Rugby module 1: the spirit and the laws

Day 1 — Rugby, a state of mind

Goal: tell what rugby is, where it comes from, and name its official values.

Theory 1/2: a legend and a history

Legend has it that in 1823, at Rugby School in England, a pupil named William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a football match and ran with it. True or not, the story is told everywhere, and the World Cup trophy carries his name. Rugby then codified itself: the first union was founded in England in 1871, and the game split from association football over one simple idea: carrying the ball by hand. Today, World Rugby (founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board) writes the laws and governs the game worldwide.

Theory 2/2: the values and the formats

World Rugby defines five official values of the game: integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Respect for the referee is the most visible: he is addressed formally, decisions are not argued, and only the captain may speak to him. This is not folklore: it is written into the spirit of the laws, and it changes everything about the atmosphere of a pitch.

• Rugby union (XV): fifteen players, two 40-minute halves, the format of this path.
• Rugby sevens: seven players, two 7-minute halves, the Olympic format — more open, faster, excellent for learning to read space.
• Touch rugby: no tackling, a two-handed touch replaces the tackle. The ideal format for playing among beginners, and the heart of module 3.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch a match highlights video (10 minutes) on World Rugby's YouTube channel. Understanding nothing yet, note three things you see: who runs, where the ball goes, when everyone stops.
2. Find the rugby club nearest to you. Note its name, where it trains, and whether it has a social or beginner section.
3. In the notebook, write five lines on why you want to learn rugby. This page will be re-read on day 59.

Success criterion: three match observations noted, one club identified, five lines of motivation written.

Agent tip: ask: "Tell me the history of rugby in five dated facts, from 1823 to today." Trap: models love the Webb Ellis legend and present it as certain fact. Proof: cross-check each date against Wikipedia's "History of rugby union".

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the founding legend, the five values, the three formats. Then recite the five values without notes.

Day 2 — The pitch and the ball

Goal: draw a rugby pitch from memory, with its lines and zones.

Theory 1/2: the lines of the pitch (Law 1)

A rugby pitch is at most 100 meters long (goal line to goal line) and 70 meters wide. From one end to the other, the lines that matter:

• the goal lines, at both ends: beyond them lies the in-goal, where you score;
• the 22-meter lines, 22 m from each goal line: they govern drop-outs and the mark;
• the halfway line, from which kick-offs are taken;
• the 10-meter lines, on either side of halfway: a kick-off must cross them;
• the touchlines, on the sides: a ball crossing them is "in touch".

At the center of each goal line stand the goal posts, H-shaped: the crossbar 3 meters above the ground. Kicking points are scored between the posts and above the bar.

Theory 2/2: the ball (Law 2)

A rugby ball is oval: about 28 to 30 cm long, weighing 410 to 460 grams. Its shape is not a whim: it makes the bounce unpredictable, which feeds the game, and it forces a specific passing technique — you cannot throw an oval like a round ball. There are five sizes: size 5 for adults, size 4 for 12-14 year olds, size 3 below. For this whole path, a size 5 works, a 4 if your hands are small.

Practice (30 min)

1. On paper, draw the pitch from above: goal lines, 22s, halfway, 10-meter lines, touchlines, posts. Compare with the Law 1 diagram on world.rugby and correct in red.
2. Start again on a fresh sheet until you get a plan without red.
3. If you already have the ball: ten minutes of familiarization. Hold it, roll it on the ground, bounce it and watch how the bounce goes anywhere. Note in the notebook what the bounce does.

Success criterion: a pitch plan redrawn from memory, every line placed.

Agent tip: "Quiz me on the lines of a rugby pitch: one question at a time, wait for my answer, correct in one sentence." Trap: a model can swap the 22s and the 10s. Proof: Law 1 and its official diagram decide, not the model.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the six lines of the pitch, what the 22s are for, the ball's dimensions. Then redraw the pitch without notes.

Day 3 — Scoring: try, conversion, penalty, drop goal

Goal: recite the full scoring table and explain each way of scoring.

