Welcome to the
Bob Dwyer
Rugby Workshops
Coaching Manual
The structure of the manual is based on my belief that all quality play in rugby derives from quality execution of quality technique.
Insistence on quality technique, executed under the pressure of game-related practice sessions, is therefore essential if we are to achieve our goal of successful performance. This manual will give you the direction to enable you to achieve this.
An American Football coach once said, "You can't win without good players, but you can sure lose with them. This is where the good coach comes in!"
I believe that a good coach is one who has the enthusiasm, the determination and the courage to insist on quality execution of quality technique at all times. It's a Bob Dwyer quote which says, "Practice doesn't make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect." It will require all of these qualities, all of the time, to achieve perfection. Don't let your players down!
Each Practice in the manual - there are seventy-seven (77) of them - lists the Key Principles of quality technique which are essential for quality execution. These lists must become an intrinsic part of every coach's work. My advice is that you must never allow faulty technique to go uncorrected at any practice session. This will require vigilance!
As you progress through the manual, constant reference back to the ESSENTIAL LEVEL section will be required. I recommend that you design warm-up sessions which contain groupings of all of the basic elements of the game. These basic elements are the tools of trade which every player needs - properly sharpened and ready for use. Adherence to this philosophy will prove most rewarding.
Quality preparation for the game of rugby requires a number of separate elements. The most important is quality, game-related rugby practice and I am confident that this web-site will provide that. Other elements are physical preparation - fitness, strength and speed-agility-quickness (SAQ) - and mental preparation.
Detailed information can be found in LINKS - for SAQ, - and in COACHING SUPPORT/PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS - for mental preparation.
