Rugby drill for throwing skills

Improve your thrower's accuracy with these rugby coaching tips and drills.

Rugby throwing skills drill

Using your rugby posts, mark the maximum jump height of your jumper on an upright.
Next, place three cones at distances of 5, 10 and 15 metres along the try line.
From each position the thrower must take 10 throws, each time attempting to hit the mark on the post.

Rugby coaching drill for throwing skills

Run the rugby drill

The sequence can start on the short 5 metre cone, building up to the 15 metre mark.
As an alternative in this drill, you can call out which cone the player needs to move to so they work on their set up prior to throwing.

Key rugby coaching tips

It's good practice to agree on a number of throws with the player before starting the rugby drill, and to set a success skills target for throws at each cone and for throws overall.

Suggested targets to set are:

5 metre cone – 90% (9 out of 10).
10 metre cone – 80% (8 out of 10).
15 metre cone – 70% (7 out of 10).
These targets give an overall 80% success for 30 throws.

What to call out in this rugby drill

"Check your set up. Are you square?"
"Follow through and finish high."
"Make a 'window' with your hands."

Develop the drill

Try combining this rugby drill with running or upper body rugby drills to replicate the demands of the game.
Put a player in front of the posts holding up a ruck pad so the thrower has to go over the bag, to practise "lob" throw skills.

Throwing skills rugby drill with upper body drill development

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