Attack, Breakdown, Catch and Pass, Set Piece, Tackle

Youth Player Development Program

Level: youth/junior

It’s about having fun, progressing learning, and clearly delivering the “why” behind every activity — and how it connects to the game.

Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones, working with a group of junior players from the famous Petone Rugby Club (Wellington, NZ), delivers an outstanding series for youth and junior coaches – a youth/junior development blueprint!

In this series (over 160 mins), Aaron covers the key fundamental micro-skills coaches need to develop young players, including:

Becoming contact ready
Catch and pass fundamentals
Building tackle confidence
Creating space awareness through modified games
Developing the power position
Scrum setup fundamentals
Decision making
Plus a range of engaging rugby skill development games

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Age Grades: Girls-U12, U10, U11, U12, U7, U8, U9

Attack, Breakdown, Catch and Pass, Set Piece, Tackle

Aaron Jones

Series Videos

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Micro Skills – Part 1. Warm Up for Youth Players

Level: Youth/Juniors

An opportunity to analyse where the players are at during the warm up to shape the actual training. Is Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones approach to the Warm Up as he returns with a new series delivering a Full Season’s Training Program for Youth and New to rugby players. In today’s release, Aaron is warming the players up for ball carry into contract training. Ball in hand all the time and building on the activity.

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Micro Skills – Part 2. Get Young Players Contact Ready

Level: Youth/Juniors

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Micro Skills – Part 3. Ball Carry into Contact

Level: Youth/Juniors

Footwork to get to space, look after the ball and body height into contact. are Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones key messages for developing Ball Carry into Contact Micro skills. Keeping the players engaged and progressing their skills.

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Micro Skills – Part 4. Ball Carry into Contact – The 4 Fs

Level: Intro

Footwork, Fend, FOG, and the Finish are Rugby Code Aaron Jones’ 4 Fs. Aaron goes to ground with the ball this week with his young Petone Players in his final Ball in Carry release. Be strong in the contact to win the collision.

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Micro Skills – Part 5. Embedding Ball Carry into Contact

Level: Youth/Juniors

Win the collision, go to ground and get the good ball presentation Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones finishes his Ball in Carry series with some short-sided games to help his young Petone players Embed the Ball into Contact. Don’t cloud the learnings or messaging.

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Micro Skills – Part 6. Early Communication makes for Better Decisions

Level: Youth/Juniors

Early communications enables early decisions and greater player(s) awareness Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones emphasises the importance of clear, concise and EARLY communication in this week’s Micro Skills series release. Aaron also details the types of decisions the players must consider carrying into contact.

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Micro Skills – Part 7. Using Space to Create the Attack

Level: Youth/Juniors

Hold your space and depth, run with purpose, and use the ball to go forward to build the attack. Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones continues his Micro Skills – this session he is focused on starting to build the team attack with his Petone junior players with a modified attack skills game. Players moving the ball to space to create the Attack is the game’s purpose. As Aaron highlights modify the game to accentuate the skills and player’s enjoyment.

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Micro Skills – Part 8. Modified Game – Finding Space on Attack

Level: Youth/Juniors

Players not receiving your coaching messages as you expect is a common scenario in training sessions at all levels and forms of the game. Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones experiences such a situation with the Petone, Wellington junior players executing a Modified Attack game. Aaron uses a variety of coaching skills during the session to achieve his intended player outcomes. Modify the game to the players pace not yours.

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Micro Skills – Part 9. Developing Catch and Pass

Level: Youth/Juniors

Keep the key messages simple and progress the skill develop the core catch and pass skills from time the player starts rugby. Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones continues his Micro skills series with a group of Petone Rugby club (Wellington NZ), juniors. This week, ‘Jonesy’ has the young players focused on their Catch and Pass skills. Get everyone involved ie parents, then the players can practice the skills any where, any time. Modify the game to the players pace not yours.

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Micro Skills – Part 10. Push Pass and Early Catch

Level: Youth/Juniors

Watch the ball into your hands is Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones lasting message as he completes the 1st part of his new Run, Catch and Pass series. This week, Aaron’s focus is on the fundamentals of catching and passing the ball. Elbows, fingers, eyes, hips and feet – there are plenty of parts in play to catch and pass a rugby ball! Get everyone involved ie parents, then the players can practice the skills any where, any time. Modify the game to the players pace not yours.

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Micro Skills – Part 11. Push Pass Details

Level: Youth/Juniors

Catch, look, get rid of it is Aaron’s message to his U15 girl’s group as he continues his Run, Catch, Pass session. In this week’s release, Aaron’s emphasis is on the key fundamentals to executing a great catch and Push Pass Modify the game to the players pace not yours.

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Micro Skills – Part 12. Catch Pass Biomechanics

Level: Youth/Juniors

There are many ways to teach the catch and pass. Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones works on getting the players to understand the catch and pass ‘Why’ rather than just what and how. Why the hands are positioned down, elbows are loaded, hips are square, hands out to the target to send the ball and up early to receive the ball and watching the ball

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Micro Skills – Part 13. Modified Catch Pass Game

Level: Youth/Juniors

This session, Aaron puts the girls’ skill learning under some pressure in a simple modified game with some active defence opposing the attacking players. Coaches you can modify the game to suit and keep challenging the players – static defence to active, defence one a line to being able to move forward, one touch to two touches, touches on the hips only etc. Again suitable for all age groups.

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Micro Skills – Part 14. Modify the Field Size to Suit the Playing Group

Level: Youth/Juniors

More touches on the ball, more players in the contact, closer to playing peers are just some of the benefits as Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones modifies the playing fields for his playing group in this week’s release. Game On for ability not just playing numbers. We also get the added bonus of some valuable referee insights into how they assess the tackle height!

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Micro Skills – Part 15. Build Tackle Confidence

Level: Youth/Juniors

Shoulder under the ball – head to the side. Understand the skill and then you can perform it more effectively. Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones continues his Micro skills series with a group of Petone Rugby club (Wellington NZ), juniors. This week, ‘Jonesy’ has the young players focus on their Tackle detail. Remember: keep the key messages simple, progress the skill and have fun.

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Micro Skills – Part 16. Building into the Power Position

Level: Youth/Juniors

You can’t look back and see where your body is at going into contact You need ‘triggers’ and ‘feel’ the position. As Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones explains to his junior/youth players preparing for their scrummaging. From head to core to hips to toes, Aaron loads part by part the Power Position – essential for players for scrum and contact play. Remember: keep the key messages simple, progress the skill and have fun.

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Micro Skills – Part 17. Building a Scrum

Level: Youth/Juniors

A Good position is a safe effective position As players share their learnings with Rugby Code’s Aaron Jones during his Scrum Setup session. Using a variety of techniques and getting plenty of engagement Aaron builds 4 scrums with his junior players. Note the innovative use of coaching resources – holding a scrum development session with all 4 teams prior to their games. They then take their learnings straight into the game. Remember: keep the key messages simple, progress the skill and have fun.