Week 1 - Modified Rugby League
Skill focus: Running with the ball, playing the ball, movement
Session equipment
1 football (or similar) per student
Cones or markers
Bibs/braids to differentiate teams
Download Modified Rugby League - Week 1 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Fast start - Upside down
Equipment: 8 markers to set out 25m x 25 m playing area, 1 additional marker per student
How to play:
Divide students into two groups called 'builders' and 'bulldozers'.
Each student places 1 or 2 markers out in the playing space.
Builders place the markers the right way up and bulldozers place them upside down.
Students return to their baseline (group zone) at each end of the playing area.
On the teacher's signal, all students race to turn the markers over to their designated side.
Students can only turn over one marker at a time and then return to their zone before moving to turn over another.
The game continues for a set time until the teacher signals the end of the round.
The markers are tallied for each team and then reset to commence again. The aim is for each team to have as many markers as possible positioned in their favour at the end of the allocated time.
CHANGE IT!
Vary the size of playing space.
Add more markers (even amount for each group).
Vary the locomotor movements.
Select card to download
Skill development games
Choosing teams
In a sport education approach, affiliation is promoted by students being a member of the same team over a period of time. It is intended that students remain in these teams for the duration of each sport program for the skill development and the modified small-sided games, so that they can develop and learn together.
Place students in equal teams, 4 teams is optimal, at the beginning of the skill development session. Strategies for forming groups can be found in the Game-based learning in sport and physical activity e-learning course.
To further promote affiliation students can decide on a team name.
Once the teams are determined you can add the team and student names to the Modified Rugby League draw template.
Activity 1 - Get the Beanbag
Equipment: 3 footballs (or medium sized ball) per player
How to play: Players on opposite sides of a playing area each have 3 balls. Players run to the other side and steal one ball at a time. The winner is the first player to increase their total to 5. This can be an individual or a team activity. (Play with 6 or more.)
Players can steal balls one at a time from any player opposite.
Players should run with two hands holding the ball.
Activity 2 - Pairs Passing
Equipment: 1 football per pair, marker cones for try line
How to play: Players form pairs. On your signal, players pass to each other for 30 seconds. At the end of 30 seconds the player with the ball moves to form a new pair. Passing starts again.
Players pass to one another using a basic rugby league pass.
Pass from both the left and right-sides.
Make a random call of ‘Go’ where players must run in pairs, passing the ball to one another, to score a try at one end.
Activity 3 - Back to back pass
Equipment: 1 football per pair
How to play: In pairs, players are back-to-back and pass a football to one another. (Play with 4 or more.)
With one ball per pair, players pass the ball back and forth.
Ball must change hands completely.
After exploration – set a time period, e.g. number of passes in 20 seconds.
Activity 4 - Run the Circle
Equipment: 1 football per group
How to play: Cooperative passing. Players form a circle with 1 ball. The ball is passed from player to player after a play-the-ball. (Play with 6 or more.)
The player who receives the ball plays it to a dummy-half.
The dummy-half passes to the person next to them in the circle.
The player who played the ball runs behind the person next to them in the circle and becomes the next dummy-half.
Modified small-sided games
It's time for competition!
Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the 'Modified Rugby League draw' as a guide to organise the competition, across the 4 sessions try to ensure each team has a fair number of games.
Allocate 3 points for a win, 2 points for a drawer and 1 point for a loss for each game played. Record results and points in the School sport program results spreadsheet.
Remember, to give students an update of the leader board each week.
Find the Goal Line
Equipment: 1 football per game
How to play: The team with the ball passes it among team-mates, aiming to get it over their goal line. All team-mates must touch the ball at least once before the team scores. Running with the ball is not permitted. (Play in 2 teams of 6).
Use a football and basic rugby league passes.
Players are distributed as shown.
One player from each team should be within stepping distance of their goal line.
Team with the ball:
Bibbed team starts with the ball.
Pass the ball from player to player without running.
Team without the ball (interceptors)
Interceptors may run.
Try to intercept the ball without making body contact
Reflection
2 stars and a wish
Ask students - what are 2 things you feel you did well today?
What are you going to try and improve on next week?
Students can answer reflection questions as a whole class, small group or in pairs.
