Cage rugby

Cage Rugby
Cage Rugby is a smaller scale version of Rugby Union, as developed by a company called Rugbyperformance Ltd. The game came into being as a result of the coaching staff being dissatisfied with the manner in which key rugby skills were being coached in England. It is a bridge between the gap of Tag rugby and full contact rugby. It was felt that it was unrealistic to expect young players to go from pulling a tag off an opposing player, as seen in Tag rugby, to making a full tackle.
As Rugby Union is a full-contact sport, it was decided that children learning the game needed to embrace the art of tackling, as opposed to grabbing tags, in order that they may feel confident and enjoy the phyiscal aspect of the game. This method of training also embraces the "Whole - Part - Whole" methodology of coaching.
The bravery that it takes to stand in front of someone who is running at full pace can only be built up with confidence. Cage Rugby is designed to give young players that confidence. By playing the game in small spaces, with less momentum being built up, players are able to practice the art of tackling without the full impact and collisions the larger game sees.
The game has been called 'Cage Rugby' because it evokes a portrayal of two participants locked in battle. If a young player has the inner belief that he is tough then he will be tough. By allowing him into a situation where a gladitorial image is evoked then he must become self confident, believe in himself and his ablities in order to be successful. There is nowhere to hide in a cage- a player must rise to the occasion, confront his nerves and make a tackle. The word 'Cage' should not be avoided but embraced.
This game can be used with all levels of rugby, from beginner to elite levels, and should be adapted accordingly.
It is imperative that the game is not used to allow collision followed by collision, potentially putting players off the game by suffocating them with contact. Coaches must be aware that it may be necessary to take players away from the game and give them 'part' coaching tips to develop ability and technical areas.
The rules-
The game is started with a throw in (line out-style) from the halfway line.
A sinbin must be put into effect for player offending- for instance for knock ons, bad passes, or 15 a side offences such as offsied, 'holding on' hands in the ruck, etc.
A team must consist of between 6-8 people, as long as they are equal.
The team that takes the throw in at the line out dictate how many players start on the pitch. A minimum of 2 and maximun of 4 may contest the line out.The player who throws the ball in will join the game, making a slight mismatch in favour of that team. The team who win the line out can also add another player into the game. There is a 10 second limit on teams to organise the line out and start the game. (this promotes quick thinking and organisational skill.)
The pitch is a rectangle, which measures 8m by 16m. The first half of the game will be played on the long side, making it a narrow pitch, and the second half will be rotated so that the pitch become wider but shorter. Games will last 6 minutes a half.
The game has been used extensively by schools (primary and secondary) based aorund the Merseyside area, and universitites, notably the University of liverpool Mens Rugby Union/League teams
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