Appropriate forms of Rugby

 
Eagles teach the following forms of Rugby that can address the specific needs of the different age categories.

 

Rippa Rugby

 
Rippa Rugby is mainly a game for primary schools. It comes from New-Zealand and it is a very safe, non-contact, easy to play game for both boys and girls alike. Best of all its fun and exciting for all involved. 
Eagles are proud to recommend Rippa Rugby as its non-contact nature makes it ideal for youngsters coming into the game. Tag belts or tag shorts replace tackling and we are sure it will give everyone a fun, safe and enjoyable sporting experience.
While the rules are simple and the game easy to learn, Rippa Rugby will promote excellent ball handling, running and evading skills.
 
The basic rules include: 
  • No contact
  • No kicking of any kind
  • When a tag is made, the tagger stops running, holds the tag above their head and shouts “TAG!”
  • When the ball-carrier is tagged, the ball must be passed to a team mate within three seconds
  • After 4 rips in a row the ball is handed over to the other team 
  • Competitive matches should not be more than seven-a-side.

Touch Rugby

Touch rugby is a version of rugby in which players do not tackle in the usual way, but instead touch their opponents using their hands on any part of the body, clothing, or the ball.
 
Eagles use touch rugby as a training activity for the traditional rugby union and as a non-contact variant in schools. In addition to tackles being replaced by touches, laws are simplified to remove elements such as scrums, rucks, mauls, line-outs and kicks.
 
Each team of six players attacks the other team's try-line and keeps the ball for a total of six 'touches' (tackles). At the end of these six touches, if the team has not scored possession passes to the opposition.

Rugby éducatif

The “Rugby éducatif” refers to the various regulations of the French Rugby Union that constitute the main frame for practicing rugby from U6 up to U14 age category. The “Rugby éducatif” evolves according to the age category and includes the following game forms:
  • 2 seconds touch: when the ball carrier is touched by at least one defender, the ball carrier has maximum 2 seconds to make a pass otherwise the ball is given to the other team; 
  • Playing with arranged contacts (no rucks);
  • playing with tackling below the waist;
  • Different forms of game, i.e. 5-a-side, 7-a-side, 10-a-side and 15-a-side.
All these practices are integrated into a calendar and differ according to the age category of the player.

Rugby 15s

15-a-side Rugby is the traditional form of the game and Eagles introduce only the U14 age category and above with this full game of Rugby. As 15-a-side Rugby is the most complicated form of Rugby not all players can play it with full confidence and that’s why Eagles still mix it with other forms of Rugby for the U14 age category and above.

Rugby seven

Rugby Sevens is now an Olympic sport, which is played on a full-sized rugby pitch but with less than half the normal number of players (seven against seven, instead of 15 against 15). As there is a large amount of space to run in, this makes it a very fast and exciting variation of the game demanding huge levels of fitness.
 
Eagles use this form of Rugby mainly for the U16 and U18 age categories.