Rugby Training Games for Kids

Ball games that resembled rugby were played as early as the fifth century, but the modern game is believed to have emerged when William Webb Ellis grabbed the ball and ran with it in 1823. Rugby training can be a great deal of fun for kids if you keep in mind that they play the game both for learning and entertainment.

  1. Boxed In

    • When a team gets close to the goal line in rugby, there are occasions where it can get slowed down and have a difficult time scoring even with more players than the defense. This game practices just that situation. There are five players on offense and three players on defense. The offense is boxed in a zone about 30 meters by 10 meters and must try to score in this small space. The offense has five tries to score before you switch up the players. The play will go quickly and it lets everybody have a chance to play both positions.

    British Bulldog

    • This game teaches kids to run at angles and to tackle without worrying about a ball. Have all but around 10 percent of the players stand at one touchline facing the other touchline. The other 10 percent are bulldogs. The players who aren't bulldogs must attempt to run from one end of the field to the other without being tackled. A player who is tackled then becomes a bulldog and attempts to tackle other teammates. The players then attempt to run back to the other side. A variation on the game to kids who are new to tackling is to instead lift the players off the ground long enough to yell "1, 2, 3, British Bulldog!"

    Dragons

    • Give half of your players rugby balls and set up a space about 15 meters by 15 meters on your practice field. The players without the balls must attempt to tag or two-hand touch the players with the balls. Once a player with the ball has been tagged, he must put his ball up in the air and freeze as if he is made of stone. The only way a ball carrier can be set free is to have another ball carrier touch his ball to the frozen player's ball and say "free!" Set a time limit (like five minutes or less) and then switch. See which team does the best at freezing the players with the balls.