Designing the perfect rugby coaching drill

The key elements of creating your own rugby coaching drills, to practise the skills you want to, when you want to.

How many times do you find yourself saying "I need a rugby drill that will do..." (insert the skill your side failed to perform in their last game). The following ideas will help to show you how to create your own "perfect drills".

Isolate the purpose of the drill

Brainstorm the area you are looking at and then breakdown the different skills you might work on. If tackling needs improving, consider if it's front on, side on, or a problem with aggression or confidence. Think back to the incidents that made you decide the activity needed practicing.

Set a clear target

Make sure your target is clear and achievable. For example, to reduce the number of dropped balls in a match by 10%.

Analyse the resources you have available

Rugby is played with some players and a ball (sometimes not even a ball, for instance when rucking or at defensive scrums). The All Blacks are not better players simply because they have the latest scrum machine or tackle suit. Don’t let the practice be dictated by the equipment you have.

How many players are going to be at the practice? Take the number you first thought of and reduce it by five. Many players will be late, injured or away for some reason. It’s best to be prudent.

Keep the players active

A good rugby coaching drill is where as many players are as active as possible for all of the drill. When constructing a drill, try to get the players to work in manageable groups.

A good drill is also a cyclical drill – it is repeated a number of times. Players tend to learn by repetition.

Avoid queuing. The more your players queue, the less skill they can acquire. They’re also likely to become disinterested.

If time is an issue, work in numbers that naturally add together. Start with "2s" then double-up to "4s", and so on.

Tiredness and pressure

There are plenty of players who are brilliant at rugby drill time, but can never recreate this level of achievement on the pitch. If possible, design a rugby drill that builds up a level of game related tiredness and pressure.

But do not substitute speed for good technique. Some drills should be performed at a slow pace so that the correct technique can be taught.

Relate the drill to a game

When introducing and concluding the rugby coaching drill always tell your players, as much as you have justified it to yourself, how the drill relates to the game.

Progression is vital

For all you pre-coaching course goers, make sure any drill you design and carry out has some form of progression. For instance, practise a skill at one level and then progress to a greater level of pressure. Start slowly and with lots of successful completions before winding up the pressure stakes.

The ultimate goal is a team that drills and practices in conditions, both physical and mentally, that will be tougher than the actual game. It's called the Theory of Overload.

And remember to make your rugby coaching drills enjoyable!

If you struggle to keep your drills and sessions fresh and relevant, why not click here to read more about my Smart Sessions? Weekly grab-and-go coaching plans covering all the skills and available in Advanced Skills and Core Skills formats.