I have just received this proposed training plan for review. U16 team (50/50 mix of social and progressive).

10 min – Touch game for warmup
10 min – Activate activities
20 min – 4 skills stations
30 min – Forwards and backs specific work
20 min – Shadow rugby demonstrating the 4 skills

Personally I don’t like it for a number of reason. However, I’m not as experienced in coaching or playing as the coach who put this together.

What do you think please? Suggestions most welcome.

Need something to warm up prior to touch as kids go hard in touch.

Walking touch? Jog round the pitch? Then activate activities, then touch…

Edit – Ex Kids rugby coach.

I’d suggest a warm-up before the Touch game and also a cool down with some sort of stretching.

If touch is done as small sided games i.e. multiple games 5 V 5 max so every kid gets lots of touches of the ball then it is a decent warm up. OP what are your reservations ?

I don’t like touch as a warmup for the reasons mentioned above. Its not gradual in any way – the kids sprint straight off the bat (me being old – I would pull and hammy every time). Play is dominated by the better players so the newer players don’t really get warmed up at all.

4 different skills is too much for a single session. 1 maybe 2 at most. And having a 30min gap between learning and doing it in shadow rugby would not be the way I would like to learn. But does that allow them to see the skill within the game better?

Although playing touch as a small sided game in a small space would solve much of that.

Props to ElVino