Rugby: fun warm up games for u9

2 Catchers.Everyone else Runners. This is a warm up game that is used to raise the heart rates of the children. Using half the pitch, nominate 2 catchers, the aim of the game is to touch as many as the runners before they reach the otherside of the pitch.If a runner get touched or tagged, thye join the catchers. Last man standing. Encourgae the kids to undertsand the concept of touch or tags.

Make sure that you have your warm-up area marked out before your players arrive, it's important that you get them working right away. You can decide to play this game in smaller grids, or a larger playing area with the entire team. If using small grids, they can be 10 meters x 10 meters - and mark out as many as you need depending on the size of your team. If playing in a large area with the entire team, have two players working as taggers. The rest will be attackers - running around the playing area trying to avoid the taggers/defenders. If playing in a smaller area, have 2 defenders/taggers and 6 attackers. Give the taggers/defenders a ball each. Keep your law briefing, brief! It's important to get the players working as soon as possible. Tell the players that the two players with the balls will be chasing and looking to tag the rest of the players. If you get tagged, you join the taggers team. Play the game until all players are tagged. The last two players tagged, become the first two taggers for the next game. The ball cannot be thrown.

Keep your playing briefing, brief and tell the players the following laws. Both teams are in attack and both teams are in defence, at the same time! It is up to you how many players you allocate to your attack and how many you allocate to your defence. If you are touched while carrying the ball (decide if the touch is one handed or two handed), you and your entire team must return to your red zone before being able to restart your attack. While your team is returning to your own zone - you cannot defend the neutral zone and any touches in there will not count. If your team makes a mistake e.g. a dropped ball or forward pass. Your entire team must return to your own red zone, not defending the neutral zone as you retreat. The winning team is the team that invades the oppositions space and scores a try, just outside the grid, first. There is no offside in defence. There is no kicking.

This is a fun warm up game for the whole team to be involved inPlayers are separated into two teams, one team wearing bibsEvery player is holding a rugby ball, which they keep to themselvesThere is one 'live' ball that is used for the game.This is a possession game, where each team tries to keep the ball for as long as possible, passing and catching one-handed (because their other hand is holding a ball already)Once a team reaches 10 passes in a row, possession switches over. A small forfeit such as press ups could be introduced for conceding 10 consecutive passes.

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. This warm-up should be full of fun.

Within a group there are two groups of 4 attackers and one chaser/scrum half. At the middle point, marked by a cones, the scrum half moves the ball to the first attacking line. The scrum half firstly tracks the progress of the ball, as the exercise progresses - the scrum half should apply more and more pressure to the ball carrier - working up to the point of becoming a full on defender. When the ball reaches the opposite end of the grid, the last player in the line sets the ball down. The scrum half then feeds the ball to the next attacking line, fulfilling their own role within the exercise. The opposite attacking line should realign in preparation for the next attack. The tempo of this exercise should be high.

Have four players stand at the four cones, the other players, in their own running groups of four should, be behind them - ready to go when their turn comes. Give the first player, the player with the ladder furthest away, a ball. The other players should lay down on the ground. When the first player runs and reaches the ladder, the second player can get up and attack, the third player can attack when the second player reaches their ladder, and the forth player can get up and attack when the third player reaches their ladder. The pass should be passed down the line, but you can only pass when you're inside your own ladder and you can only receive when you are inside you own ladder. Players aim to get the ball down the line, and should, score at the end before passing the ball to the first receiver in the next group. Players cannot stop inside a ladder or at any time during the attack.

This passing exercise will keep large groups of players busy passing, running onto, and moving the ball in traffic without the need to spend large amounts of time standing around and doing very little. It's a little confusing to start with, but when the players get going - it's great fun and very busy. Create a large box, the size is up to you and can be varied depending on your coaching goals. Each side of the box should have 4/5 players, more or less if you wish, standing in an attacking passing line - ready to go. You'll need two balls, give one ball to the first player on one of the lines, and the other to the last player on the line opposite. The lines advance passing the ball down the line as they go - they will pass through one another. When the ball gets to the end of the line, the last ball holder passes the ball to the first receiver of the line closest to them - and that line advances. There should be two lines active at any one time, and two lines getting ready to go. I hope that makes sense!