Theory 1/2: the try and the conversion (Law 8)

Scoring in rugby first means grounding the ball: pressing it to the ground, with contact from the hand, arm or torso, in the opponent's in-goal. That is a try, worth 5 points. The word "grounding" matters: pressing down, not throwing. A ball dropped toward the ground while diving is not a try, it is a knock-on (day 4). After a try, the team attempts a conversion: a kick over the crossbar, taken in line with where the try was scored, worth 2 more points. A try under the posts gives an easy conversion; a try in the corner, a difficult kick — which is why players try to ground as close to the center as possible.

Theory 2/2: the penalty and the drop goal (Law 8)

Two more ways of scoring, both kicked between the posts:

• the penalty goal (3 points): after an infringement is whistled, the team may kick at goal, ball placed on the ground, from the mark. It is the most frequent score in tight matches;
• the drop goal (3 points): in open play, the player drops the ball and kicks it on the half-volley, amid defenders. A spectacular, rare skill, the classic weapon of fly-halves.

A scoring table to recite like multiplication tables: try 5, conversion 2, penalty 3, drop goal 3.

Practice (30 min)

1. Write the scoring table neatly in the notebook, one sentence per way of scoring.
2. No calculator: compute 6 composite scores you invent (e.g. 3 tries, 2 converted, plus 2 penalties). Then check with a calculator.
3. Watch a drop goal compilation on YouTube ("drop goals World Rugby"): spot the movement — the ball drops, the foot strikes on the bounce.

Success criterion: all 6 scores right first time, and the scoring table recited without hesitation.

Agent tip: "Invent ten rugby scores made of converted or unconverted tries, penalties and drop goals; I compute, you correct with the working shown." Trap: the model can get its own corrections wrong. Proof: redo the math yourself — it is only 5, 2 and 3.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the four ways of scoring, why players aim for the posts when grounding, what separates a penalty from a drop goal. Then recite the table without notes.

Day 4 — Why the ball goes backward: the knock-on

Goal: explain rugby's founding rule and its two infringements: the knock-on and the forward pass.

Theory 1/2: the rule that makes the game (Law 11)

The founding rule fits in one sentence: the ball may not be played by hand toward the opponents' goal line. To go forward, you run with it or kick it. That single constraint produces everything else: passing lines sweeping across the pitch, support running, defensive retreats. Law 11 punishes two acts:

• the knock-on: the ball escapes a player's hands or arms and travels forward, toward the opponents' goal line;
• the forward pass: a pass thrown toward the opponents' goal line.

The sanction in both cases: a scrum for the opposing team at the place of the infringement. A subtlety that surprises beginners: what counts is the direction of the ball, not the passer. A pass thrown backward can be carried forward by the runner's momentum without being whistled: what matters is the motion of the hands at the moment of release.

Theory 2/2: a bounce is not a knock-on

A ball hitting the ground forward is not an infringement: a knock-on requires the ball to be lost from hand or arm. A fumbled kick, a ball bouncing off a chest or a head, a charged-down clearance: play continues. Conversely, if the ball touches hand or arm and goes forward, even by five centimeters, it is a knock-on. It is the most frequent infringement in a match: beginners commit it ten times an hour in touch rugby, and that is normal.

Practice (30 min)

1. Standing, ball in hand: toss it up and catch it twenty times, walking forward. Feel how the natural reflex (catching in front of you) produces knock-ons in a match.
2. Notebook exercise: write the knock-on rule in two sentences, as if explaining to a child. Then in two sentences for an adult who knows football.
3. Watch five minutes of a match and count the knock-ons: note how many you see, and what the referee awards each time.

Success criterion: the rule explained in both registers without re-reading the theory, and the scrums counted during your five minutes of match.

Agent tip: describe a situation: "A player kicks the ball, it bounces off an opponent's hand and rolls forward. Knock-on or not? Argue with Law 11." Trap: the model reasons fast and can mix up a charged-down kick with a knock-on. Proof: the text of Law 11, re-read by you.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the founding rule, the difference between knock-on and forward pass, the sanction. Then explain the rule out loud without notes.

Day 5 — Offside and advantage

Goal: define offside in open play and say what the referee lets run under advantage.

