Rugby Coach Weekly

Send us Fan MailYou’ve got 90 minutes of training, a match to prepare for and a few players carrying knocks. How much can you realistically do to reduce the risk of injury?Dan Cottrell talks to chartered physiotherapist Chris Jenkins, known online as The Rugby Injury Physio, about practical changes coaches can make with limited time and resources. Chris brings more than 25 years’ experience, including working as Russia’s head physio at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and with Canada Rugby ,USA women’s rugby, Dragons RFC and London Welsh RFC.They discuss how short bursts of preparation can fit into your session, what a warm-up might reveal about your players, and why knowing a little about their injury history matters. There’s also a frank conversation about strapping, spotting players who aren’t recovering, and creating an environment where they feel able to tell you something is wrong.Plus, do players really need protein shakes, and is pizza after a match such a bad idea?Chris also introduces his book, Rugby Injury Prevention and Return to Play, which brings together practical advice on reducing injury risk, rehabilitation and returning to rugby.Find out more and buy Chris’s book.And order from Amazon here.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailRefereeing age-grade rugby is rarely straightforward, particularly when you are also the coach.Dan Cottrell is joined by Advantage Over podcast host and laws expert Keith Lewis to explore how coaches with a whistle can create a safer, fairer and more enjoyable game. They discuss managing players, coaches and parents, applying the laws in context, finding the right position at the breakdown and knowing when to communicate or let the game flow.A practical conversation for anyone refereeing rugby from tag through to the teenage years.Five key takeawaysHelp the game happen Use clear communication to guide players, but avoid turning every decision into a coaching intervention. Prepare for the age group Check the regulations before the game, particularly when moving between different age groups. Referee the situation, not a script Consistency means treating similar situations similarly. It does not mean applying exactly the same response to every tackle or breakdown. Get close enough to influence Good positioning helps you see the contest, communicate clearly and make better decisions. Prioritise safety at contact Be firm about tackle height, players staying on their feet and keeping heads out of dangerous spaces.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks to Martin McTaggart, RFU Playing Pathways Manager, about the EDGE framework, a way of helping coaches, selectors and pathway volunteers think more clearly about potential in young players.Martin explains why current performance can be a poor guide to future potential, especially when players arrive with very different rugby backgrounds, sporting experiences and levels of opportunity. A player who has had ten years of coaching is not the same as a player who has only been in the game for a year, so why should we assess them as if they are starting from the same place?The conversation explores the four parts of EDGE: Explore, Decision-making, Growth and Effort. These can help coaches look beyond the obvious. Rather than simply asking who is the strongest, fastest or most polished on the day, Martin challenges us to think about what players might become with the right support.Dan and Martin also dig into the problems with one-off trials, the dangers of bias, the limits of “coachability”, and why better assessment needs “many eyes, many times, many environments”.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dan Cottrell speaks to Mark Williams, head coach of North Division U18s, lead rugby coach at Birkenhead School, a forward's coach with Lymm in National Two, and Liverpool John Moores University director of rugby,The conversation starts with the value of coaching relationships, especially the importance of having trusted people around you who will challenge lazy planning, sharpen your thinking, and keep you honest. Mark reflects on working with Sarah Jones, a highly respected Level 3 coach, and how her calm, detailed approach has influenced the way he prepares and delivers sessions.The discussion then moves deep into the scrum, from the difference between loosehead and tighthead roles to how coaches can introduce scrummaging safely with younger players. Mark explains why safety, body position, foot placement, and stability matter before anything more tactical is added.The second half explores Mark’s key coaching qualities: honesty, respect, detail, clarity, and organisation. He explains how honest feedback changes depending on the environment, from Year 7 rugby to National Two selection conversations, and why players need to trust that feedback is given to help them improve.You can find more of Mark's insights on his TikTok page: @MWRugbyCoaching. And his Instagram page: @mwrugbycoachingTo find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailPads, tackle shields and crash mats can be some of the most useful kit in a rugby session, but only when coaches know exactly why they are using them.In this 50:22 episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James discuss the role of contact equipment in training. They explore how pads can reduce impact, build confidence, develop body shape and allow players to enjoy physicality, while also warning against the false habits they can create if players hit them in ways they would never use in a game.The key message is simple: Equipment is a tool, not a solution. Coaches need to know when pads help learning, when they simply create activity, and when it is time to take them away.For any coach working on tackle, ruck or contact confidence, this episode offers a practical reminder: It does not have to be perfect, but it does have to be intentional.