Contact Ready is an introductory programme made especially for teenage girls aged 12 to 17 years old, who are new, in their first year of rugby, or who are playing non-contact versions of the game. The goal is to enhance player safety and confidence when transitioning into contact versions of rugby through learning the basics of correct technique.
It's all about providing a safe space to learn and practice with girls of similar abilities, to make friends, and grow their love of the game.
There are six progressive sessions all 1 hour 20 minutes long, delivered by trained Contact Ready coaches.
Players will learn how to warm up their body through a warm-up and primers designed by our in-house physiotherapist. They will learn the basics of how to tackle, to be tackled, and how to land safely through a wide range of games and activities, helping them build good foundations and confidence to play and train at their school or club.
The programme design has prioritised safety, building connections and confidence as well as foster a heap of feel-good moments, all while ensuring players become Contact Ready, for contact rugby.
Session breakdown:
Session one – How to land safely
Session two – The basics of taking the ball into contact
Session three – The basics of tackle
Session four – Contact Confidence
Session five - Contact Confidence +
Session six – A mini festival
This programme is made up of six, 80-minute sessions and is free to attend. Spaces are limited, so get in quick!
To register select your nearest programme below:
Details coming soon!
Details coming soon!
Exclusive to Rolleston College students only
Contact: steph.teohaerefox@crfu.co.nz
Exclusive to Mt Hutt College students only
Contact: kirsty@midcanterburyrugby.co.nz
Exclusive to St Kevin's and Waitaki Girls' High School students only
Contact: colleen.carroll@northotagorugby.co.nz
Contact: femalelead@rugbysouthland.co.nz
The programme is six sessions long, and focuses on developing the basics of landing safely, tackle, ball into contact and how to warm up the body for contact. The idea is to bring girls of similar abilities together and give them the time and space to learn, practice and develop their skills through a range of activities (a lot of mat time!) and then apply what they have learned in modified games. While the focus of the programme is to build the basics of safe techniques, the design prioritises connection and enjoyment by learning these skills through games as a preferred learning method.
No, this programme is for players who are new to the game, who have been playing rugby for under a year OR who are currently playing non-contact rugby.
The programme doesn’t cover catch, pass and how to play the full version of rugby, it is all about the contact part of the game. But don’t worry, you can learn all of that when you join or play with your school or club and spend your time at Contact Ready, solely focusing on tackling, being tackled and how to land safely!
Not quite, rugby is a contact sport so there is always risk of injury. The programme does not completely remove the risk of injury or develop ‘competent’ rugby players in just six sessions. The intention of this initiative is to act as an ‘on-ramping programme’ into contact rugby, essentially preparing girls with the basics of safe technique before moving onto their next step.
The structure of this programme has been shaped by injury data specific to females. For instance, the warm-up is specifically crafted to target common injury areas for girls, such as ankles and knees, alongside a variety of neck and shoulder exercises, to activate, strengthen and improve neck strength and neck reaction times to safeguard the player's head. There is also a strong emphasis on the tackle, and safe landing techniques, ensuring that players acquire the skills to fall properly and reduce the risk of injury during play.
Yes! being ‘contact ready’ can encompass a wide range of skills, including scrum, and over time the programme has scope to extend focus through additional modules, but given the majority of injuries, including concussion that occur in the tackle contest, a focus on ball carrier and tackling skills has taken priority for this introductory programme.
That depends on your Provincial Union, but usually preseason for 15s and then pre-season for Sevens. You can check by finding your nearest programme.
Wear your comfy clothes or sportswear ready to move, a water bottle and a smile! Mouthguards will be provided to you on your first session, you will need to mold these at home, but that’s ok as Session 1 is all about landing safely, we don’t tackle until Session 3!
This varies depending on the Union, it’s best to check on their registration details before arriving to the programme.
Most programmes are free to attend but have a limit to how many registrations they can take, so get in quick!
Yes! Please contact contactready@nzrugby.co.nz for general enquiries.
Great question! Contact Ready is a brand-new programme so, for 2025, we are trialling the content with a number of Provincial Unions before an official 2026 launch. Expect to see plenty of programmes near you next year.