Improving

Question
I have just turned 17 and have been playing rugby occasionally but not as much as I did a few years back but want to join a club again in the next few months. I am 84 KG and quite a powerful runner and play on the wing and have good hands and am just wondering what else I can do to get better technically like kicking, and game awareness? And what would need to be done to play professionally?

Answer
Hi Jam,

I have recently found a large library of great training videos on UTube. Search in UTube using the key words relating to the skill you want and go from there. There are some excellent kicking and passing technique videos.

Also get with your friends and team mates for touch rugby in the off season and go to a park to simply kick a ball around. Playing with the ball a lot will get your muscle memory working.

Watch a lot of rugby on TV, Video or online. The higher the level of players the better. Keep and eye on the players who play your position even when they are away from the ball. The tendancy when watching rugby on tv is to follow the action but to learn more about your position watch your player. What is he doing during kicks, mauls, rucks, attack, defence, scrums, lineouts. How do they mark players? How do they attack certain players on the run.

When at training don't just go through the motions really do the drills visualizing how the drill could be applied to a game. Vizualising is a powerfull tool, do it.

During games look around and mark your opposite, look for holes in defences, try to look for habits in the play of the other team. Don't rush yourself look for options.