Theory 1/2: offside (Law 10)

In rugby, a player is offside when they are in front of the teammate carrying the ball or who last played it. An offside player may not take part in play: no pass received, no action on an opponent, no moving toward the ball. They get back onside by retreating behind the ball, or when an onside teammate runs past them with the ball. This is the reverse of football: in rugby, position is judged relative to the ball, not to the defenders. An offside player who plays the ball or obstructs an opponent concedes a penalty — three points on offer, the costliest infringement of all.

Theory 2/2: advantage (Law 7)

When a team infringes, the referee does not always whistle: they apply the advantage law. If the non-offending team can gain a benefit greater than the sanction by playing on, the referee calls "advantage", extends an arm, and lets a few seconds run. If the advantage accrues (a break, a try), play continues; otherwise, play returns to the original infringement. The result: a fluid match, and sequences where the team granted advantage knows it is playing with a safety net — it can attempt something, it risks nothing more.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch ten minutes of a match tracking only one thing: each time the referee extends an arm and calls out, write "advantage" in the notebook, then note whether they come back or let play run.
2. Draw three offside situations on paper (crosses for players, a circle for the ball) and strike out the offside player. Invent a fourth and solve it.
3. Write the definition of offside in one sentence, without the word "front" — to check you understood rather than memorized.

Success criterion: the advantages counted and understood over ten minutes of match, and the definition rewritten in your own words.

Agent tip: "I describe a position: the winger is in front of his fly-half who kicks over the top. May he chase? " Trap: the ways of getting back onside (teammate running past, retiring) are subtle and models miss them. Proof: Law 10, the section on being put onside.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: offside relative to the ball, the advantage law, why advantage makes the game flow. Then re-explain both laws out loud.

Day 6 — The tackle, the laws side

Goal: define what a legal tackle is and what each player must do right after.

Theory 1/2: what a tackle is (Law 14)

A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and brought to ground — a knee, the buttocks or the torso on the ground is enough. Pushing a player who stays on their feet is not a tackle; that may become a maul (day 9). The law then imposes three duties, within the second:

• the tackled player must release the ball immediately and make it available (place it, push it toward their teammates);
• the tackler must release them and let them play the ball;
• every arriving player must come through "the gate": from the back, along the axis of the tackle, not from the side.

A legal tackle targets below the shoulders. Any contact with the head or neck is forbidden, even by accident: that is foul play (Law 9), liable to a card.

Theory 2/2: safety before performance

The tackle is the act that frightens beginners, and it will frighten you less if you retain two ideas. First, technique exists to protect: the head always goes behind or beside the carrier, never in front of their legs — "cheek to cheek" sums up the position. Second, the law protects: high tackles, armless tackles, tip tackles (the player lifted beyond the horizontal) are serious infringements. Module 2 (days 20 and 21) will detail the technique, but one rule holds from today and for the whole path: contact is never learned alone, never without a coach. At home, we work positions unloaded, against a soft target or a bag; never a real tackle on a real partner without supervision.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch the explanatory video for Law 14 on world.rugby (the laws are illustrated with clips). Note the three post-tackle duties.
2. Unloaded, no partner: repeat ten times the starting position of a tackle — knees bent, back straight, head up, eyes on target. Nothing more today: installing the posture.
3. In the notebook: write the path's golden safety rule (contact is only learned with a coach) and one sentence on why it exists.

Success criterion: the three duties written from memory and the posture held ten times in front of a mirror or on video.

Agent tip: "Explain what legally happens in the two seconds after a tackle, for the tackled player, the tackler and the third arriving player." Trap: the model may invent a loose "right to get up". Proof: Law 14, the sections on each player's duties.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the definition of a tackle, the three duties, the path's safety rule. Then recite the duties without notes.

Day 7 — The ruck

Goal: recognize a ruck in one second and explain what you may do in it.

