload to unlock the defence.

2nd Wave Defence and Developing Offloading!

Develop your team's offloading in attack and their 2nd wave defensive play with this session

Effective Counter Attacking - Options after a Turnover

Can your team counter quickly? A speedy attack after a turnover is a great way for your team to score as the opposition will be out of position

Developing Invasive Attacking Skills

Think quickly and get past the opposition, with this attacking skills session!

The breakdown: Turning the Ball Over - Part Two

Teach your players to make the right decisions in the breakdown - don't lose possession when your players go to ground.

The breakdown: Turning the Ball Over - Part one

Hard work doesn't stop! Teach your players to get back to their feet quickly and compete to win the turnover

Sevens Rugby: Attacking the Space - Pass, Follow and Support

Get your players to use the width of the pitch and play intelligently, offering wide support options in this sevens rugby session.

Engaging Defenders - Passing, Running and Receiving!

Put some sting in your rugby with this London Wasps fundamentals session! No matter what time it is in the season make time to work on the basics!

Decision Making and Handling

Time waits for no man, so use this easy to set up attacking session to get your players thinking on their feet and playing fast, quick-thinking and intelligent rugby

Improving Support Play and Decision Making

Teach your players how to make quickly make decisions and scan defences for weaknesses in this week's support and decisive play session!
turn ANSWERS
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I coach Under 11's I have two players that do all the right things in training but when the game starts they will not pass. They do score tries but I think we could score more if they passed. What can I do? Gary SWales

Ask a question and have it answered by Coaches from around the world and Sportplan's team of Experts.

Gary Grant Coach, Wales

next season we introduce kicking to the boys what can you suggest would be a good place to start and how quickly should this progress be. any hints tips or drills would be great

Ask a question and have it answered by Coaches from around the world and Sportplan's team of Experts.

iain Coach, England

Scoring tries - habit?

Why is it important to get players to score the try when completing a handling/running drill?

Archived User Coach

I'm 19 years old in Canada and have started a new rugby team?

I'm 19 years old in Canada and have started a new team. All the students that have signed up are new to the game and are about 14/15.. Any tips on how to introduce rugby to them?

Archived User Coach

Back 3 positioning to defend a kick

I am looking to work with my back 3 on how to defend a kick and turn this into attack. I need to work on their positioning as well.Any drills/suggestions appreciated.

Archived User Coach

Looking for day 0 skills to teach children?

I am looking for a Day 0 type of session for American children who may have never held a rugby ball. If I move forward with a rugby exhibition/team creation in the neighborhood, I want to make sure I know how/what to teach Day 0. I'm hoping that interest is growing for touch and flag rugby due to the recent in Philadelphia between the USA Eagles and the Maori All Blacks. I was there. It was fantastic. Tickets sold out so fast, I think there will be more of these in the area. Thanks.

Doug Jones Coach, United States of America

I don't have the start new sketch button in my ipad

Why don't have that?I can't draw a drillDon't understand

Archived User Coach

Rugby warm-Ups for Mini Rugby Aged 8

Hi. I am in charge of the Mini Rugby (age 8) warm-up and am interested in more ideas. I try and keep them fun, sports specific and interesting for the boys and they seem to like what I do. Can anyone please help? Thanks!

Archived User Coach

U14's girls teamwork

I am having trouble getting my girls to work as a team. Any advice?

Archived User Coach

Getting 9-10 year olds to spread the ball out wide

Getting quite frustrated that my u10's are not using the space on the pitch and tend to bunch up. Despite various drills and game scenarios to force them to spread out and pass to someone in space they revert in any game to bunching up around the ball and taking it back into the thick of the opposition rather than looking left or right! Any ideas how to change their ways?

Ian G Coach, England

Spin pass for a 14-year old boy?

I need coaching points on how to spin passin a casual game how to quickly get it away

sarah milford Coach, England

how do i turn off automatic subscription

automatic subscription

Lisa Hickey Coach, Australia

sound

how can I turn the sound on the the videos?

Kimberley Weston Coach, Australia

Clipboard

I have created a clipboard and now need to know how to share with my colleagues at School. Can you assist me with this?Thanks, Nao

Naomi Redhead Coach, England

gymnast with amputated arm

Bar routine for gymnast with amputated arm

Mandi Smith Coach, United Kingdom

emails

How do I turn of email notifications

Joshua woosley Coach, Australia

my club has a problem with the...

my club has a problem with the seniors. Numbers at training are low every week, I know there is not a quick solution so how can i create a good culture of training ?

Archived User Coach

Getting 9-10 year olds to spre...

Getting quite frustrated that my u10's are not using the space on the pitch and tend to bunch up. Despite various drills and game scenarios to force them to spread out and pass to someone in space they revert in any game to bunching up around the ball and taking it back into the thick of the opposition rather than looking left or right! Any ideas how to change their ways?

Ian G Coach, England

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