Rugby: Introduction to ruck

Have a line of two or more ruck shields, a safe distance apart, five meters from the players that will make the hits. Make sure that the pad holders are holding their pads safely. You should also make sure that you have as many stations as you need in order to keep as many of your players as busy as possible. The player facing the pad should do the following... Approach the pad high. Hit low and hard with the shoulder. Take the pad holders leading leg, raising they legs off the ground. Drive through the hit, placing their non leg holding hand rightly around the body of the pad holder. They should pump with their legs, beyond the contact.

In this exercise position 3 pad holding units, or 1 or 2 players, five meters in front of 3 rucking units, 1 unit facing each pad. Two players on each pad will provide a little more support for the pad holder - this is useful when a smaller player on the pad may be facing a larger/heavier ball carrier, or an aggressive rucking unit. There should be one scrum half and only the first rucking group should have a ball. Get started as soon as you can (but don't forget to make sure that the pad holder is holding the pad correctly and that everyone is working hard, but staying safe) - just let the players do what they will, you can refine their rucking roles and the level of execution as the exercise continues. The first rucking unit should hit the first pad, the scrum half will pass the ball to the second unit which hits the second pad, the scrum half passes the ball to the third unit, which hits the third pad. The other pads and the rucking units realign and get ready to go again. Once the third unit has finished their ruck, the scrum half passes the ball back to the second unit and so on. The exercise should stay live for as long as you need, and be action packed. Please don't have players standing around for too long, everyone should have something to do - and they should be involved! Enjoy.

Set up two defenders holding hit shields opposite two even lines of players. The ball starts with the first man in one of the lines, he runs towards the defender, hits the hit shield and goes down to present the ball. The player behind him in the line clears the defender off the ball and the third player in the line passes the ball off the floor to the first player in the other line who is running onto the pass and runs at the defender. The players from the first line join the back of their line. The player who has received the pass hits the hit shield, goes to ground and presents the ball towards his team. The second player clears out the defender, and the third player passes the ball off the floor to the first player in the other line.  Players switch roles after each repetition, and should switch lines to practice passing in both directions of the floor.

4 blue players must try and defend with shields two gates from the attacking red team. The ball carrying player must meet the defending players and then go to ground and place the ball. Once this has been done the attacking side must form bind together and ruck the shields out of the way - to 'come through the gate'. The final red player to come through collects the ball and runs anti-clockwise to the next gate and the next set of defenders to repeat the drill. The two original defenders must now move to defend the other side of the grid.

tackle sausage  Place 2 sausages perpendicular from eachother in a T shape.  Have one player line up a couple meters away from the bag.  Conditioning drill, the player does reps of clearing the bag, running back to the line, doing a down up and going again. 

Coach controls defence with calls up and back between cones placed 1 - 2 metres apart. On the call of "LIVE" the defence stays on offside line at base of Ruck (marked by cones). Scrum Half is then free to feed any of 5 attacking runners at any time. Objective - WIN THE CONTACT.

5-7 players run around in a rectangle shaped grid. They must move very fast within it awaiting the whistle, but they are not allowed to touch the other players. Once the whistle goes they must occupy the closest cone to them, facing the coach. Then they must shift, heavies to the inside and speedsters to the outside. On the next whistle they then press in one line.

The coach pops the ball off to the attacker. The first defender tackles the player to the floor quickly. The second defender arrives and gets low in an attempt to get their hands on the ball prior to a ruck being formed. A second attacking player comes in to try to clear out the second defender.

Contact Go to ground Present ball

Player 1 runs out with ball but player 2 has stepped up to meet them halfway. Player 1 drives into player 2 - goes two steps before then going to ground. Player 2 steps over the player on the ground, picks up the ball and runs on to be met by player 3 who takes the next contact. Repeat.

Players split into pairs and line up in as many lines as you require Balls should be set out 2 yards in front of the player at the front of the line The first player holds a tackle bag side on and falls flat to the floor with the bag, just behind the ball The player gets into the rucking position over the ball and drives out over the ball for five yards.

Set up a rectangle (roughly 5m x 2m) with three attackers (blue) and three defenders (red) on opposite sides. The attacker in the middle has the ball and runs towards one of the gaps between the three defenders. The middle defender makes the tackle, with the assistance of the defender on the side towards which the attacker ran. The attacker who has been tackled presents the ball back towards the attackers. After the tackle the two defenders involved get back to their feet to contest the ruck against the other two attackers. The third defender works round to the far side of the ruck from them, to simulate defending round the corner after a ruck

Set up a square (roughly 2m x 2m) with 4 different colour cones. 1 player starts on the floor with the ball with another player lying on top of him, simulating a tackle. The third player starts outside the square, simulating an attacking support player. The coach calls out the colour of one of the cones and the player on the floor in posession of the ball has to work to present the ball in the direction of the cone, while the defender is on top of them. Once he has presented the ball towards the cone, the defender has to get up off the player presenting the ball, show a clear release, and then go for the ball. Meanwhile the third player (supporting attacker) has to get themselves in a position so that when the defender goes for the ball they can clear them off the ball, therefore retaining posession for the attacking team. The players reset the drill and the coach calls out another colour of a cone. Players perform 4 repetitions in each role before swapping positions. Progressions: Start with the supporting attacker only bumping the defender off the ball and increase the amount of contact/force the players are going in with

Groups of 3  Sausage  Ball 1 player lines up opposite a standing sausage, wrestles it to the floor, landing chest ontop of the bag.  A 2nd play holding a ball puts the ball down on the right side of the sausage as if it was an attacker placing it.  The first play wrestling the sausage, bouncers up and competes for the ball (remeber to release)  The 3rd player once the ball has been placed tries to clear the player competing for the ball.

Sausage  Cones After you have completed the bounce motion, you can bounce and fire.  Fire - is by any means effect there breakdown and slow the ball down - when you realise you cant steal the ball.  Jackal - stay on and win the ball over the break down.   Players line up on the cones  the first play makes a tackle on the sausage get s up and becomes the defender. (jackal) the second player listens to the coloured cone the coach shouts and goes around that cone before trying to clear the (jackaler)  The jackaler makes the decion to Jackle or Fire through the break down depending on the speed of the arriving defender. 

4 players +  cones  ball.  Cones laid out on 5m chanel other 10 chanel.  3 Players line up passing ball up and down the line, when coach says now they pass it to the player stood opposite in the 5m chanel.  The player then attacks down the 5m chanel. The player opposite makes a chop tackle, bounces and competes. for the ball. (Tackler becomes clearer). The 2 other players then try to clear the player off the ball. Decinign whether to fire or steal ball depedning of spped of clearer off the floor.