This is a simple passing exercise that can be used as a warm up to improve players reaction time and catching skills6 players and 1 coach in a circle, and the coach holds a ball at all timesWith the other ball, the players throw to you and (using the ball you're holding) hit the ball back to a different player in the circleThe players will not know who the ball will come to and so must react quickly to catch and then throw back to you to hit to someone elseThe shape of the ball means that even if you aim at someone, it could deflect to another player.

Be brief when telling the players the laws of this game, it's important to get them moving quickly. This is not a contact game, but there will be some light contact. Break your players into two teams, giving each team their own colour of bibs if necessary. One team goes to attack, and one to defence. Nominate a Scrum Half for each team, it will be their job to move the ball from the back of the maul and out to an attacking line. There is no kicking in this game. Normal laws of rugby apply e.g. a forward pass will result in the ball being turned over to the opposition. If an attacking player is touched: they must stop and turn, a maul is then built based on how you have trained your players to Maul. Only four players should be in the maul - but every player should be able to maul - including the backs! When you start playing this game make sure that the defence is employing your defensive pattern around the maul. They will commit 4 players, but will not do anything more than provide light resistance. Once formed the maul can take four steps before moving the ball. If there is a delay in creating the maul, or the quality of the maul is poor - the ball can be turned over. Depending on your goals decide on the number of touches you wish to allow e.g. unlimited is not a bad option as mistakes will be made! If a team has been in possession for a long time, don't forget to turn the ball over to give the opposition a run. Don't hesitate to shape the game to focus on your session goals, and let us and other coaches know what worked for you.

Drill to warm up/practice different types of kick.Players form two lines in the 15m channels with all the balls starting on one side.The player with the ball at the front of the line runs out and does a cross-field punt to a partner on the opposite side of the pitch - kick labelled 1.The partner catches the ball, and does a chip kick which they chase and gather themselves - kick labelled 2. Once they have gathered their chip kick they perform a grubber kick to their partner who has continued their run. Aiming to kick the ball between the posts for their partner to gather and score - kick labelled 3.Players jog back to join the back of the opposite line.Once the first pair have performed the chip kick, the next pair in line can go.

Groups of 3. - 2 players get into a strong T.O.P position.- Another player starts to to standing press ups on to the heads of the 2 players. - This encoruages neck and core strenth essential for a safe scrum.

The lead runner chooses one of two sides to run.One or two players behind have to react and chase the lead runner around the arch.

Within a group there are two groups of 4 attackers and one chaser/scrum half. At the middle point, marked by a cones, the scrum half moves the ball to the first attacking line. The scrum half firstly tracks the progress of the ball, as the exercise progresses - the scrum half should apply more and more pressure to the ball carrier - working up to the point of becoming a full on defender. When the ball reaches the opposite end of the grid, the last player in the line sets the ball down. The scrum half then feeds the ball to the next attacking line, fulfilling their own role within the exercise. The opposite attacking line should realign in preparation for the next attack. The tempo of this exercise should be high.

They pass the ball around either clock wise or anti clock wise, you can decide to change the direction youself at any point during the exercise. After the player passes the ball they have to follow their pass, touching the cone of the player they passed to - then get back to their cone before receiving the next pass. The tempo of this exercise should be high.

This is the second exercise in a series of three that can be put together to form a contact conditioning circuit. The circuit can be sets of 30 seconds of hard work followed by 30 seconds of rest. Swap in this circuit for your usual fitness routine to give the players something a bit more interesting and transferable to a game. Alternatively, this would be a great exercise to include as part of a warm up.<li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Players work individually, picking up a tackle sausage and driving it into the ground. <li dir=&quot;ltr&quot;>Repeat for the whole 30 seconds.This exercise will develop your players core strength, which is immensely important in most areas of the game.Moreover, this exercise simulates how players will have to maintain power in a game. For example when going from making a tackle to then contesting the ruck.0.40 - What is the purpose of these conditioning circuits?

Within each group of 10, there should be 4 attackers and 6 defenders. The defenders should be in the outer grid and the attackers will be in the inner grid. The defenders cannot enter the inner grid. The players can pass the ball in any direction inside the inner grid, and can move around as much as they like. When they attack outside the inner grid, they can only use non forward passes. The aim of the game is for the attackers to touch the ball down outside the outer grid, without getting touched. If the attacker gets touch, they swap places with the defender that touched them - they become a defended and the defender now becomes an attacker. Decide on two handed or one handed touch, it's your call. You might also decide to give your four attackers a period of time and unlimited touches before switching defensive and attacking players. Don't forget to give everyone a chance in attack and defence.