Rugby Training Drills and Session Plans, Rippa to Senior
Age-matched rugby drills, ready-made sessions and a 10-week season programme for every age group, from Rippa through to senior and open rugby. Every drill says how much contact it involves, so you can plan a safe session in minutes.
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A rugby season, planned for you
Most volunteer rugby coaches inherit a bag of balls and a field booking. The hub gives you the rest: a week-by-week plan that builds from catch-and-pass basics to phase play, and drills you can run straight from your phone at training.
Junior drills follow the age-grade approach: Rippa for the youngest players, then tackle technique taught in steps before full contact.
What each age group works on
| Age group | Focus | Season programme | Session plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1–2 (Rippa) | Running with the ball, rips, try-scoring and fun games | 10 weeks | 3 |
| Year 3–4 (Rippa) | Passing on the run, support play, evasion and Rippa match play | 10 weeks | 3 |
| Year 5–6 | Safe falling, kneeling tackle technique, spin passes, overlaps and first lineouts | 10 weeks | 3 |
| Year 7–8 | Tackle progressions, ruck clean-out, scrum body position, kicking for touch, drift defence | 10 weeks | 3 |
| Year 9–10 | Mauls, double tackles, breakdown decisions, phase play, red-zone attack | 10 weeks | 3 |
| Senior / Open | Defensive systems, attack pods, lineout calls, opposed scrums, scenario games | 10 weeks | 3 |
Drill counts by category: attack 11, game play 10, defence 9, tactics 9, set piece 9, passing 7, breakdown 7, warm-ups 5, tackling 5, kicking 3, fitness 2, catching 1.
More than a diagram
Contact level on every drill
51 drills are non-contact, 20 are light contact and 7 are full contact, so you always know what you’re asking of the players.
Coach cues
Short phrases to call out during the drill, like the ones you’d hear from an experienced coach.
Common mistakes and fixes
What usually goes wrong, and what to say to correct it.
What success looks like
Clear signs the drill is working, so you know when to make it harder.
Safety notes
Drill-specific safety reminders, alongside RugbySmart-style coaching tips.
Easier and harder versions
Progressions and regressions so one drill works for a mixed-ability squad.
Example rugby drills
Rippa Traffic Lights, Try-Line Race and Rippa Relay for the youngest players. Shadow and Rip and Three-Person Attack for Year 3–4. Pop Pass Pairs and Pick and Go Relay through the middle years, then Kicking for Touch, Phase Play: Walk to Live, Red Zone Attack and Three-Second Ruck for the older grades.
The full library, the session plans and the season programmes are in the Squaddie app. For match day, see rugby team management and the live tracker.
Then track the match live
One tracker for 15s, Sevens, 10s, League, Touch and Rippa: code-specific scoring, sin-bin timers and minimum-play warnings.
Every code, its own scoring
Try, conversion, penalty goal, drop goal, field goal or touchdown buttons to suit 15s, Sevens, 10s, League, Touch or Rippa, with the right clock for each.
Sin-bin countdowns
Yellow cards start a live countdown so you know exactly when the player can come back on.
Minimum play warnings
Minutes for everyone on and off the field, with a warning when a rule like Rippa’s half-game minimum is at risk.
Final score to every parent
When you finalise the match, coaches, players and linked parents get a push notification with the result.
Common questions
What age groups does the rugby Training Hub cover?
Six: Year 1–2 and Year 3–4 (Rippa), Year 5–6, Year 7–8, Year 9–10 and Senior / Open. Each has its own 10-week season programme and three session plans.
Are there Rippa rugby drills?
Yes. Year 1–2 and Year 3–4 are built around Rippa, with rip-tag drills, fun games and tips on explaining Rippa rules to parents.
How do I know which drills involve contact?
Every drill is tagged non-contact, light contact or full contact. Of the 78 drills, 51 are non-contact.
Does it cover rugby league and sevens?
The training content is written for rugby union, from Rippa to senior. The live match tracker supports 15s, Sevens, 10s, League, Touch and Rippa.
Is the Training Hub free?
The Training Hub is included with Squaddie. See pricing for what each plan includes.
Plan your next rugby session tonight
Drills, session plans and a full season programme for your age group, in the app you use for lineups.
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