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RUGGER PUPSPlaybook

Week 5: Teamwork Makes the Try Work

Programme
Years 3–4 — Six-Week Programme
Age group
Years 3–4 · ages 7–9
Duration
60 min
Coaching
1 coach · Up to 20 children
Mission
Help your pack attack and defend together.
PAWS
Work Together · Always Be Kind

Learning objectives

  • Communicate and work with a partner.
  • Support the ball carrier in attack.
  • Organise together in defence.
  • Free teammates with a legal pass.

Equipment checklist

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

Pitch setup

  • One main rectangular coaching area of roughly 20m × 25m, with clear boundaries, runoff space and try lines at both ends.
  • Several kennel scoring zones marked around the area for Spike's Protect the Kennel.
  • Keep the main boundaries in place all session — only a handful of cones move between activities.
  • Every active area must be visible and manageable by the single coach.
  • Before starting, check the surface, boundaries, equipment and the school's safeguarding, first-aid, emergency and collection arrangements.

Before the Pups Arrive

  • Mark the main playing area (roughly 20m × 25m) with try lines at both ends.
  • Mark four to six kennel scoring zones for Spike's Protect the Kennel.
  • Set out the team cones for Circle Dash.
  • Pre-size the tag belts and check every belt has two tags.
  • Place 10–12 rugby balls at pitch-side.
  • Have two colours of bibs ready for the Big Pup Tag Game.

Session — 8 activities

1. Welcome & Recap · 0–4 min (4 min)

Setup

Gather the children in a designated coaching area.

How to play

  1. Quick recall: looking up, making decisions and attacking space.
  2. Introduce today's mission: help your pack attack and defend together.
  3. Keep it short and energetic.

Commands: “PAWS… READY!” — Go · “Freeze Paws!” — Stop, freeze and listen

Coaching cues: “Work together” · “Eyes on the coach when stopped” · “Look after your teammates”

Safety: Keep the recap short — the children learn by playing.

2. Pack Pairs · 4–11 min (7 min)

One leads, one follows — swap regularly. Progression: add a ball and pass while moving.
  • Pair of children
  • Rugby ball
  • Dashed arrow = pass
  • Cone
  • Coach

Player icons are representative — use the group numbers in the instructions.

Setup

Pairs spread around the main area.

How to play

  1. Pairs move around the area together — one leads, one follows.
  2. Swap regularly so everyone leads.
  3. Add one ball per pair and pass sideways/backwards while moving. After passing, move into a new space alongside or behind the carrier where your partner can see you.

Coaching cues: “Stay together” · “Talk to your partner” · “Swap” · “Sideways or backwards”

Safety: Spread the pairs out to avoid collisions.

3. Rescue Pups · 11–19 min (8 min)

Tagged child freezes — their partner frees them with one short sideways/backwards pass. Nobody is out.
  • Pair of children
  • Tag belt
  • Tagger (3)
  • Ringed = frozen child
  • Dashed arrow = pass
  • Rugby ball
  • Coach

Player icons are representative — use the group numbers in the instructions.

Setup

Children work in pairs with one ball per pair; everyone wears a tag belt. Choose a few taggers and rotate them frequently.

How to play

  1. When one member of a pair is tagged, they freeze.
  2. Their partner frees them by completing one short sideways/backwards pass with them.
  3. After the rescue, the passer moves into a new visible support space alongside or behind the new carrier. Reattach the returned tag before rejoining; nobody is eliminated.
  4. Rotate taggers frequently.

Coaching cues: “Help your partner” · “One short pass” · “Sideways or backwards” · “Tag safely”

Safety: No pushing, grabbing or rough contact. Hand tags back directly.

4. Circle Dash · 19–27 min (8 min)

Loose horseshoes facing the same way — legal sideways/backwards pass, then dash around the outside cone.
  • 5 children in a loose horseshoe; face up the page
  • Rugby ball
  • Dashed = sideways/backwards pass
  • Solid = outside dash
  • Cone

Setup

Four groups of five form loose horseshoes, all facing the same direction, with one ball per group. Mark an outside team cone for each group; keep the familiar Circle Dash race.

