Rugby coaching games for tackling and evasion
It is every rugby coach's nightmare: turning up at the club for a training session and there is no kit. But you need not worry since there's a lot of purposeful rugby coaching that can be done without any balls.
Rugby evasion games
Play games of “chase” in different sized areas. Players in the small areas work on agility and fast footwork while those in larger areas will improve changing direction and pace.
Reaction and acceleration rugby drills
- Start four players in a line and race over 5 metres. Then get them to start from different positions, kneeling, lying or sitting cross-legged. They have to react to your call each time. One of the racers can act as the starter as well.
- Two players face each other about 1 metre apart. One is the attacker and the other the defender. The attacker has to move from side to side and try to lose the defender who is trying to stay opposite him. When he thinks he is clear he has to accelerate forwards past the defender.
Tackling games- Play “Bulldog” with the whole squad. Line up two tacklers in a 20 metre box and let the other players try to get to the other end of the box. Every player successfully tackled joins the defending team until only two players are left. They are now the new defenders.
- Alternatively, have 1v1 games where the attacker has to get past a defender and over a line.
- Play “Tackle box”. All the players crawl around on hands and knees in a box. Two tacklers (also on hands and knees) have to see how many tackles they can make in a minute.
Confidence in contact rugby drill
Players work in pairs for this rugby drill. They start sitting back to back with their legs straight out in front of them. On the whistle they have to turn around, get to their knees and wrestle with the partner. The winner is the player who pins their opponent’s shoulders to the ground.
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