Rugby Hands: Handling the Oval Ball on the Move

In pairs, students move the rugby ball around their bodies, scoop it off the ground and pass it while walking and jogging. It builds comfort with a ball that bounces unpredictably and warms up the body before the game.

How to play

1. Each pair has a ball: pass it around waist, knees and head in both directions (2 min).
2. Set the ball down, jog around it and scoop it up with two hands without stopping (2 min).
3. Jog side by side 3 m apart: two-handed pass to your partner's chest, arms finishing toward them (2 min).
4. Same jog, but the receiver asks for the ball with hands up in a "W" shape (2 min).
5. Challenge: ten passes in a row with no drop while the pair travels across the schoolyard (2 min).

Rules

• Carry the ball in two hands throughout the warm-up.
• Pairs jog in the same direction, in parallel lanes.
• If the ball gets away, retrieve it without crossing other lanes.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: short passes from the chair and scoop a ball resting on a cone.
• Students with low vision: brightly colored ball and the partner says "ball" before releasing.
• Students unsure with the ball: start with a foam ball until they catch five in a row.

Learning goals

• Hold and carry a rugby ball securely.
• Pick up a ball from the ground on the move.
• Warm up progressively.

Equipment for a class of 25

• rugby balls: 15
• cones: 10

Teacher tip

If you're short on rugby balls, soft footballs or foam balls work. Common mistake: catching with stiff arms tight to the body; ask for hands out front and fingers spread.

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