Summer 2026 · Week 7 of 8

All Principles — Consolidation

MED-HIGH CONTACTAugust 2026High intensityMed-high contact60 mins
Home/Sessions/Summer 2026/Week 7
0–5 mins
WARM-UP · On arrival
Rugby League Tag — Arrival Game

20m × 15m grid. Two bib sets. Game is live from the 3rd player onwards.

Key coaching cues
Do not referee or coach — observe only
Watch who scans and uses space → Go Forward instinct
Watch who gravitates to the ball → Support habit to develop
Active
Attack vs defence from rep one. HR rising immediately.
Purposeful
Primes Go Forward and Support before the session formally begins.
Enjoyable
Players arrive into action, not into a queue.
Safe
Touch only. Open grid. Coach present.
Organisation
  • 3rd player: 2v1, game live immediately
  • 4th–6th: build to 3v3. 7th+: add players or open second grid.
Additional Coaching Cues
  • Touch below waist = tackle. Two steps then pass within 2 seconds.
  • Six touches then turnover.
  • Score by grounding over the far try line.
5–13 mins
ACTIVATE · 8 mins
RFU Activate Kids — U11/U12 Programme

Player-choice Activate: coach presents options from the full Activate Kids menu and players vote. Maintains the protocol while giving players ownership of their warm-up.

Key coaching cues
Quality over quantity — controlled movement and correct form throughout
Neck contractions: player controls own resistance — never apply external force
Observe and correct posture — Activate is skill rehearsal as well as physical prep
Active
Progressive load. HR rises systematically.
Purposeful
Official RFU Activate Kids exercises. Each directly relevant to rugby movement demands.
Enjoyable
Competitive and fun exercises throughout.
Safe
Player-controlled neck resistance. No external force applied.
Organisation
  • Part A (Whole Body): Player-choice from Part A, Coach cue: “You’ve done all of these this summer. Which felt most useful? Which do you want to do?”
  • Part B (Upper Body): Player-choice from Part B, Static Neck Contractions
  • Part C (Lower Body): Player-choice from Part C
  • Player-choice from Part A — Hungry Hippos, Tag the Tail, Lateral Skip or Unplanned Plant & Cut. Players vote on top 2.
  • Coach cue: “You’ve done all of these this summer. Which felt most useful? Which do you want to do?”
  • Player-choice from Part B — Bear Crawl Tag, Partner Resisted Arm Movements, Walk & Roll or Press Up to Plank. Players vote on top 2.
  • Static Neck Contractions — hands to head (front/back/sides), 3-second hold each. Player controls own resistance. Non-negotiable.
  • Player-choice from Part C — Pogo Jumps, Zombie Squat Tag, Forward Bounds or Lunge & Spell Name. Players vote on top 2.
Additional Coaching Cues
  • Activate prepares the body for contact — not a generic warm-up
  • Correct form errors immediately — better to slow down than build bad habits
  • Warm conditions: shorter rests between exercises are fine. Keep the momentum.
13–25 minsPLAYER CHOICE
SKILL ZONE · PLAYER CHOICE · 12 mins
Player-Choice Skill Zone

Players vote on which skill zone drill from the summer programme they want to revisit. Coach presents 3 options. Players vote. Winner runs. Coach facilitates, players lead.

Key coaching cues
ASK: “What are we trying to achieve with this drill? What Principle of Play does it work on?” — before starting.
Listen to the quality of the answer. This is your assessment of their understanding.
End with: “Did we achieve what we said we were going to? What would you do differently?”
Active
Player-chosen activity — maximum motivation and effort.
Purposeful
Players articulate the purpose themselves. Metacognition of Principles of Play.
Enjoyable
Ownership. Players leading the session is novel and highly motivating.
Safe
Coach maintains safety oversight throughout, regardless of player leadership.
Organisation
  • Coach presents 3 choices (e.g. Gate Drill, Shadow Passing Channel, Offload Drill, 3-Man Unit Play, Breakdown Recycling)
  • Players vote by show of hands. Majority wins.
  • Coach sets up the chosen drill. Players explain the rules to each other — minimal coach input.
  • Run for 12 minutes with progressive IDS pressure (player-driven).
Additional Coaching Cues
  • Correct factual errors about Principles of Play only — let them self-organise otherwise.
  • If they plateau: “What would make this harder?” — before suggesting anything.
STEPS Variations
All STEPS
Made by the players themselves. Coach only approves or guides for safety. If too easy: coach asks “Where is your STRETCH?” to prompt escalation.
25–36 minsDEVELOP → STRETCH
SKILL ZONE · COACH CHOICE · 11 mins
Coach-Directed: Targeted Skill Refinement

Coach identifies the skill area with the most room for improvement across the group and targets it directly. Based on 6 weeks of observation. This is the session’s one direct coaching input.