Theory 1/2: the birth of a ruck (Law 15)

A ruck forms when the ball is on the ground and at least one player from each team, on their feet and in contact, contests the ball over it. It is the spontaneous scrum of open play: the carrier is tackled, places the ball, and the first arrivals drive over it to protect it (attack) or win it (defense). House rules of the ruck:

• you enter through the gate: from the back, along your team's axis — never from the side;
• you stay on your feet: deliberately collapsing on a ruck is a penalty;
• you play the ball with your feet: hands are forbidden in a formed ruck;
• the ball comes out when the scrum-half picks it up once the ruck is won.

A ruck is 80% of a match's breakdowns. Knowing how to read one means understanding the match.

Theory 2/2: what is forbidden

Three infringements come back constantly, and the referee whistles them all: entering from the side (not through the gate), diving onto the ruck instead of staying on your feet (dangerous: shoulders and heads are there), and clearing an opponent without the arms or by the neck. The defense, meanwhile, may contest: a defender on their feet, supporting their own body weight, may try to win the ball before the ruck forms — that is the "jackal", one of the most spectacular skills of back-row forwards.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch ten minutes of a match following only rucks: for each one, say out loud "gate", "on feet", "out" at the right moment. You are training your eye, not your memory.
2. Unloaded: the ruck position. Feet apart, knees bent, flat back, shoulders above hips, as if lifting a heavy crate. Hold 20 seconds, release, ten repetitions. This is the hygiene position of all contact play.
3. In the notebook: draw a ruck from above (two teams, the gate, the ball) and arrow the legal entry.

Success criterion: the ruck diagram correct, and ten repetitions of the flat-back position.

Agent tip: "Describe the three beginner errors most whistled in a ruck, with the matching law." Trap: the model sometimes mixes ruck and maul. Proof: in Law 15 the ball is on the ground; in Law 16 it is carried. That is the boundary between the two.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: how a ruck forms, the three prohibitions, what the jackal is. Then redraw the ruck from above without notes.

Day 8 — The scrum

Goal: explain when a scrum happens, how it is ordered, and who does what in it.

Theory 1/2: the ordered restart (Law 19)

The scrum restarts play after a minor infringement: a knock-on, a forward pass, a ball held up. Eight players per team — the forwards — bind together in three rows: three in front (the props and the hooker), four in the middle (the locks and flankers), one at the back (the number 8). The referee paces the engagement with three calls: "crouch" (bend down), "bind" (bind onto the opponent), "set" (the two packs engage). The scrum-half of the team that did not infringe puts the ball in, and the hookers try to "hook" it backward with a foot.

Theory 2/2: what to watch in a scrum

For a beginner spectator, three things to observe. First, who goes forward: a scrum driving the other back more than a meter dominates, and that dominance earns penalties. Second, stability: if the scrum collapses or wheels, the referee resets it — the safety of the front rows' necks comes before everything, which is why only trained players occupy those positions. Third, the exit: when the number 8 or the scrum-half brings the ball out, play restarts instantly and the backs hurl themselves into space. The scrum is not a pause: it is a weapon.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch three full scrums in a match (use pause): for each, note the referee's three calls, who puts the ball in, who goes forward.
2. Unloaded: the lock's position. Flat back, hips below shoulders, knees at 90 degrees, like sitting on an imaginary chair against a wall. Hold 30 seconds, five repetitions. Also an excellent leg exercise.
3. In the notebook: write the three scrum calls (crouch, bind, set) — you will hear them in matches.

Success criterion: the three calls recited, the wall sit held 5 × 30 seconds.

Agent tip: "Why did the crouch-bind-set sequence replace the older calls?" Trap: the model can mix versions of the laws (they evolve every year). Proof: the current Law 19, in this year's version on world.rugby.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: when a scrum happens, the 3-4-1 structure, the three calls. Then mime the sequence out loud without notes.

Day 9 — The maul

Goal: tell a maul from a ruck without hesitating, and explain how a maul ends.

Theory 1/2: the standing breakdown (Law 16)

A maul forms when the ball carrier is held by an opponent but stays on their feet, and at least one teammate binds onto them. Everyone is standing, the ball is carried, the mass moves forward or backward. The fundamental difference from a ruck: in a ruck the ball is on the ground; in a maul it is carried. The maul is the forwards' weapon near the touchline: the lineout won, the eight bind and drive toward the in-goal — a well-launched "rolling maul" is nearly unstoppable five meters from the line.

