Rugby: Grid Island

This is good for upper body strength.

Defenders must stand in a circle about 2 metres apart to keep contact away from injuring anybody unnecessarily. The ball carrier works into a defender who must wrap around and keep hold of the ball, the support attacker must rip the ball from his partner and move onto a different defender for the process to repeat. The 2 attackers are given a time limit to work as hard as possible.

Keep your player briefing short, and get the ball moving around the circle as quickly as possible.

• First have the players move the ball - clockwise around the circle, passing off their right hand.
• Then switch it, and have the ball move anti-clockwise around the circle, with the players passing off their left hand.
• Once the players have gotten into a rhythm of passing the ball, tell the players the following.

1. The player holding the ball will become a runner, their job is to pass the ball and then to set-off in the direction the ball will be traveling, trying to get to their starting position before the ball does.
2. They win if they make it back before the ball.
3. The players win if they can get the ball back before the runner.
4. The passers cannot miss-pass, the ball must travel through every set of hands.

• Each player in the group should have the chance to become a runner.
• Change the direction of the runner and the ball half way through.
• You might decide that the runner has to do a press-up or two, if they don't make it back ahead of the ball.
• And you may also decide that all the other players need to do the same if they do not get the ball back before the runner.
• You can further develop this game by making the circle bigger. This will push the runner and will increase the length of the pass required between each player. Just ask all of the players to take one or two steps back.

Within a set playing area split your players into two groups - catchers and runners.

It's the catcher's job to tag as many runners as possible with the ball.

Once a runner has been tagged they are "stuck", and must stand in a T-shape, with their arms up. They cannot move until they are released by another runner.

If you are stuck, the other players can release you by touching you on the head or running under your outstretched arms and/or legs.

6 players line up in a coned area each with a ball.

Players run out to score a try at the opposite end, and then return with the ball and pass to their partner.

Next 6 players go.

The drill is repeated and continuous.

Develop the drill by racing against each other