Rugby: Quick Hands Relay Race

Make sure your players are running hard and straight in attack to draw in defenders before feeding their teammate into the space.

• 6x6m Grid 
• Ball 

• Players line up in 3s opposite sides of the grid. 
• Simply pass the ball along the line. 
• 1 defender is in the middle of the grid putting pressure on all ball carriers.
• Once hand completed the next line starts immediately. 
• Defender swaps out when there is a mistake or when he touches someone with the ball. 

• Progression: add another defender, make the passes wider. 

• Groups of 12+ 
• Balls 
• Cones

4 defenders lineup in a passing grid, that has laid out 2 red cones and 2 blue cones as shown in diagram. 

4 attackers line up opposite passing the ball up and down there line of 4.

When the coach shouts blue or red, the attackers set off, and the defenders on the coloured cone the coach shouts out. 

The Attckers must react fix the defenders, identify the space and score. 

• Set up: the cones as shown with a cone 10 meters each side of the posts on the try line. This will mark where the ball will be passed from (feeder) preferably from a scrum half.
• Divide the group into 3 and ask them to stand in single file behind each cone.
• The ball is fed from a position alternately from either side of the post. This will encourage the players to scan, communicate and to be expectant of the ball.
• The players on the cones opposite the posts will either be the 1st receiver or the BANG option runner. The BANG runner is always running an out to in, or up to in line to fix the 2nd defender.
• The players on the middle cone will receive the ball in the BINGO (pull back) option outside the ‘outside’ post or just in behind the BANG player.
• The BINGO players should run and an arced run to receive the ball outside the outer post. The BINGO player should try to straighten up prior to receiving or on receiving the ball.

• Progression:
• Get 2 players or coaches to stand in front of the posts with 2 different coloured cones in their hands on their hips.
• The cones will represent the ‘hips’ of the 2nd defender.
• The aim is to encourage the 1st receiver to scan, look, and make a quick decision (choice of pass) depending on what the defender is doing.
• If the 1st receivers sees the ‘inside’ cone on the 2nd defender then they must assume the defenders hips are turned OUT and make a short pass to the BANG runner.
• If the 1st receivers sees the ‘outside’ cone on the 2nd defender then they must assume the defenders hips are turned IN and make a PULL BACK pass to the BINGO runner.

• Groups of 6+ 
• Ball

3 Attackers line up opposite 2 defenders. 

The ball carrier takes the ball hard up to the line. 

A trialer runner stays hidden behind ball carrier.

The 2nd Reciver does an out to in line of running (acting as the short crash ball) 

The trialer runner runs an arking line out the back (acting as a out wide option) 

The Defence make a decion whether to bite on the short runner or wide runner.

The ball carrier tries to make the right option of what ball to give.