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailOne in five players may be neurodivergent, and rugby is often a sport that attracts players who think, learn and experience the world differently. The good news? The coaching adjustments that help neurodivergent players often make coaching better for everyone. In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stuart James explore practical ways coaches can create more inclusive environments without overcomplicating their sessions. The discussion covers the importance of language, understanding individual needs, and recognising that most neurodivergent players simply want to be treated like everyone else while having the right support available when needed. A key theme is clarity. Clear instructions, predictable structures, and simple explanations reduce uncertainty and help all players engage more effectively. The pair also discuss the importance of managing transitions between activities, often the most challenging moments in a session, and how giving players clear roles and responsibilities can maintain focus and engagement. The episode highlights an important principle: design your coaching with inclusion in mind, and everybody benefits. Just as accessible design improves everyday life for everyone, inclusive coaching creates better learning environments for all players, not just those who are neurodivergent. Finally, Dan and Stu reflect on the need to coach the group in front of you rather than the session plan in your pocket. Understanding your players, managing group energy, and being prepared to adapt remain at the heart of effective coaching. Key takeaway: Better coaching for neurodivergent players is usually just better coaching. Be clear, be consistent, be intentional, and focus on creating an environment where every player can thrive.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailFault correction sits at the heart of coaching, but done poorly it kills flow, confidence and learning. In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James break down how to intervene with purpose, so players improve without feeling overwhelmed or criticised.They explore how coaches often chase a “perfect” technical model that doesn’t match the player in front of them, and why understanding stage of development is critical before stepping in. From knowing when to leave players to self-organise, to using “hot feedback” at the right moment, this conversation is about timing, judgement and intent.You will hear practical ways to correct faults without defaulting to constant instruction. That includes using demonstration, questioning, peer learning and even handing responsibility to assistant coaches or parents. There is also a powerful idea around asking permission to be critical, helping players receive feedback in a more constructive way.This episode challenges the idea that fault correction is simply telling players what to do. Instead, it reframes it as helping players feel, understand and own the solution.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailWhat if the biggest thing holding your players back is not skill but belief?In this episode, Dan Cottrell, head coach at Rugby Coach Weekly and Stuart James, coach developer at Guildford RFC, unpack one of the most overlooked areas in coaching. While most sessions are built around skills and rules, belief is often left untouched, yet it may be the very thing that unlocks performance. They explore why belief is not just mindset or empty praise, but a player’s identity, built around three powerful statements. I can do this. I belong here. I make a difference. When these are in place, everything else changes.The conversation dives into how coaches can actively build belief through session design, challenge, and, most importantly, noticing players. From small, intentional moments before a game to reinforcing effort over outcome, this episode shows how belief is grown over time, not delivered in a single speech.💡 Key insight: The players who struggle most often do not lack ability, they lack belief. And that is something you can coach.If you want players who take ownership, step forward, and perform under pressure, this episode gives you practical ways to start.👉 Because great coaching is not just about what players do, it is about what they believe they can do.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailWhat really wins rugby matches — instinct or insight?In this episode, Dan Cottrell sits down with rugby analyst, journalist, and coach Sam Larner to unpack the growing influence of data in the modern game — and what it actually means for coaches on the pitch.From Six Nations trends to grassroots realities, Sam brings clarity to the numbers behind performance. Together, they explore why territory often matters more than possession, how 22 entries shape outcomes, and why some of rugby’s most quoted stats might be misleading.The conversation goes beyond the spreadsheets. Sam challenges the idea that the game can be “solved” by data alone, arguing for a balance between analysis and feel — and offering practical ways coaches can use simple metrics to improve decision-making without overcomplicating their sessions.You’ll also hear:Why kicking is often the right decision — even when it frustrates fansThe truth about penalties and disciplineHow to use data effectively at grassroots levelWhich stats actually matter — and which ones to ignoreClick here to buy the book.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks to coach and former professional player Sam Mace about the journey from playing to coaching and the lessons that shaped his philosophy.Sam played professionally in Major League Rugby with the Toronto Arrows, before concussion injuries forced him to retire early. That experience changed the direction of his career and sparked a passion for coaching that is now reaching thousands of players and coaches online through his SMPerformance platform.In this conversation, Sam explains what truly energises him about coaching. For him, the biggest influence was the feeling of being supported by great coaches and the opposite experience of feeling small or unwanted. That contrast shaped his commitment to creating environments where players feel belief, ownership and agency over their own development.Dan and Sam explore how honest conversations build trust, why players improve more when they understand why they are not selected, and how coaches can balance challenge with care.They also dive into coaching contact skills, discussing the technical side of tackling, the importance of control rather than aggression, and why the best defenders focus on precision and positioning rather than simply hitting harder.Along the way, Sam reflects on social media coaching, the limits of short-form content, and why great coaching is always about the human connection behind the technique.Key themesBuilding belief and agency in playersHonest feedback and player ownershipCoaching confidence after mistakesTeaching tackling through precision and techniqueThe difference between social media coaching and real coachingIf you want to connect with Sam, you can find his coaching content at SMPerformance on Instagram.To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach WeeklyTo find out more about our Partner Club offerCLICK HEREAlso, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!