Teaching Rugby Union
Rugby union is a simple, inexpensive, and fun sport to include in junior high and high school physical education curriculums. The only materials required are the balls, some cones, and pinnies to play the games. In fact, most of the instruction is based around fun games which build up the skills of the sport. At the junior high and high school level, none of the instruction will involve any contact. All the skills will emphasize the proper body positioning and fundamentals required for safety and later introduction of contact, but the basics are geared towards a non-contact version of the game.
All of the material contained on this page is courtesy of the Alberta Rugby Union and their 2 indispensable Non-Contact Rugby publications: The Coaching Manual and The Teaching Manual. These documents are a minor financial investment, but a major factor in starting a good program.They are available through their website and the ARU will quite often be able to arrange for its personnel to come to your school to assist in the instruction.
This page is broken into the different topics in the contents list. However these are internal links and this entire page can be printed by choosing "select all" and "print".
Duration: 2 weeks Grade: 8 Lesson Time: 40 min
Class Size : 28 Number of Lessons: 6
Equipment: 6 rugby balls, 10 cones, pinneys
Performance Objectives
(The student will...)
Psychomotor Develop an ability to pass and catch a rugby ball while running.
Develop an ability to play the rugby ball off the ground.
Develop an ability to kick a rugby ball.
Cognitive Develop an understanding of the basic rugby laws.
Know the terminology associated with rugby.
Understand basic strategies associated with rugby.
Affective Develop an appreciation for cooperation in order to learn skills and produce team work in game situations.
Evaluation
Psychomotor: Individual skills 15%
Team skills 15%
Cognitive: Unit exam 30%
Affective: Participation 20%
Attitude 20%
Total 100%
(6 x 40 minutes)
Day 1: - warm-up and introduction to rugby; 5 min.
- handling (Circle drills); 5 min.
- passing and catching (Circle drills); 10 min.
- picking up and placing (Circle and Criss-cross drills); 5 min.
- touch build-up games (use games A, B, & C), explain scoring; 10 min.
Day 2: - warm-up; 5 min.
- Criss-cross drills; 15 min.
- touch build-up games (use game C only), introduction of off-side; 15 min.
Day 3: - warm up; 5 min.
- line running; 15 min.
- touch build-up games (use game C & D), introduce off-side and ball take; 15 - 20 min.
Day 4: - combined warm-up (use previous drills); 5 - 10 min.
- introduction of line-out; 5 - 10 min.
- touch build-up games (use game E); 20 min.
Day 5: - combined warm-up (use previous drills); 5 - 10 min.
- introduction of scrum; 5 - 10 min.
- touch build-up games (use game F), explain kick-off; 20 min.
Day 6: - game day: mini tournament using game F. 40 min.
Drills
- Have players form a circle around a central cone, facing outwards, with arms fully extended and finger tips touching.
- Begin by handing the ball around the circle, switching directions often. Continue adding balls up to 1 ball for every two people.
- Variations: from fingertips touching, have the players take 1 or 2 steps outwards.
- The ball is now passed around the circle with direction changes and multiple balls.
- After passing the ball, each player turns, runs to the centre of the circle and touches the cone before returning to their position.
- (2 balls) After passing the ball, each player turns and runs across the circle, swapping places with the player opposite them. In this variation, emphasize communication between swapping players and keeping the head up to avoid traffic in the middle.
- (1 ball) After passing the ball, the first passer races the ball in the opposite direction, back to the starting place.
- The manual contains several other variations.
- Divide the group into 4 equal groups and position them at the corners of a 10 - 15 m square grid.
- 2 lines have balls. The first ball carrier in each group sprints across the grid diagonally and passes to the first player in the opposite group.
- After passing, the player goes to the back of the group.
- Variations:
- Have the receiver leave at the same time as the ball carrier so that the pass is made as they meet in the center of the grid.
- The players run with the ball and place it on the ground in front of the opposite line. The lead player then picks it up and crosses the grid.
- The players pass upon reaching the center, to either the group on their left or the group on their right while crossing the grid. After passing the players continue forward and join the rear of the group straight across.
- Players cross the grid in pairs passing the ball between them.
- 1 player advances to the middle of the grid and stops, turning to face the line he started from. A second player joins him and performs the ball-take before moving to the opposite line.
Build-up Touch Games
- These games are designed to get all players involved. This goal can be further achieved by limiting the size of the playing field, depending on the number of players involved (i.e. a 30m x 30m grid for a class of approximately 20).
