5 Rugby Coaching Tips from the Pros
These 5 rugby coaching tips from the pros will help both coaches and players at the amateur level to strategize and play the rough game of rugby better. Rugby is an early version of football in a way, as it entails groups of people on opposing teams tackling and blocking each other in attempts to get a football shaped ball to their opponents end of the field. However, there are no pads and a number of different rules to the game of rugby, ranging from how the ball can be moved down the field to how you score in the game. Check out these rugby coaching tips and see if they will help you in your future rugby playing.
Games and Drills
Coaches should have the players on their team scrimmage on a regular basis to really learn the game of rugby, as it will allow them to see all the small parts they have been practicing to all come together at once. This doesn't mean that drills should not be taught, as these small parts of the game are integral for players to do like it is second nature, but putting it all together is often the hardest part. Also, keep in mind that drills aren't much fun. Playing is what is really fun and why most people are on the field. Don't have these scrimmages be too rough as it can get players hurt before the games, but have it be a realistic, full contact scrimmage.
Condition Regularly
The stronger and faster rugby player is usually the better rugby player. While finesse and certain small skills will put some rugby players over the top, rugby is a game of toughness and stamina. So, this should be a focus of every practice and in the off time of practices, if possible.
Passing Drills
One of the hardest things to do successfully in the game of rugby during the rough and fast paced parts of the game is pass the ball in the middle of a play accurately. So these drills should be practiced regularly in order to make all the players efficient passers on your team, or at least work to make them efficient passers. In rugby everyone can pass, so therefore everyone on the team needs to know how as they may have to during an important part of a game.
Catching Drills
As important as passing is to the game of rugby, catching the passed ball is almost as important as well, as the pass doesn't matter if players on the team can't catch. So players should practice catching one rugby ball after another tossed in a number of ways from a number of different angles. They should also practice picking balls up off the ground that have been dropped or fumbled.
Getting Low
One of the hardest things to teach players is to get low on the point of contact when tackling or blocking as it is the most effective way to do this. However, this is also where the knees and legs are, and players often get injured while playing. If you do it safely, it will make them better players. In rugby, the saying of no pain no gain is absolutely true.
