Sarah Cottingham, teacher educator and Educational Neuroscience MA, challenges us on how we think we learn and how we might apply it to our coaching. Dan Cottrell provides the rugby examples ..read more

It is interesting to reflect on the impact of famous author Dorothy L. Sayers on modern coaching. Way back in 1947, she challenged teachers to make their students think deeper and think more, so they learn for themselves ..read more

In my previous article, I outlined how I set up my Veo for games and training. I've now had a greater opportunity to use it for recording games. Again, I come at this without much recent experience of using video analysis software. I don't have much time to sit down and code games. Instead, I will mainly use the footage to pick out some key points to help inform my coaching and to share moments with the players ..read more

This article comes from Alan Zondagh LinkedIn account. It will be discussed by Alan with Phil Llewellyn and guests in a Roundup Rodeo special coming out on Sunday 21st March. Former Bulls Director of Rugby and seasoned South African coach Alan Zondagh believes the sport is in need of a drastic overall change. My rugby journey started as Director of Coaching for the Western Province Rugby Union in 1980 and finished as Director of Rugby at the Bulls in January 2020 ..read more

Bill Walsh won three Superbowls with the San Francisco 49ers. When he took over as head coach in 1979 they were arguably the worst team in American football history. Within two years they were the best. This sympathetic and honest book, published after Walsh’s death in 2007, but largely in his own words, explains in detail the methods he used to achieve extraordinary success ..read more

From our Rugby Coach Weekly archive of Touchline Tales, commenting on a game in an U15 Cup tournament. Last weekend we lost 20-22 in a cup game. The opposition scored at the end from a disputed lineout on our line and we felt our jumper was impeded.  The post Why our referee didn’t have a shocker appeared first on Rugby Coach Weekly ..read more

Whether you won or lost this weekend, I expect you are thinking “there’s still so much to do”. No matter if you are just starting the season or mid-season, it always seems to be the case. Here is the good news: all the other teams are in the same predicament. The way forward? Balance your... The post There’s so much to do! What first? appeared first on Rugby Coach Weekly ..read more

Feedback is something we coaches are handing out all the time. It’s part of the review process after every game and training session, and at the end of every season. We’re often thinking about whether the feedback is working, if it’s honest enough or perhaps too blunt. We know that some players ask for feedback and others shut up shop the moment we offer any form of criticism.  The post Thanks for the feedback The science and art of receiving feedback well appeared first on Rugby Coach Weekly ..read more

There’s a powerful school of thought that tells us we should be coaching more through games than drills. Let’s for a moment see why that makes sense. The post Games v drills v coaching v fun appeared first on Rugby Coach Weekly ..read more

This summer I was invited down to meet up with the West Swansea Hawks teams and coaches. They are a Welsh Rugby Union girls rugby hub in west Wales, operating with U8s, U9s, U11s, U13, U15 and U18s in the summer months. The post The fastest growing team in the West appeared first on Rugby Coach Weekly ..read more