Theory 2/2: how it ends

Three possible outcomes. The maul moves and the ball comes out: play continues, ideally by a pass from the carrier or a transfer to the back of the maul. The maul collapses: if the moving team brings it down deliberately, that is an infringement; if the opponent collapses it, penalty. The maul stops: if it stays stationary, the referee allows a delay to use the ball ("use it"); otherwise, a scrum — and the put-in goes to the team that did not set the maul moving, which punishes the dominated team. A defender may not bring the carrier to ground inside a formed maul: once the maul exists, tackling no longer exists within it.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch a "rolling mauls" compilation on YouTube: count how many end in a try. Note how the ball migrates to the back of the maul, away from defenders.
2. Notebook exercise: draw the two sequences — tackle then ruck, carrier held then maul — and write the matching law under each (14/15 for the first, 16 for the second).
3. Out loud: explain the ruck/maul difference in 30 seconds, as to a friend watching their first match.

Success criterion: the 30-second explanation delivered smoothly, without an "um", and the diagram correct.

Agent tip: "I will describe five breakdowns in one sentence each; tell me ruck, maul or neither, with the law." Trap: the tackled carrier then joined (ruck) and the carrier held standing (maul) blur in vague descriptions. Proof: make the model quote the exact definition from the law.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: how a maul forms, its three outcomes, the difference from a ruck. Then redo the 30-second explanation without notes.

Day 10 — The lineout

Goal: explain when the ball is in touch, how the lineout restart works, and the 22-meter rule.

Theory 1/2: when the ball goes out (Law 18)

The ball is in touch when it crosses the touchline, on the ground or in the air. The restart is the lineout: the forwards of both teams line up facing touch, 5 meters from the line, and the thrower (the hooker, usually) throws the ball straight down the channel between the two lines. Jumpers are lifted by their teammates — hence those players held at arm's length. The lineout is taken where the ball went out, with one exception to know: the 22 rule. If a defender kicks directly into touch from behind their 22-meter line, the lineout is taken where the ball went out: the exit buys both relief and meters. But if the ball is kicked directly into touch from in front of the 22 without bouncing, the lineout comes back level with where it was kicked — no gain in ground. A ball that bounces before going out, from anywhere, gives the lineout where it went out.

Theory 2/2: the options of the lineout

At the lineout, the throwing team chooses a "call": a code (a word, a color) telling their own side where the ball goes — front, middle or back of the line. A clean jump gives two options: a pass off the top to the scrum-half to launch the backs, or a maul forming at the catch. The throw must be straight: a crooked throw gives the opponents the choice between their own lineout or a scrum. The straight throw is a technical skill the hooker rehearses their whole career.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch five consecutive lineouts in a match: for each, note the presumed call (front/middle/back), the outcome (won/lost), and what followed (pass or maul).
2. With the ball against a wall: twenty "straight" throws. Mark two lines on the ground one meter apart, throw between them at 4-5 meters of height. The hooker's gesture: ball held in two hands above the head, arms extended, a throw that comes from the shoulders.
3. In the notebook: the 22 rule in three sentences, with a worked example.

Success criterion: fifteen of twenty throws between the two lines, and the 22 rule explained without error.

Agent tip: "Explain the 22-meter rule with three scenarios: clearance from behind the 22, from in front of the 22, and a ball that bounces before going out." Trap: the bounce changes everything (a ball touching the ground before going out is taken where it goes out) and models forget it. Proof: Law 18, the definitions of gaining ground.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: when a lineout happens, the straight throw and the calls, the 22 rule. Then ten more straight throws, without notes.

Day 11 — Kicking restarts: the mark, the 22 drop-out, the kick-off

Goal: understand the kicking restarts: kick-off, 22 drop-out, and the mark.

