Add jumping to your warm ups
Jumping is a crucial skill in rugby but one which is often poorly coached or not coached at all. Basic jumping skills can be built into your rugby warm-up drills and can easily be improved with coaching.
Preparation for jumping
The preparation for jumping needs the player to change his normal stance. The player should stand on the balls of the feet, drop the hips, and bend the knees, pulling the arms back at the same time. The feet should be no further than a shoulder width apart.
The action
Once the player has dropped into position, he has to “explode” up with his arms and legs. Get the players to jump using just the arms or legs and see the difference when they're using both together. Importantly, the arms need to go up with the hands, ending above the head.
Include some static vertical jumping at the end of your warm up drills. Give tips to correct the technique for individual players during each drill. Get players to work in pairs and see who can jump higher. As players improve their skills, have them catch a ball at the highest point of the jump and then get them to run a few paces and jump.
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