- Variations:
A) Three steps, Three seconds
- must pass with two hands (conventional, overhand, etc)
- allowed to pass forwards, sideways, and backwards
- not allowed more than three steps when you have the ball
- defenders may stop attackers by tagging them with two hands below the hips
- attacking players must pass the ball within three seconds when they stop running with the ball
- when a defender makes a tag, they must back up three steps and let the attacker attempt a pass
- a defender may intercept a pass in the air, provided it is a clean catch
- if a pass goes directly to ground, the ball is free for anyone to pick up and continue play
- if a player runs out of bounds (into touch), the ball is turned over to the other team
- the object is to touch the ball down in the opponents end zone (in goal area)
B) Seven steps, Three seconds
- same game as A above, except players are not allowed to pass overhand (passes must be conventional)
- not allowed to take more than seven steps with the ball
- after a tag, the defending team must retreat three steps, allowing the attacking team to pass within three seconds
- the first pass made by the attackers after a tag must be lateral or backwards (not forwards)
- ball gets turned over on interception, when the attacking team drops the ball, the first pass is forwards, or the ball is carried into touch
C) Unlimited steps, Three seconds
- same game as B above, except now all passes are backwards and players can run until they are touched
D) Ball Take
- same game as C above, except that when an attacker is touched, they have two options:
a) the ball can be passed immediately (within 1 step of the tag being made)
b) if not passed immediately, another player from the team must come in a do a ball take before a pass can be made to another player
- the defending team must commit two defenders to the person tagged before the ball take must be made
- defenders must still back up three steps after a tag
- ball is turned over when it is dropped or passed forwards
- introduction of the off-side line
E) Line Out
- combine game D with a lineout
F) Scrum
- combine game E with a scrum
Ball Take
This is the first form of breakdown, or stoppage in play. When a player does not pass immediately, the ball take must occur. The tagged player turns to face their team mates, crouching slightly. The support player arrives and places an arm behind the ball. He can now pass the ball at any time, but if the defense has not committed two defenders, the two attackers, remaining in contact with one another, can advance the ball up the field until two defenders arrive (or they score).
Line Out
This second form of breakdown occurs when the ball goes over the touch line (side line). A line out will contain 3 - 5 players of each team lined perpendicular to the touch line with a meter separating them. The nearest player to the touch line must be five meters from it. The ball is thrown down the middle of the channel (the meter separating the jumpers) so players from both sides have a chance to jump and compete for it.
Scrum
The last breakdown is caused by a ball dropped forward (backwards drops are live balls) or a forward pass. It consists of 3 - 5 players who bind onto each other. There is a front row consisting of two props supporting a hooker. The hooker puts his arms on the shoulders of the prop on either side while the props put their inside arms under the hookers armpits. If there are two more players, they bind to each other with their inside arms and around the hips of the props with their outside arms. The result is that their heads nestle between the hips of the prop and hooker on either side. Once each side is prepared like this, they bind onto each other. Each front row player's head is placed to the left of their opposite number and they rest upon each other, shoulder to shoulder. When scrummaging, the keys for safety are keeping a straight back and keeping your hips below your head. Once the bridge is established, the ball is fed into the channel between the two front rows and the opposing hookers try to retrieve it with their feet.
Off-side
The off-side line in rugby is floating and corresponds to different features of the breakdowns mentioned above. If there is no breakdown, then there is no off-side (in open running play there is no off-side). At the ball-take and scrum, the off-side line is the last feet of the players involved. Therefore if any player is in front of the rear feet of their teammates in the breakdown, they are offside. At the lineout, the line is 10 m from the channel; the mark where the ball went into touch.
Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the best response to the following questions.
1. A try is worth: a. 2 points
b. 4 points
c. 6 points
d. 5 points
2. In rugby, a try can be scored by: a. the coach
b. only the props
c. the referee
d. anybody on the attacking team
3. A ball-take occurs when the ball is: a. knocked forward by a player
b. claimed from a tagged teammate
c. on the ground
d. passed in a forward direction
4. A player from team A runs out of bounds with the ball. Team B will be awarded a:
a. Scrum
b. Lineout
c. Penalty
d. Try
5. When a team is attacking, players in front of the ball: a. can receive a pass from the ball carrier
b. must move towards the defending team's end zone
c. can block any defensive players
d. must move behind the ball carrier to receive a pass
6. A player who is tagged while carrying the ball may: a. pass the ball immediately
b. give the ball to the other team
c. stop and wait for a supporting player to "ball-take"
d. either a or c
7. A try is scored when a player with the ball: a. crosses the opponents goal line
b. kicks the ball across the opponents goal line
c. places the ball on the ground in the opponent's end zone
d. kicks the ball between the uprights
8. A player from team A drops the ball forward and no advantage is gained by team B. Team B will be awarded a:
a. Scrum
b. Lineout
c. Penalty
d. Try
Matching: Match the correct word with the definition by placing the letter in the blank provided.
| A Scrum | ______ The accidental hitting of the ball towards the opponents goal line. |
| B Ball Take | ______Forcing the ball onto the ground with pressure over the opponent's goal line. |
| C Lineout | ______The side boundary of the field. |
| D Prop | ______The transfer of the ball after a tag where the ball carrier turns and presents the ball for a support player to claim. |
| E Knock on | ______A bound group of players who form a tunnel with the opposition. |
| F Touchline | ______Restarts play after the ball goes out over the touchline. |
| G Try | ______The players to either side of the hooker in the scrum |
Answer Key:
Multiple Choice: 1. d; 2. d; 3. b; 4. b; 5. d; 6. d; 7. c; 8. a;
Matching E, G, F, B, A, C, D