Back to Week 2

Detailed print — a concise two-page A4 edition (print double-sided). The full digital plan stays on the Week page.

RUGGER PUPSPlaybook

Week 2: Run Like a Pup

Programme
Years 1–2 — Six-Week Programme
Age group
Years 1–2 · ages 5–7
Duration
60 min
Coaching
1 coach · Up to 20 children
Mission
Carry the ball, find space and escape defenders.
PAWS
Play with Purpose · Stay Safe & Strong

Learning objectives

  • Run confidently with a rugby ball.
  • Keep their eyes up while moving.
  • Find space.
  • Change direction.
  • Change speed.
  • Side-step.
  • Pass to a teammate.
  • Receive the ball and attack.
  • Evade defenders using tag rugby.
  • Score tries.
  • Apply the skills in a simplified game.

Equipment checklist

20 tag belts • 40 tags plus a few spares • 10–12 rugby balls • 30–35 cones or flat markers • 2 colours of bibs • Whistle • First-aid kit • Access to drinking water

Pitch setup

  • Use the same main coaching area as Week 1 (roughly 20m × 25m, adapt to the space) with clear boundaries and two try / end zones at opposite ends.
  • Keep the outside boundaries and try zones in place all session — only make small internal cone changes between activities.
  • Scatter several cone gates (different colours if available) for Pickle's Escape Routes, spread far enough apart to reduce collisions.
  • Mark short attacking channels for Spike's Pass & Escape Challenge, clearly separated, with a marked start area for waiting children.
  • The final game area can be split into two adjacent mini-pitches if needed.
  • Every active area must be visible and manageable by the single coach (up to 20 children).

Before the Pups Arrive

  • Reuse the Week 1 main area and two try/end zones — only small internal cone changes today.
  • Pre-size tag belts: Shark Attack — Tag Edition needs belts on from the start.
  • Have about half the rugby balls ready at pitch-side for Follow the Pack and Pup Traffic.
  • Scatter several coloured cone gates well apart for Pickle's Escape Routes.
  • Mark short attacking channels for Spike's Pass & Escape, each with a passing line, a waiting area and a defender zone.
  • Keep the try lines clearly visible for the TRY! call, and have two colours of bibs ready for the final game.

Session — 8 activities

1. PAWS Welcome & Recap · 0–4 min (4 min)

Setup

Gather the children in the normal coaching area.

How to play

  1. Welcome the group back and briefly remind them what Week 1 introduced.
  2. Introduce today's mission: “Today we're learning how to run with the ball, find space and escape defenders.”
  3. Ask one quick recap question: “What do you do when someone takes your tag?” — Stop, get the tag back, reattach it, then continue when ready.
  4. Keep the recap short and active.

Commands: Coach: “PAWS!” — Children: “READY!” · “Freeze Paws!” — Stop and listen

Week 1 recap: Rugby balls · Tags · Passing · Scoring tries

Coaching cues: “PAWS!” · “READY!” · “Today we're learning how to escape defenders!”

Safety: Keep this recap short.

2. Follow the Pack · 4–11 min (7 min)

Coach leads from a visible spot — balls added in the second part.
  • Coach
  • Child / attacker
  • Rugby ball
  • Cone
  • Arrow = movement

Setup

All children spread out inside the main playing area. Begin without rugby balls.

How to play

  1. Children copy the coach's movements.
  2. After about 2–3 minutes, call “Freeze Paws!”
  3. Give rugby balls to about half the children, then restart with “PAWS!” — “READY!”
  4. Children keep copying the movements while carrying a ball.
  5. Call “Freeze Paws!” before changing who has a ball.

Movements to copy: Jog · Side-step · Accelerate · Slow down · Change direction · Quick feet · Stop and turn

Coaching cues: “Eyes up” · “Find space” · “Change speed” · “Ball safe”

Progression: Make the coach's changes of direction slightly quicker so children have to react.

Safety: Avoid collisions. Stay inside the marked area.

3. Pup Traffic — Pass, Try, Escape · 11–19 min (8 min)

PASS to a child without a ball · TRY = run to a try line.
  • Try line / end zone
  • Children with / without balls
  • Dashed arrow = pass
  • Solid arrow = TRY run
  • Children without balls defend (progression)
  • Coach

Setup

Use the main playing area. About half the children start with rugby balls; the other half without. Children wear tag belts if practical, or fit belts just before the defender progression.

How to play

  1. Run the movement commands as usual, mixing in PASS! and TRY!
  2. Prioritise a controlled, successful exchange over technical passing perfection.

Commands: Green — Run · Amber — Slow down · Red — Freeze · Blue — Side-step

New Week 2 commands: PASS! — Ball carriers stop and pass or hand the ball to a child without one. Play resumes once every ball has changed owner. · TRY! — Ball carriers attack the nearest try line and ground the ball. Children without balls move safely out of the way. Everyone resets into the main area.

Coaching cues: “Eyes up” · “Find the gap” · “Change direction” · “Run to space” · “Score the try”

Progression: Add defenders (once PASS and TRY are understood): on TRY!, children without balls become defenders and try to remove one tag before the ball carrier reaches the try line. If tagged, the attacker stops safely; the defender hands the tag directly back; the attacker reattaches it. Everyone resets for the next round.

Safety: Keep the try lines clearly visible. Prevent children bunching around one scoring area. Only start the defender progression once the basic version is understood. No tackling, grabbing or pushing.

