Rugby Coaching Blog | Professional Rugby Advice & Coaching

The rugby world never sleeps. There is always some rugby being practised or played every day of the year.

I am in the UK, so we are counting down to the start of the season. It seems strange since the Lions have only just got back, the Tri Nations is in full flow, as well as Currie Cups and other competitions around the world.

Last week I was on the road a lot, hence no blogs, and I managed to interview some very interesting people. Their thoughts will be coming out soon, but what struck was the clarity of their vision. Simple ideas, constructive sessions and player focused.

Here are a couple of thoughts for those counting down to the season, or those looking for something a little different:
1. If there is one skill you could improve now, what would it be?
Think about the detail of that skill, think how you might want to improve it. In exercising that skill and putting it into game situations, the players will benefit from a detailed approach AND all the complementary skills that go with it. Handling needs footwork, balance and decision making. Tackling needs footwork, balance and decision making. A handling drill needs tackling to make it real. And so you are working on the detail, the game and the core skills.
2. How well do you know your players?
Can you find something new about each player that you never knew before? By asking the question and being genuinely interested in the answer, you build another bridge to their thoughts and learning.
3. Can you increase the players activity time in training by 10%?
Over a 90 minute session, it is possible to make the players work for 9 minutes more than a normal session. How? First, cut in half the time you spend explaining and feeding back. Put the drills up on a board before the session. Feed back during the drill to individuals. Finish with a succinct round up and move on. Second, put all the water and kit centrally, so there is no need to go so far to fetch anything. Third allocate groupings before training starts. It might be several combinations, like groups of eight or pairs, or teams for the final game.
Do this and you will find 9 minutes of extra activity, if you are not doing this already!