Welcome to the home page of Nuneaton RFC Under 9s. We provide a safe and fun environment for players in year 4 at school to develop their existing skills or to enter the world of rugby for the first time.

The Under 9s coaching team build upon the skills learnt playing tag rugby in the lower age groups. Developing the players ability in the key elements of the game, including-

• Catching
• Running with the ball
• Supporting the ball carrier
• Throwing
• Evasion
• Teamwork
• Tackling

When do we train?

The season starts on the first Sunday in September and finishes towards the end of April. Training takes place from 10.00am to 12.00 midday when we do not have fixtures. We have games and tournaments through the year. You can find the fixtures on this website or by contacting the team manager.

The basic rules of Under 9s rugby

The Under 9s see the introduction of the ‘tackle’ and players no longer use tags. Bigger pitches are used and more players are involved than in both the Under 8s and Under 7s.

• Teams consist of 6 or 7 players on each
• Maximum pitch size is 60 metres x 30 metres
• Size 3 Ball is used
• A try is scored when the ball is grounded on or behind the opponents’ goal line, with downward pressure.
• Introduction of the tackle. A player is ‘tackled’ when taken ‘to ground’ or contact is made and they are held for 3 seconds below armpit height. Players do not have to be taken to ground.
• Once a tackle has been ‘called’, the player holding the ball must pass to a team mate within 3 seconds.
• Players pass to their own team mate sideways or backwards
• A free pass is used to restart the game
• Kicking the ball (or another player) is not allowed
• No rucks, mauls, lineouts or scrums
• Rolling subs can used throughout the game

If you want to get involved and give rugby a try, come along and see us in the first few weeks of September. Otherwise contact the team manager via this site. A great point of contact is through our Facebook page. We look forward to welcoming new payers to the team at anytime during the season.