How to play

  1. Keep a loose horseshoe facing the same direction: pass sideways/backwards to a teammate who takes a small step to meet the ball. No forward passes.
  2. On the coach's signal, the selected player runs around the outside and returns to a new space.
  3. Keep it moving and fun.
  4. Progression: more than one active runner.

Coaching cues: “Call for the ball” · “Quick passes” · “Run the outside” · “Keep it moving”

Safety: Keep circles well separated. Runners go around the outside, not through the circle.

5. Pickle's Pack Attack · 27–36 min (9 min)

3 attackers v 1 defender — the defender starts slightly delayed. Communicate and support.
  • Try line / end zone
  • 3 attackers + 1 waiting per channel
  • Defender / tagger
  • Rugby ball
  • Dashed = backwards pass; attack travels up
  • Arrow = movement

Setup

Four groups of five in wide channels: three attackers, one defender and one waiting player. The defender starts slightly delayed; support stays alongside or behind the carrier. Rotate after each attempt.

How to play

  1. Three attackers attempt to move the ball toward the scoring line using short sideways/backwards passes and support after passing.
  2. The defender begins slightly delayed.
  3. Attackers must communicate and support — keep numbers small, e.g. 3 attackers versus 1 defender.
  4. Progression: the defender starts earlier.

Coaching cues: “Talk to each other” · “Support the ball carrier” · “Pass sideways or backwards” · “Attack the space”

Safety: Keep channels clearly separated. Defenders tag safely — no grabbing.

6. Spike's Protect the Kennel · 36–45 min (9 min)

Carry and pass balls safely into your kennel — tagged ball carriers must pass before continuing.
  • Child / attacker
  • Rugby ball
  • Defender / tagger
  • Team kennels
  • Dashed arrow = pass
  • Arrow = movement
  • Coach

Player icons are representative — use the group numbers in the instructions.

Setup

Create several “kennels” or scoring zones. Teams each have a kennel; roaming defenders tag ball carriers.

How to play

  1. Teams work together to carry and pass rugby balls safely into their kennel while roaming defenders try to tag ball carriers.
  2. A tagged ball carrier stops and passes sideways/backwards before continuing. Return and reattach the tag before rejoining; the passer moves into useful support space.
  3. No stealing balls from hands.
  4. The emphasis is cooperation, not accumulating huge scores.

Coaching cues: “Work together” · “Pass before you continue” · “Protect the ball” · “Find space”

Safety: No stealing balls from hands. No pushing, grabbing or rough contact.

7. Big Pup Tag Game · 45–56 min (11 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
Support each other in attack AND organise together in defence.

Setup

Use the main pitch and try lines already in place. Two colours of bibs.

How to play

  1. Normal Years 3–4 tag game — choose the match format on the day.
  2. Coach focus: support each other in attack AND organise together in defence.
  3. No bonus scoring.

Option A — One 10v10 match (default): Years 3–4 tag rugby on the main pitch. All 20 children play. Default option.

Option B — Two 5v5 matches: Two adjacent mini-pitches played at the same time. Stand where you can see both games. Use two simultaneous games only when both can be supervised safely. Both games stop together on “Freeze Paws!”

Years 3–4 tag rules: Score a try by grounding the ball over the try line. · Passes travel sideways or backwards — never forwards. · A defender removes one tag and calls “TAG!”. · The ball carrier stops as quickly and safely as possible and passes to a teammate. · The defender immediately returns the tag. · The player replaces the tag before fully rejoining play. · No tackling, pushing, grabbing clothing, blocking defenders or ripping the ball.

Coaching cues: “Support in attack” · “Organise in defence” · “Talk to each other” · “Pass sideways or backwards”

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

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

Setup

Gather the children together.

How to play

  1. Collect rugby balls and tag belts.
  2. Ask: “What did a good teammate do today?”
  3. Praise effort, courage and safe play.
  4. Finish with the closing chant.

Closing chant: Coach: “Heads up, tails up…” · Children: “RUGGER PUPS!”

Coaching cues: “Well done, Pack!” · “Heads up, tails up…”

Safety: Follow the school's authorised parent/guardian collection and handover arrangements. Do not allow children to leave unsupervised.

Closing chant

Coach: “Heads up, tails up…” — Children: “RUGGER PUPS!”

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