Touch Rugby Start

Overview

In this first lesson of the “Touch Rugby Skills Development” unit, students are introduced to the basic rules, scoring goal, and safety expectations for touch rugby. Students also begin thinking like a team by discussing sportsmanship and how to communicate during play.

Learning intentions

• WALT play modified touch rugby using basic positions, rules, and game conventions.
• WALT explain key objectives of touch rugby (score tries, keep possession, and use touch to stop play).
• WALT demonstrate teamwork and sportsmanship behaviours during games.
• WALT share prior knowledge and identify what we need to practise in later lessons.

Success criteria

• I can follow the main touch rugby rules (touch counts as a stop, play restarts correctly, and I stay safe).
• I can name the purpose of passing and moving as a team to score tries.
• I can communicate appropriately with teammates (calling for the ball, encouragement, and respectful talk).
• I can model sportsmanship by accepting decisions and helping others play fairly.

Curriculum links

• Movement skills (Invasion games): Invasion games (e.g. rippa rugby/touch/turbo touch) — playing modified games with basic positions, rules, and game conventions.
• Movement skills (Invasion games): Invasion games — playing tactically and as a team, including communicating with teammates.
• Movement skills (Invasion games): Invasion games — playing tactically and as a team, including retaining possession after turnover (preview for future lessons).
• Key competencies: Thinking (planning how to play), Participating and contributing (team roles), Relating to others (sportsmanship and communication), Managing self (safety and effort).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and focus. Teacher briefly outlines the unit goal and today’s focus (rules, objectives, teamwork) and checks readiness for PE. Students listen, then answer a quick question: “What makes touch rugby fun and fair?”

2. 5–12 min · Warm-up: “Pass and Step” circuits. Teacher sets 3–4 stations using soft balls and space markers, reminding students to move safely and protect the ball. Students complete the circuit: partner passing (chest/overhand as appropriate), stepping sideways to create space, then a short sprint to a cone and back to the next station.

3. 12–18 min · Teach: basic touch rugby rules. Teacher uses a simple diagram (cones or chalk) to explain:

• What counts as a touch (one player taps the ball-carrying player with one hand—no pushing).
• After a touch: the attacking team must restart play promptly from where the touch is made (teacher clarifies the “play-the-ball” area using markers).
• Scoring: teams score by grounding the ball over the try line (cone line) in their attacking direction.
• Safety and sportsmanship: no tackles, no grabbing, respectful responses to decisions. Students repeat the rules with a partner: “Touch stops play… restart… score over the try line… be safe.”

4. 18–27 min · Group discussion: “We know / We need”. Teacher facilitates a 3-question discussion while students stand in a circle:

• “What does our team need to do to keep the ball?”
• “When should we pass instead of running?”
• “What does good sportsmanship look like in a game with referees or teacher calls?” Students share ideas; teacher records 3–5 student responses on the board for later reference.

5. 27–40 min · Main game: “Mini Touch” 4v4 (or 3v3). Teacher divides the class into two teams and sets a small field with clear try lines and a marked restart zone. Students play short rounds (e.g., 2–3 minutes each) with rules simplified for Year 6:

• One ball-carrying player at a time.
• Touch ends the run; attacker must restart from the marker.
• Teams aim to score tries quickly while maintaining possession by moving and supporting. Teacher coaches during play using prompts linked to today’s objectives: “Where is your teammate who can receive?” and “Can you communicate your next move?”

6. 40–45 min · Cool-down + exit check. Teacher leads a light jog/stretch and conducts a rapid exit ticket (verbal or written on a scrap sheet): one rule and one sportsmanship behaviour students will use next time. Students complete the check and share one response with the group.

Resources

• Soft touch rugby balls (one per game area)
• Cones/markers for field lines, try lines, and restart zones
• Bibs or pinnies to split teams
• Flags or bibs to indicate “ball carrier” area (optional)
• Portable whiteboard or large paper for recording discussion ideas
• Stock of paper/scrap slips for exit checks
• Whistle (or agreed signal) for restarts and stop calls

Assessment

• Teacher observation during warm-up and game: can students apply the basic touch rule safely and restart correctly?
• Use a quick “rule check” during the discussion: students can explain one rule and scoring objective.
• Exit ticket (final 3–5 minutes): students name one rule plus one sportsmanship behaviour they demonstrated or will demonstrate.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for communication (e.g., “I’m open on…”, “Pass to me”, “Good try!”) and point to the “restart zone” repeatedly during early rounds.
• Support: simplify to fewer rules for students who need it (e.g., focus only on touch/no tackling and scoring first), then add detail after a successful round.
• Extension: challenge students to create one “team plan” during each round (e.g., a target teammate to receive the next pass, or a rule for where support players stand).
• EAL/SEN considerations: use visuals (cones diagram), model correct behaviours, and allow verbal responses to the exit ticket for students who need it.