Oh help, I'm supposed to teach these guys something

[Constantine]

I'm running a 'rugby 101' session with some very new rugby players (many have never played before) tomorrow night, as a kind of thanks for letting me get in on their trainings because if I'm left to train by myself I will go mad.

But where to start? What to teach? How to not look like an idiot?

 

[Dickie E]

I've never met a Kiwi who wasn't an All Blacks trialist let alone one who's never played at all :holysheep:

 

[Constantine]

Have a google at the 'NZ Falcons' - you'll soon see why quite a few have never felt like they could play before.

 

[4eyesbetter]

My grandfather had a set of five simple rules for giving presentations. You may not need 1 and 5, but here they are.

1. Stand up
2. Say what you're going to say
3. Say it
4. Say that you've said it
5. Sit down

Now, I've done stuff like this before with other sports, and I reckon the best thing to do is first to go into your own memory of watching new players, and think of the most common things you've seen them struggling with. Spend no more than half your time talking about those things, and then leave the rest of the time open for questions. No point spending twenty minutes talking about (for instance) how to join a maul properly, and the complexities of obstruction in open play, and then find out that they all understood those things pretty well anyway, and were really hoping you'd talk about when they can take a quick throw-in, and what exactly counts as a tip tackle.

 

[Constantine]

Most common thing new players seem to struggle with - when I hold my arm out straight and parallel to the ground it means all the forwards have to come in so we can have a scrum. Every time. There are no variations on the meaning of that signal.

 

[Dixie]

I'm running a 'rugby 101' session with some very new rugby players

Constantine, is this a classroom session, an activity session of a mix of both?

If it's classroom, I think I'd moan at whoever set it up, because the audience are people who want to be doing, not sitting around. But if you're stuck with it, you can't do better than teach the breakdown - tackle-to-ruck interface, how to join, offside lines, where to stand, concept of illegal bridging etc. It's a matter of coaching preference whether the double-digit numbers get involved in rucks or rush off to reform the 3/4 line, but regardless of coaching preference, all players should be able to secure possession at a breakdown.

If you can do activity, I think I'd start with Touch - running at gaps, playing what's in front of them with no need to worry about safety aspects of the tackle.

 

[Phil E]

Rugby 101

1. Run forwards.
2. Pass backwards.
3. If you don't know what to do, just get in the way a lot.

 

[crossref]

Rugby 101

1. Run forwards.
2. Pass backwards.
3. If you don't know what to do, just get in the way a lot.

4 - if you are in front of the ball, run back and get behind it.

 

[Toby Warren]

NZ great
England evil killers of the game

 

[SimonSmith]

There's a difference not having played, and not knowing anything about the game.

I'd suggest getting a baseline on what they actually know about the game and then tailoring from there

 

[Browner]

4 - if you are in front of the ball, run back and get behind it.

Ian will surely disagree, else how will future NZAllBlocks be born?

 

[Rushforth]

But where to start? What to teach? How to not look like an idiot?

Start at the beginning.
1) Explain the purpose of rugby (team in possession trying to move the ball forwards, team defending stopping them and attempting to regain possession themselves).
2) Explain passing basics (no spin) and do basic passing drills. (http://www.irbcoaching.com/?module=1&section=1&subsection=1 - focus on the BASICS) 15 minutes tops. Get them using NAMES.
3) Play a (short) game of touch, see if they have any talent.
4) Go back to passing drills for a while
5) Explain the head-on tackle during a water break; have two demonstrators. Most important is that the TACKLED player keeps both hands on the ball (avoiding collarbones broken) and explain that tackles are done with shoulders/ears/arms (as opposed to hands)
6) On-on-one head-on tackles in reasonably large groups (so that you can observe). Ball-carriers to run at 50-70% at static tackler and choose a side to go to.
7) Back to a game of touch (rucks not explained yet)
8) Explain the ruck basics using hit-shields for the players on the ground.

Basically, give them a skill (and enough of it to be useful) and then let them use it in a game-like situation, focussing on safety and enjoyment.

 

[Taff]

Constantine, is this a classroom session, an activity session of a mix of both?

If it's classroom, I think I'd moan at whoever set it up, because the audience are people who want to be doing, not sitting around. But if you're stuck with it, you can't do better than teach the breakdown - tackle-to-ruck interface, how to join, offside lines, where to stand, concept of illegal bridging etc.

People quickly get bored if they're sat in a classroom style environment; so I would keep it interesting with a couple of volunteers.

Like Dixie, I would definitely cover

• the tackle (what are they expected to do eg "show daylight, where the gate is etc etc)
• what constitutes a ruck / maul etc
• Where the offside lines are etc.

My guess is that if you can get them to ask questions, they won't stop once they get going. I don't think I've ever met anyone who knows everything.

 

[crossref]

you could start by explaining the concept of the momentum pass epper:

 

[Constantine]

We're outside, thankfully, and these guys have done a couple of trainings - I'm not a skills coach, because my own ability to play rugby is extremely limited (I was a poor player before I broke my neck...) so I think I'm mainly supposed to go over the laws.

I guess starting with tackle and set-piece (what scrums and line outs look like *when you're in one* and the calls around them) plus what foul play is. But obviously taking questions is the key, so I can figure just what level to pitch it at.

 

[menace]

And get them to read this as a little bit of homework beforehand...
https://www.irbpassport.com/beginners_guide/downloads/IRB_Beginners_Guide_2014_EN.pdf

 

[Bunniksider]

And get them to read this as a little bit of homework beforehand...
https://www.irbpassport.com/beginners_guide/downloads/IRB_Beginners_Guide_2014_EN.pdf

This may be more interesting: What else is there to know?

 

[Drift]

Most common thing new players seem to struggle with - when I hold my arm out straight and parallel to the ground it means all the forwards have to come in so we can have a scrum. Every time. There are no variations on the meaning of that signal.

I do that at advantage time, I wouldn't expect the forwards to try and pack a scrum near me when I am playing advantage.

 

[Browner]

This may be more interesting: What else is there to know?

Wait..... Rushy where are you?, I'm sure I saw a pass go forward relative to the ground !! I've had to replay this 46 times to check .

 

[Blue Smartie]

I would highlight how the referee communicates (voice, whistle and signal) and the importance of playing to the whistle. This leads on to the topic of Advantage.
New players are much more likely to stop when there is an obvious infringement, meaning they don't take the benefit of advantage; or have all stopped while you award a score for the opposition waltzing in under the posts - which leads them to think the referee is 'in collusion' with the opposition!