Our Pre-Season Camp kicked off from the 27th August to the 29th of August. Our camp saw over 68 children attend over the 3 days spanning from over 32 different schools. Of our 68 children, there were 55 members.

The first day's focus was back to basics. This is where we focused on the passing, tackling, jackling and offloads. The players were taken through skill zones and then tested in a game zone. Players have to break down their skills, refine them in the skill zone and polish them off in a game.

The game zone focus was Two-Pass touch where the players had to make two passes before being touched or it would be a turnover. This created players to identify quick hands and move the ball down the line. The players used the width of the pitch.

Day two focus was to increase intensity and move quickly with hard lines. We introduced offloads and Fijian touch which used our focus in a game scenario. In our skill blocks, we ramped up our contact prep for the season, learned safe jackal technique and created offloads.

Day three skills were to increase the level of difficulty of their tackling, rucking for u12s. The children learnt the basics in the last two days and the third day was to test it in some decision-making 4 v 4 scenarios. The children were then put into teams and played the three main games: Fijian Touch, Drop-off Touch and Two-Pass Touch. They could then test themselves on what they had learnt over the last 3 days and use that knowledge to try to win the tournament. The end of the day ended in kick tennis to celebrate the end of the camps.

The camps focus on each element of the game:

• Passing: Players practised both short and long passes, emphasizing precision in delivering the ball to the intended target. Correct body positioning was emphasized to ensure efficient passing. Players were taught to open up their hips and use their non-kicking feet to guide the ball.
• Tackling Technique:
- Proper Stance: Players were taught to maintain a low centre of gravity and keep their knees bent to stay balanced.
- Approach Angle: Emphasis was placed on approaching the opponent at an angle to minimize risk and maximize the chance of winning the ball.
- Timing and Patience: Drills were aimed at helping players identify the right moment to make a tackle without overcommitting.
- Body Control: Players practised keeping their bodies under control to avoid fouls and ensure they could recover quickly if the tackle were missed.
• Jackling Technique:
- Positioning and Body Alignment: Players were taught to maintain a low stance with bent knees to stay balanced and ready to react quickly.
- Strong Grip on the Ball: Proper hand placement was emphasized to ensure a secure grip on the ball when attempting to steal it from the tackled player.
- Staying On Feet: Players practised staying on their feet while jackling to avoid penalties for collapsing or handling the ball on the ground.
• Kicking Technique:
- Foot Position: Players were coached on proper foot placement to ensure accurate and powerful kicks. The focus was on striking the ball with the correct part of the foot (instep or laces) depending on the desired kick type.
- Ball Contact Point: Players were taught where to strike the ball to achieve different kinds of kicks.
- Follow Through: Coaches emphasized a controlled follow-through to direct the ball accurately, ensuring that the kicking leg continues its motion towards the target after contact.

Over the three days, the children broke down their skills, fixed the bad techniques and honed their skills to almost perfection. All children who attended came out of camp with better knowledge of the game, better skill level and NEW friends.

Our next camp is approaching, the October Rugby Camp. The camp will look to redefine how we do camps at Richmond Rugby.

The camp will now cover over a whole week. Children aged 5-11 are allowed to attend on Monday to Wednesday and children aged 12-16 can attend from Wednesday to Friday. This will allow us to focus more on each age groups basic skills and give even more attention to each participating child. What is even better about our October camp is that if you attend all three days, you will receive your own Richmond Rugby Camp shirt and at no extra cost. We are hoping for this new setup to create a more friendly environment for children who have never played rugby before, better skill enhancement as there will be a better coach to child ration and more fun all round.

Please let us know your thoughts on our Pre-Season Rugby Camp by filling in this survey.

Please click here to book your spot for the October Rugby Camp and use EARLYBIRD20 to receive 20% off your booking. This code expires on Monday 16th October.