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Rugby: Rugby League - Touch Rugby Variation

Your tips and session ideas have really brought some interest back...

Eifion, Rugby Coach

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Split your players into two teams, giving one group of players a set of coloured bibs to set them apart, and quickly tell your players the following laws:

No forward passes.
When touched, stop and set the ball down.
Another player from your team will act as scrum half - passing the ball to his teammates, who will continue the attack.
Each team will be allowed five touches before they must turn the ball over (you can make this more or less depending on the skill level of your players and what you're hoping to achieve during the session.) Some coaches decide on unlimited touches, only turning the ball over when a mistake is made by the attack e.g. a knock on.
Knock on's and other law infringements will result in a turn over to the opposition.
Don't be afraid to play these laws a little, e.g. for younger players you might even go as far as to allow some knock on's or turn a blind eye to the odd forward pass - let them play a little and have fun!

COACHING POINTS

I think you should focus on just a few coaching points at any one time, and that targets should be agreed with your players depending on their age and ability. That said, the following are some points that you might like to refer to:

Keep the laws simple and get the players going as soon as you can, no standing around and no debates - it's rugby not the debating society.
What do we attack? Space - What do we attack it at? Speed! Encourage the players to identify space, possibly with very quick stops where players are asked to freeze on the whistle blast - where is the space? Restart right away, no long debates.
You might allow your scrum halves to be the players moving the ball after each touch, maybe even giving them a target time in which the ball has to be moved - this speeds the game up.
With older players do not waste this opportunity to identify that the ball cannot be turned over following the touch - so what is our defensive formation following a tackle where the ball cannot be turned over? Do we contest everything?
Think about having more than one game going at a time, if numbers and space allow.

Be creative - a great coach (and that's you) will be able to use their warm-up as a spring-board to the core of the session - and will start coaching from the very start of the session!

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OFTEN USED WITH...

Rugby Netball:

Break your players into two teams.

One team goes to attack, and one to defence.
There is no kicking in this game.
Normal laws of rugby do not apply e.g. the ball can be passed in any direction.
The ball is passed from player to player, but once the ball is caught - the ball carrier must stop moving. They can move only to pass the ball to another player.
The defenders can close down attackers, working to remove attacking options.
Defenders can intercept the ball, but must leave the ball carrier alone once the ball is cause. They can apply pressure on the pass, similar to the pressure that a bastleball player might apply (but consider using this as a progression).
Tries can be scored by attackers who catch the ball inside the oppositions in goal area.
Dropped balls result in a turn over.

Warm Up

Running Warm Up:

Tell players the following....

Each Player will work individually, unless told otherwise.
Players can run in any direction: moving forward or side to side.
They must remain within the grid trying to avoid contact by running into space, sidestepping for example.
They will have a ball each.
When the coach calls stop, all players must be at least 1m from the nearest player.
From time to time players will be ask to do things e.g. 1 press-up. Following completing the instruction - players should keep moving.
You will be asked to pass your ball - before doing anything make sure you communicate with another player, you agree to pass to each other, and then you make the pass!

This part of your warm-up should be no more than five minutes.

Warm Up

Flat Defence:

Players line up together along the line of the 1st set of cones.

On the signal of the coach all the players advance to the 3rd set of cones (20 meters away), making sure they all keep together in a straight line.

The players then retreat 10 meters to the 2nd set of cones, making sure they stay in line.

From the 2nd set of cones the players then advance a further 20 metres to the 4th set of cones and then retreat 10 meters back, to the previous set of cones.

Defensive Patterns

Relay Passing Race:

With each new instruction to players you'll be having a race, lets see which group is the fastest - no cheating!
Don't spend too much time talking, get the players into their groups quickly and tell them to do the following:

Pass the ball between your legs to the person behind you - keep going until the ball reaches the end of the line.
Same thing as above, but this time when the ball reaches the end of the line, the player at the end runs the ball back and the ball starts the same journey again. This is repeating until the every player has run from the back to the front of the line.
Same idea but this time under legs then next person passes over head, next under legs (under/over/under etc.)
Same idea but twist hips to pass to person behind first to the left then to the right - back person runs to front.
As above but just over the head.
Progress this with your own ideas e.g. pass to the person behind you with one hand etc.