IRFU Launch Online Technical Model

The Technical Model provides the direction for all Coaching and Elite Player programmes in Irish rugby, together with providing a reference point for all technical development staff in allowing them the mechanisms to develop their own coaching skills.

The Technical Model was designed by IRFU Technical Development Manager Stephen Aboud and is centred around understanding the characteristics of the game, the players and effective coaching skills. A visual lexicon of terminology is also provided to facilitate a greater understanding of the Model.

The Technical Model can be viewed online and will provide an excellent resource for coaches, players and indeed supporters who want to increase their knowledge of the game or develop their skills.

The model is supported by explanatory documentation on: Game Characteristics, Team Attack & Defence, Phase Play, Unit Skills, Specialist Skills and Individual Skills, which can be downloaded to view in tandem with the online resource.

The IRFU Technical Model articulates a unified technical direction for the development of players and coaches within the Long Term Player Development (LTPD) vision of the IRFU.

The Technical Model aims to provide a consistency of technical understanding across all stages of rugby and will be useful to clubs and schools who wish to develop a formal rugby syllabus, coaches looking to become more effective and players seeking a deeper understanding of the game as well as for budding referees in understanding coaching and playing structures.

IRFU Technical Development Manager Stephen Aboud believes this will be an aid to all participants in Irish rugby. He said: “Following a year developing this resource and inducting all our Rugby Technical staff and age grade representative coaches, we saw a good opportunity to share the model with a wider audience to allow it to become a reference library for anybody interested in the game.

“The benefit of developing this as an online resource and specifically with the visual aid aspect is that it can help anyone increase their knowledge with respect to thinking, talking and developing rugby in Ireland.

“Overall it is a mirror of the skills set that we are developing throughout Irish rugby from underage to adult level through our Long Term Player Development model to give a consistent emphasis to raise the overall levels across the game.

“The benefit to this is more people enjoying the game, playing and coaching with greater understanding and effectiveness.

“This is of course an advantage when the next group of players break through at provincial and international level that they will have significantly developed skills sets and understanding of the game through a richer experience from all who have influenced them along the way.”

While it is a good reference for coaches and players, it can also be a starting point as any of the technical areas can be expanded on the coach development staff in each of the provincial branches.

Rugby supporters will also find the model useful as it incorporates an extensive lexicon of rugby terms and includes definitions of key rugby terms and video examples to support them.

Related Links –

www.irishrugby.ie/technicalmodel

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