Teaching Rugby

Teaching Touch Rugby in Physical Education Classes.

Physical educators are always looking for new ideas that introduce moderate-to-vigorous activity, involve skill, encourage teamwork, and increase student interest. Touch rugby has the potential to contribute to these outcomes. Though the sport is not new, it is not a mainstream sport. Therefore, students see it as something new. Their motivation is enhanced by the structure of the game that enables everyone an opportunity to run with, pass, and catch the ball. Rugby fits well into the curriculum. It can lead to progress toward many educational objectives such as: fitness, throwing, catching, kicking, chasing, fleeing, dodging, teamwork, application of strategy, etc. In this article, the authors detail the nature of the sport and discuss the game's rules as well as how it is played.
Teaching rugby in physical education classes helps generate new interest in a great sport tradition and contribute to a positive public perception of the game.

(c) Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators, v17 n5 p7-10 May-Jun 2004.