Theory 1/2: kick-offs and drop-outs (Law 12)

The match starts with a kick-off: a drop kick from halfway, which must cross the opponents' 10-meter line. After each try, the team that conceded the try takes the kick-off — the scorer receives, which is why teams sometimes run in several tries against a side that mishandles its restarts. Another restart: the 22 drop-out. When the attack sends the ball into the in-goal and the defense grounds it there (or the ball goes dead), the defense restarts with a drop kick from its 22-meter line. That is the reward for defending your in-goal: twenty-two meters of air.

Theory 2/2: the mark (Law 17)

The mark is the protection of the brave catcher. A player who catches on the full, inside their own 22 (or their in-goal), a ball kicked by an opponent may shout "Mark!": the referee awards a free kick, and the player may kick without being tackled. Exact conditions: caught on the full, inside your 22, from an opponent's kick. The mark explains why up-and-unders (very high kicks) into the 22 are risky for the attacker: the defender can neutralize the attack with one shout and one clean catch.

Practice (30 min)

1. Watch the start of a match and the restarts after tries: time how many seconds separate the try from the kick-off, and note where the ball lands.
2. With the ball: twenty unloaded drop kicks. The gesture: ball held in two hands, point toward the ground, dropped vertically, struck the instant it touches down, kicked upward. Seek neither distance nor accuracy: seek clean contact.
3. In the notebook: the conditions of the mark, in four numbered points.

Success criterion: fifteen drops struck at the right moment out of twenty (feel the clean contact), and the four conditions written from memory.

Agent tip: "I describe a catch: a ball kicked by an opponent, caught on the full 25 meters from my line, I shout mark. Valid? Justify with Law 17." Trap: models often forget the "inside your 22" condition. Proof: the text of Law 17.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: who takes the kick-off and why, what the 22 drop-out is, the four conditions of the mark. Then ten more drops, without notes.

Day 12 — The forwards: positions 1 to 8

Goal: name the eight forward positions, their place in the scrum and their role in play.

Theory 1/2: the front row and the second row

The forwards wear numbers 1 to 8 and form the scrum. Their job: win the ball (scrums, lineouts, rucks) and advance through contact. The positions:

• 1 and 3 — the props: they frame the hooker in the scrum and lift the jumpers in the lineout. Pure power, the heaviest frames in the team.
• 2 — the hooker: in the middle of the front row, they "hook" the ball with a foot in the scrum and throw the lineouts. A profile both powerful and precise.
• 4 and 5 — the locks (second rows): the tallest, they jump in the lineout and push behind the front row in the scrum. They are called the scrum's "engine room".

The numbers are not decorative: they state the role. A 1 does not jump in the lineout, a 5 does not throw.

Theory 2/2: the back row and the number 8

• 6 and 7 — the flankers: the jackals and the tacklers. They have no fixed spot in the lineout: their job is to be first on the ball on the ground (rucks, jackals) and to tackle everything that moves. The 7 is often the player who runs the most in the team.
• 8 — the number eight: at the back of the scrum, they control the ball with their feet and can pick it up themselves to charge at the defense. The link between forwards and backs.

A dressing-room saying sums up the division of labor: "The forwards win matches, the backs decide by how much." It is unfair to both — a match is won together — but it says well what the eight produce: the ball and physical dominance.

Practice (30 min)

1. Write the eight positions neatly in the notebook: number, name, role in one sentence.
2. Watch a scrum and a lineout identifying the positions: "there is the hooker, there are the locks jumping".
3. Watch the first five minutes of a match tracking the number 7 of a team of your choice: count their tackles and their arrivals at balls on the ground.

Success criterion: the eight positions recited in order with their role, without notes.

Agent tip: "Quiz me: give me a role ('the one who jumps in the lineout'), I answer with the number and the name of the position. One question at a time." Trap: the model can mix the 6/7 numbers by country (some traditions swap them). Proof: the team sheet of a real match, which gives the actual numbers.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the 3-4-1 structure of the scrum, the locks' role, the back row's role. Then recite the eight positions without notes.

Day 13 — The backs: positions 9 to 15

Goal: name the seven back positions, and explain the 9-10 hinge.

Theory 1/2: the half-backs and the centers

The backs wear numbers 9 to 15 and their job is to use the ball the forwards won: fast, wide, into space.

