Contact Ready
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.
What is Contact Ready?
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.
The experience
There are six progressive sessions all 1 hour 15 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.
Find a programme near you!
Contact Ready is run by a trained delivery network in Provincial Unions, check out the below to see which Unions are offering the programme and how to register.
Contact Ready FAQs
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What does the Contact Ready programme involve?
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.
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Do I need experience to attend?
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.
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Does this programme cover how to play 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!
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Will attending this programme remove the risk of injury?
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.
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Isn't there more to ‘contact’ than the tackle?
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.
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What time of year does Contact Ready run?
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.
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What do I need to bring
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!
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Do I need rugby boots?
This varies depending on the Union, it’s best to check on their registration details before arriving to the programme.
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How much does it cost to attend?
Most programmes are free to attend but have a limit to how many registrations they can take, so get in quick!