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Rugby · Basic · b2

Evasion and tag games

Park or court 10 min 4 players Park, ground or field

Ready when: nothing needed.

Start a session

What you are learning

Getting past a defender without contact: running into the open space and stepping quickly to one side (a side-step). In tag rugby a defender stops the carrier by pulling a tag ribbon from their belt.

Words on this card Try, Carrier, Touch rugby, Tagger, Side-step, Space
Try
Touching the ball down over the other team's line to score, and that line.
Carrier
The player holding the ball.
Touch rugby
Rugby with no tackling, stopped by a touch or by pulling a tag (a ribbon on a belt).
Tagger
The player trying to stop the carrier.
Side-step
A quick step to one side to get past a defender.
Space
An open part of the pitch with no defender.

Set up

A grid with safety lines; bibs or tag belts.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for rugby

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Run toward the child, then plant one foot and push off it to the other side.
  2. Show a tag: two hands touching lightly at the hips, or pulling a ribbon from the belt.
  3. Run with the ball held away from the defender, on the far side.

Your part while they practise

Referee; keep tags light.

Step by step

  1. Tag in a box: chasers touch a runner with both hands at the hips.
  2. Runners dodge into space at pace with a side-step.
  3. Swap chasers often.
  4. Then 1 v 1: carry the ball over the defender's line, holding it away from them.

How much: 6 rounds 10 min a session 3 days a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Tag belts

Carriers try to cross the far line; defenders pull a tag for a point.

Who plays: 2 teams of 2 or more; you referee.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Everyone wears a tag belt; one team has a ball each and starts on a line
  2. On "go", carriers run for the far line; defenders try to pull a tag
  3. A carrier who loses a tag stops, hands the tag back and goes to the side
  4. Swap teams after each round. 6 rounds
Fair play
A grown-up must walk, not run.
Points
1 point for each carrier who crosses the line; defenders score 1 point for each tag pulled.
Fouls
The other team gets the point
  • Pushing or grabbing the carrier or the shirt
  • The carrier holding the tag belt or knocking a hand away
  • Running outside the box
Winning
The team with more points after 6 rounds.
Stars
  1. 6 points for 1 star
  2. 10 points for 2 stars
  3. 14 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

A bigger area.

Harder

A smaller area.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the child runs straight at a tagger Step away, change directionFind the gap.
  • a tag is too hard Touch, do not pushTwo light hands.

Self-check

3

Avoid 3 taggers in a row in a game.

Stop and get a coach when

Collisions.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains evasion, running into space.

awiseathlete.com/sports/rugby/rugby-b2