4. Shark Attack — Tag Edition · 19–28 min (9 min)

NOW WITH TAG BELTS

Tag Edition — sharks pull tags instead of touching. Balls are the progression.
  • Safe island at each end
  • Child / attacker
  • Shark (2)
  • Tag belt
  • Rugby ball
  • Coach

Setup

All children wear tag belts with two tags, one on each hip. Use the two safe islands at opposite ends of the pitch. Choose two sharks to start. Give a short reminder of safe tagging only — no full demonstration.

How to play

  1. Children start on one safe island.
  2. On “Shark Attack!”, they run to the opposite island.
  3. Sharks catch runners by removing one tag.
  4. When tagged: the runner continues safely to the opposite island, the shark hands the tag directly back, the runner reattaches it and joins the next round. Nobody is eliminated.
  5. Rotate sharks frequently. Avoid more than about four sharks at once unless the area stays safe and uncrowded.

Coaching cues: “Look for gaps” · “Change speed” · “Side-step” · “Escape the shark”

Progression: Give rugby balls to about half the runners and rotate them between rounds. If the group is managing confidently, more runners may carry balls.

Safety: No pushing, grabbing clothing or tackling. Tags are handed back, not thrown.

5. Pickle's Escape Routes · 28–38 min (10 min)

Find space — don’t follow the crowd.
  • Coloured gate (two cones)
  • Child with ball
  • Slow tag defender (progression)
  • Coach
  • Arrow = movement

Setup

Scatter several cone gates around the main playing area — different colours if available. Children carry rugby balls. If there are not enough, work in pairs and swap regularly.

How to play

  1. Children move freely around the area carrying their ball.
  2. The coach calls a gate colour.
  3. Children find a gate of that colour, run through it, change direction afterwards and find new space.
  4. This is not a race — look for open space rather than follow the crowd.

Coaching cues: “Find space” · “Don't follow the crowd” · “Change direction” · “Go through the gap”

Progression: Introduce a small number of slow-moving tag defenders who try to remove a tag from ball carriers. Ball carriers use the gates and space to escape. Rotate defenders frequently.

Safety: Keep gates spread far enough apart to reduce collisions. Avoid sending every child towards one gate.

6. Spike's Pass & Escape Challenge · 38–47 min (9 min)

Passer → attacker · Attacker → back of passing line. Progression: defender moves freely.
  • Try line / end zone
  • Passer (with ball), attacker beside them, line waiting
  • Defender
  • Dashed arrow = pass
  • Arrow = movement

Setup

Create short attacking channels — enough to keep waiting time low while staying manageable for one coach. Each channel: one attacker in the attacking position, one defender, one passing line. All other attackers start in the passing line; the first child in the line has the ball.

How to play

  1. The first passer gives the ball to the attacker.
  2. The attacker receives the ball and runs forward to beat the defender.
  3. The defender tries to remove one tag.
  4. The attacker tries to score a try.

Rotation: The passer moves into the attacking position. · The previous attacker joins the back of the passing line. · The defender stays for a few turns, then rotates.

Say to the passer: Show your hands · Aim for your teammate

Coaching cues: “Catch first” · “Attack space” · “Change speed” · “Side-step”

Progression: Starting version: restrict the defender to a small central zone. One progression only: when children are confident, let the defender move freely within the channel.

Safety: Keep channels clearly separated. Waiting children stay behind the marked start area. All active channels must stay visible to the coach.

7. Big Pup Tag Game · 47–56 min (9 min)

Option A — One game · 10 v 10

+5+5

Option B — Two games · 5 v 5 on each pitch

+2+2+2+2

Use only when both games can be supervised safely.

Player icons are representative — use the team numbers shown above.

  • Attacking team
  • Defending team
  • Try line / end zone
  • Coach
  • Arrow = movement
Find space — change direction — beat defenders.

Setup

Use the main pitch and end zones already in place. Two colours of bibs.

How to play

  1. Same basic game the children learned in Week 1. Choose the match format below on the day.
  2. Week 2 focus: find space, run forward, change direction, side-step and support teammates.
  3. Keep introducing sideways/backwards passing progressively, without technical refereeing stopping the flow.

Option A — One 10v10 match: Use when the group benefits from one closely supervised game.

Option B — Two 5v5 matches: Use when children understand the rules and both pitches can be safely supervised.

Simplified rules: Ground the ball over the try line to score. · A defender removes one tag to stop the ball carrier. · The tagged player stops. · The defender returns the tag. · The player reattaches it. · The ball is passed to a teammate. · No tackling, pushing, grabbing or blocking.

Coaching cues: “Find space” · “Run forward” · “Beat the defender” · “Help your teammate”

Safety: No tackling, pushing, grabbing or blocking. Keep every playing area in your view.

The coach chooses the format that best suits the group and space on the day. No bonus scoring or special rules.

8. PAWS Huddle & Collection · 56–60 min (4 min)

Setup

Gather the children. Collect rugby balls and tag belts.

How to play

  1. Ask one short question: “What helped you get away from a defender today?” (e.g. side-step, change direction, run faster, find space).
  2. Praise examples of effort, confidence, kindness and safe play.
  3. Finish with the closing chant.

Closing chant: Coach: “Once a Pup…” · Children: “ALWAYS A PUP!”

Coaching cues: “What helped you escape today?” · “Well done, Pack!” · “Once a Pup…”

Safety: Follow the school's authorised collection and handover procedure.

Closing chant

Coach: “Once a Pup…” — Children: “ALWAYS A PUP!”

PAWS / READY — Play with Purpose · Always Be Kind · Work Together · Stay Safe & Strong