Key coaching cues
This is the one moment in the session where TELL is appropriate — be direct and clear.
Use named examples: “James, watch how Sarah times that offload. Do you see the difference?”
End with a quality check: repeat the best rep as a demonstration for the group.
Active
High-intensity targeted drill.
Purposeful
Precision improvement on the most impactful skill gap.
Enjoyable
Players appreciate direct, specific coaching when it’s earned through months of relationship.
Safe
Coach-controlled drill. Safety maintained.
Organisation
  • Coach selects the drill based on observed weaknesses across weeks 1–6.
  • Explain the choice: “I’ve watched you all summer. The one thing I want us to nail today is…”
  • Run the drill at Develop/Stretch level — these players have 6 weeks of experience.
  • High intensity, high quality, direct coaching feedback throughout.
Additional Coaching Cues
  • Give individual feedback to each player at least once during this drill.
  • The coach’s choice should be informed by genuine observation — not a guess.
STEPS Variations
Determined by drill chosen
Coach applies appropriate STEPS for the specific skill area targeted.
36–50 minsSTRETCH
GAME ZONE · FULL GAME · 14 mins
Full Conditioned Game — All Summer Skills in Play

Full-width game (40m × 30m). All skills from the summer in play. One condition: team must demonstrate at least one called play per set of phases. Otherwise: free play at full contact.

Key coaching cues
Observe all five Principles of Play simultaneously — where are they visible? Where absent?
Note names of players demonstrating each principle — use these in the debrief.
Safety: active monitoring of all contact, tackle height, presentation and gate discipline.
Active
Full game. Maximum intensity.
Purposeful
Consolidation of all five Principles of Play under full game conditions.
Enjoyable
Full game. Player-led. Competitive.
Safe
Full med-high contact. All summer safety protocols in place.
Organisation
  • Equal numbers. Full med-high contact. All U12-appropriate laws.
  • One called play required per set of phases — any play from Week 5.
  • Turnover after 6 phases (increased — reward continuity).
  • Coach in DELEGATE mode.
Additional Coaching Cues
  • One freeze maximum, one question, immediate restart.
  • Remove the called-play condition if the game flows beautifully — let pure rugby happen.
50–57 minsSTRETCH
MATCH SIMULATION · STRETCH · 7 mins
Match Simulation — Pre-Season Preview

Simulate a real match: kick-off, defensive set from the kick, two sets of phases each way. Apply all U12 laws as they will be in September.

Key coaching cues
Treat it like a real match — same energy, encouragement and intensity as September.
Name players who demonstrated specific Principles of Play: “Tom went forward there — did you see why it worked?”
End on a high. Build anticipation for September.
Active
Match intensity. Full effort.
Purposeful
Direct preparation for September rugby. All principles tested under match conditions.
Enjoyable
Excitement of match simulation. Pre-season energy.
Safe
All U12 laws applied including tackle and ruck laws.
Organisation
  • Set up full available pitch. Teams of equal numbers.
  • Kick-off from halfway. All U12 laws applied.
  • After each “set”: brief discussion — what did we do well? What would we change?
Additional Coaching Cues
  • All September U12 laws applied, including tackle height and breakdown laws.
57–60 mins
COOL-DOWN · Review · 3 mins
Cool-Down & Player Reflection

Light jog (1 lap). Players gather in a circle. ASK-style questions. Team huddle to finish on energy.

Key coaching cues
“Look back at Week 1. What couldn’t you do then that you can do now?”
“Which Principle of Play do you understand best? Explain it to me.”
“What is the one thing you want to improve before the season starts?”
Active
Physical cool-down.
Purposeful
Reflection embeds learning. Links to Principles of Play.
Enjoyable
Players have a voice. Positive energetic finish.
Safe
Summer: hydration check here.
Organisation
  • Light jog — 1 lap
  • Gather in a circle
  • Team huddle: name one thing done brilliantly
  • Preview: “One more session next week — pre-season. We bring everything together.”
Additional Coaching Cues
  • TREDS: Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, Sportsmanship
  • Summer: enjoyment and turning up are the wins — celebrate both
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Week 6
Defensive Shape
Week 8
Pre-Season Match Prep
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