If you are new to rugby league, don’t be subdued by the toughness and speed of the game. There are many ways you can protect yourself and have fun in games. Here are some tips for beginners:
Wear protection
When you are ready to play the full contact game, make sure that you always use the various protective equipment available. You can choose from lightweight tops with removable padding, protectors for your forearms, Achilles and calf protectors, bicep protectors, mouth protectors and headgear. Don’t worry about costs, you don’t need all these kits to start playing, but make sure you have at least a mouth protector and headgear.
Take advantage of training exercises
To get super fit for playing rugby, exercise training provides good practice for increasing power, endurance and overall fitness. Useful activities include circuit training, shuttle running, distance running and some weight training for bulk building. For a handy range of Rugby Training Drills, visit Sportplan.
Kick training
In rugby, kicking is an important skill, so you want to practice different kicks repeatedly to become easy and habit forming. To avoid self-fatigue, practice kicking using a cage or net, so you don’t have to constantly pick up the ball.
Catch training
Practicing with friends or teammates means you can practice kicking and catching at once. It’s as simple as taking turns kicking and catching with a partner. You also want to practice short and long passes. You might want to put a spinning ball into your practice too. This is not important in the game but makes the ball easier to catch and the ball will move farther.
Choose the position that suits you best
Whatever your strength, you can find a position that matches that power. Maybe your strength lies in speed, endurance or sheer strength. For fast players, the winger’s position seems the most interesting. If you are a top catcher, then Scrum-half or full-back can be more suitable for you. If good strength, stamina, and tackle are yours, try the role of forward.
Committed to overcoming doubt
The key to effective handling is self-confidence. If you want to tackle, then you must commit to doing it. Lack of self-confidence or self-doubt is more likely to end in injury because it doesn’t use the best technique. For your technique to be right, practice in a big bag as part of your training.
Try various forms of play
If you still don’t believe that rugby is a game for you, then there are many interesting alternatives that you can try first. There are non-contact varieties such as Flag Rugby, Rugby Tags and Touch Football. These games are a great way to be introduced to rugby at first without full physical contact.
