Week 3 - Try Rugby Sevens

Skill focus: Running with the ball, passing and catching, evasion, scoring a try

Session equipment

1 football (or similar) per pair of players
40 markers
Bibs/braids to differentiate teams

Download Try Rugby Sevens - Week 3 task 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

Activity 1 - Boundary pass

Equipment: 1 football per pair, marker cones to define boundary line

How to play: In pairs, players try to make as many passes to each other as they can in 60 seconds. To add a challenge, the pass has to be across a different boundary line.

Pairs, with a football, are dispersed over four boundary lines 8 metres by 8 metres.
On designated students signal, all pairs jog in the same direction and pass their ball.
Passes can only be made across a boundary line.
Each pass has to be over a different boundary line.
Encourage players to pass backwards to their partner.
Pairs count how many passes they made in 60 seconds.
Pairs repeat in the opposite direction and attempt to beat their previous score.

Activity 2 - Spare square

Equipment: 1 football, 4 marker cones

How to play: Three attacking players on a square pass a football back and forth while a player in the centre of the square attempts to intercept the ball. Attacking players can move to the spare marker cone to receive the ball. Play in groups of four.

Separate players into groups of four with one football, and set up a 3 metre by 3 metre square using marker cones.
The three attacking players stand at a marker and can only pass the ball to players on each side of the square (not diagonally across the square).
To receive the ball attacking players can move to the spare marker cone — they cannot run while holding the ball.
A fourth player in the centre attempts to intercept the ball or cause a fumble.
When the ball is intercepted, the attacking player who touched it last changes place with the interceptor.

Activity 3 - Tricky try lines

Equipment: 1 football per player on the attacking team; 6 marker cones

How to play: One at a time attacking players with a football enter the playing area and quickly choose one of two lines to run over before being tagged by a defender. Players change roles frequently.

Organise players into two groups at diagonal points of the playing area.
Attackers line up behind a marker with a ball each.
A defender can only enter the playing area once an attacker has entered.
Attackers try to score a point by running over a selected try line before being tagged by a defender.
An attacker and defender must quickly move out of the game as soon as the attacker is either tagged or runs over the selected line.
Swap roles when all attackers have had a turn

CHANGE IT!

Increase the area and play with two attackers against one defender.
The attackers can pass or run themselves, or attempt a dummy pass. • Rotate pairs to other games to provided variety and challenge.

Activity 4 - Back to back

Equipment: 1 football per game, marker cones to define score line

How to play: On ‘Go!’ players standing back-to-back run around a marker on their score line. The player who scoops up the ball attempts to score a touchdown without being tagged by their opponent.

Pairs collect one football and four marker cones to create their playing area.
A ball is placed on a scoreline at one end of the area.
Pairs start back-to-back in the middle of the area.
When the player facing the ball calls out ‘Go!’, both players run to opposite ends of their area and around a marker cone.
The player who was facing the ball scoops it up and attempts to score a touchdown.
The play is completed when either a touch or a touchdown has occurred.
Players take turns facing the ball and calling ‘Go!’
The pair observing act as referees and make calls such as, ‘Touchdown’, ‘No touchdown’ or ‘Touch’.
Pairs swap roles.

Modified small-sided games

It's time for competition!

Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the 'Try Rugby Sevens 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.

Teaching tip

Players’ t-shirts and jerseys must be tucked in.
Once tagged, the ball carrier must stop as quickly as possible, turn and pass to a team-mate. They are not required to return to the mark where they were tagged, but they are not allowed to deliberately run forward to gain ground.

Game - Buddy up

Equipment: 1 football per game; marker cones to define the playing area; team bibs or sashes

How to play: Teams play a modified game of Try Rugby Sevens. Opponents are paired up and can only tag when their opponent has the ball.

Organise players into teams with each player paired with an opponent (of similar ability) to defend.
Play starts and re-starts from the half way line with a tap re-start. • The defending team must be at least five metres back from the half way line.
The ball carrier can only be tagged by their partner on the opposite team.
The ball carrier must stop, turn and pass to a team-mate when tagged.
An uncontested lineout will occur when the ball rolls over a touch line with the team that throws it back in always winning possession.
The attacking team will lose possession if a pass is ruled forward, a player knocks on or a try is scored.
Other Playing for Life — Try Rugby Sevens rules can be applied as needed.