Why we teach Tackling?

The rugby league tackle is the most confronting part of the game so it’s imperative that the correct tackle technique is taught to our junior players in order to conduct a safe and effective tackle.

There’s only so much time you have as a coach to cover all the skills of the game but it’s the technical breakdown of the tackle that doesn’t get the time that is necessary in order for the child to have a complete understanding of what constitutes a safe and effective tackle.

Having a love for the game as a child it was necessary that I understood what was a safe tackle.

After many years of perfecting my style, I could run out on to the field with absolute confidence that I was no longer thinking about my technique as it had now become an automatic process.

Its through my love of the game that I want to pass on what I know to be the best tackle technique for juniors who are either starting or play the game so that they can enjoy the game with absolute confidence.

Being able to provide these sessions to breakdown the tackle technique in the necessary time, conducted in a safe and controlled environment, gives me great satisfaction when seeing the kids grow in confidence.

What we do?

• Educate your child on what is a safe and effective tackle.
• Breakdown the technical side of the rugby league tackle in an easy-to-understand method
• Applying tackle technique knowledge to game day execution.
• Build your child’s confidence with a variety of skills.
• Build fundamental strength
• Sharpening your child’s skills for representative squads

Tackle technique – SAFETY

It’s very important that when the kids (5-12) learn to play rugby league that they are shown the correct tackle technique.

We know that the rugby league tackle has evolved over the years as the game has evolved but more so from the representative levels. (13 and up)

In order for the kids to gain an understanding of what constitutes a safe and effective tackle, the fundamental skills must apply.

What constitutes a safe and effective tackle-

• Know how a defender needs to get his body into the right position to make the tackle;
• Know where the attackers’ target area is;
• Know what the first point of contact the defender needs to use is;
• Know the placement of the defender’s head in the correct position when moving into the tackle, head position at the point of tackle and the head position at the completion of tackle;
• And the defender needs to know how to use his whole body to drive through the tackle.

At a time in sport where the safety and protection of the head is the most important aspect of all the high-impact codes, concussions play a role when the parents decide on what sport their child will play. Not to say that tackling is the cause for all concussions but if we haven’t responsibly taught our participants all the fundamental skills in a safe way then we are putting their safety at risk.

The tackle is the most confronting part of the game and we all know that if the child is feeling scared and has not been shown the correct technique or hasn’t had the sufficient amount of practice then an attacker running at full pace toward them can be very overwhelming, The child may attempt to make the tackle but are highly likely to get hurt or the child may step away from the attacker and be left feeling completely disheartened and walk away from the game.