Rugby ATL Posts Penultimate Video of ‘Rugby 101’ Series: on Kicking

On this episode of ‘Rugby 101,’ pro player Neets Gericke helps us understand the nuances around the kicking game of rugby. With the help of our tactical kickers Kurt Coleman and Duncan Van Schalkwyk, we learn about: the main reason to kick, the types of kick available to players, the intended outcomes around kicking, and the process to optimize kicking the rugby ball.

Between the different kicks for territory: using the long kick for distance, putting up a box kick for a chance to compete to retain possession, and kicking a grubber forward to hopefully regather, each particular option shares the same purpose, of being executed to relieve pressure from your own team and then apply it to the opposition. With each of these kick types, we are informed on the importance of a stable ball drop, starting your motion with a good base, keeping your head down and following through.

Also included in this video are the place kick, and the drop kick. The place kick will always be taken for points, but the drop kick is used to restart play, as well as in open play to attempt a drop goal, worth three points. In these kicks, it is crucial that the player attempting their kick is stable in their preparation, has a strong strike with the bone of their foot, and follows through according to the needs of their individual kick.

With this information, our fans now have a grasp of what each team intends to do as they kick the rugby ball; competing for position, possession, or points. Join us again next week as we recap the previous eleven episodes, tying together the masterclass that is ‘Rugby 101.’