• 9 — the scrum-half: the first link. They bring the ball out of rucks, scrums and lineouts, and distribute it. Small, fast, always talking.
• 10 — the fly-half: the conductor. They receive from the 9 and decide: pass to the centers, kick over the top, run. Most drop goals come from them. The 9 and the 10 form the half-back pairing, the key decision-making unit of the game.
• 12 and 13 — the centers: the line-breakers. The 12 crashes through contact, the 13 fixes defenders and opens the gap. Powerful and fast.

Theory 2/2: the wingers and the fullback

• 11 and 14 — the wingers: the finishers. They stay wide, near the touchlines, and receive the ball thrown into space. Their prime quality: top speed, and kicking skills on balls rolling behind them.
• 15 — the fullback: the last line. They cover the whole backfield, catch opponents' kicks under pressure, and counter-attack. A goalkeeper who attacks.

In defense, the backs form a line that advances and slides together (module 3); in attack, they stretch across the whole width to stretch the defense. The width of the pitch — 70 meters — exists for them.

Practice (30 min)

1. Write the seven positions neatly: number, name, role in one sentence. Then draw a typical alignment: where do the backs stand for a scrum at halfway?
2. Watch ten minutes of a match tracking only the number 10: count their choices (pass / kick / run) and note which dominates.
3. Watch the weekend's tries (YouTube highlights): for each, note who finished (often a winger) and who created the space (often the half-backs or centers).

Success criterion: the seven positions recited with their role, and the count of the 10's choices in the notebook.

Agent tip: "Why is fly-half the most decisive position in rugby? Argue in five points, then give me a counter-argument." Trap: the model praises without hard evidence. Proof: cross-check with the touch counts of a real match (they are published in official match summaries).

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the half-back pairing and its role, centers and wingers, the fullback. Then recite all fifteen positions in a row without notes — that is today's exercise.

Day 14 — First ball in hand and module 1 review

Goal: hold the ball correctly, carry it, make your first passes against a wall, and validate the module.

Theory 1/2: the grip and the carry

Rugby is played with the ball carried in two hands by default: it is the only way to be able to pass either side at any moment. The basic grip: hands spread on the ball, thumbs up, fingers spread, the ball held in front of you at hip height, ready to go left or right. While running, you carry the ball in both arms (safety, pass always possible); you only tuck it under one arm to split the defense or finish a run, one hand free to fend. A detail that changes everything: the eyes. The ball is watched into the hands at the catch, then the head comes back up — playing head-up is the first habit to install, starting today.

Theory 2/2: passing against a wall, the basic movement

A rugby pass starts from the hips, not the shoulders: both hands under the ball, the torso pivots and you "push" the ball toward the target, the arms extending toward the target at the end of the movement. The ball leaves flat, spinning slightly on itself. Against a wall, aim at a point at chest height: the ball should come back at catching height without you moving your feet. The classic first-day error: "swinging" the ball with one dominant arm. Module 2 will detail the pass; today, we install the overall movement, on both sides.

Practice (30 min)

1. Five minutes of handling: ball in hand, walk around the garden or the room, pass it from hand to hand, hold it in two hands, head up, naming out loud what you see around you.
2. Twenty minutes of wall work: ten passes on your strong side, ten on the other side, then sets of five alternating. Aim at the same point. Count clean catches (ball taken without juggling).
3. Module review: re-read your notebook pages from days 1 to 13, and tick what you can redo without notes: the pitch, the scoring, the knock-on, offside, the tackle, the ruck, the scrum, the maul, the lineout, the fifteen positions.

Success criterion: ten clean passes in a row from each side against the wall, and the module review fully ticked or marked for rework.

Agent tip: film ten of your passes on your phone, then ask: "From my description (ball leaving from the right arm, low receptions), what is my most likely error?" Trap: without seeing the video, the model guesses. Proof: the video, re-watched in slow motion by your own eyes — the ball must leave from the hips.

Recap (10 min)

Three lines: the two-handed grip, the pass starting from the hips, the weak point of the module to rework. Then ten passes from each side without re-reading anything.