You can’t play rugby without rugby balls, right?

A complete Rookie Rugby kit, which includes all the equipment needed to teach Rookie Rugby to a class of 30 students, including rugby balls, flag belts, cones, and a kit bag, can be obtained in the following ways::

• Purchase online at www.RookieRugby.ca
• APPLY for the Rookie Rugby Kit Grant Program:
  • The Rookie Rugby Kit Grant Program allows schools to acquire rugby equipment on a temporary basis and if the school is successful at fulfilling the grant requirements then the school keeps the rugby equipment for FREE.
  • The grant requirements are designed to assist schools with long-term inclusion of Rookie Rugby in their physical education classes, thereby increasing the number of students learning about rugby in school.
  • Applications are evaluated against a set of criteria that aims to assess whether the grant is likely to result in future rugby registrations. Having youth playing rugby is the ultimate goal of all of our programs and therefore this forms the basis of deciding which schools are approved for the Rookie Rugby Kit Grant Program.
  • See full grant terms and details HERE.

Sask Rugby has developed, with the endorsement of PHE Saskatchewan, curriculum-friendly Rookie Rugby Unit Plans for use in schools and communities to help instructors implement rugby in their classroom. These lesson plans have been developed with the philosophy that any instructor – regardless of rugby experience – should be able to pick up a guidebook and teach the content. Further, with 14 Unit Plans covering a wide age range of participants, a teacher implementing rugby in their classroom may never need to develop their own lesson plan regardless of whether they are teaching Kindergarten or Grade 12!

Access each lesson plan by clicking on its name in the list below:

Active Start – Introduction
Active Start – Intermediate
Fundamentals – Introduction
Fundamentals – Intermediate
Fundamentals – Advanced
Learn to Train – Introduction
Learn to Train – Intermediate
Learn to Train – Advanced
Train to Train – Introduction
Train to Train – Intermediate
Train to Train – Advanced
Train to Compete – Intermediate
Train to Compete – Advanced
Intro to Contact – Supplemental

Unsure of which Unit Plan is appropriate for your group? Check out our quick HOW TO GUIDE!

Looking for these lesson & unit plans in a convenient, easy-to-access format? Download the Athlete Era app and create an account with “Rugby” as your sport. You can find all of these plans on Athlete Era under the “Rookie Rugby Extended” program. Instructors can also use the detailed skills information on the app to assist with how to coach and perform specific skills contained in the lessons and activities.

Sask Rugby is committed to helping teachers gain the familiarity and confidence required to teach rugby as part of their physical education curriculum. We recognize that teachers are a key part of growing our sport and are committed to ensuring that teachers have the tools, resources, and knowledge required to implement Rookie Rugby in the classroom.

We encourage teachers to use the Rookie Rugby Teacher Professional Development form to get connected to us and let us know what your unique professional development needs are. Once we hear from you we can help to connect you with the specific strategies or tactics to best address your needs and build your confidence with using Rookie Rugby in a curricular setting.

Some of the strategies and tactics that teachers can access through the Professional Development form are:

• In-school demonstrations by Sask Rugby instructors
• Rookie Rugby Instructor Training* (NCCP Rookie Rugby workshop)
• Specific skill demonstrations and coaching cues
• Tactical and gameplay introductions for Rookie Rugby
• Mentorship & co-delivery

The exact mix of strategies and tactics used will be determined by the needs of each individual with the goal of preparing teachers to teach rugby on their own.

*Note on Rookie Rugby Instructor Training: We require a minimum number of participants to run this training opportunity. We collect interest in all Training & Education workshops and clinics via an Expression of Interest form and teachers are welcome to use this form as well. Rookie Rugby Instructor Training will be listed as NCCP Rookie Rugby on the form. If you have a group of teachers within your school or district that are interested in this training, please contact rdo@saskrugby.com and we can work towards a specific session for your group.

The Rookie Rugby School Leagues project is a multi-year comprehensive program that creates partnerships between schools and the rugby community for the purposes of growing the sport of rugby and providing enjoyable athletic experiences to youth.

Schools who sign-up for this project will participate in an annual extra-curricular school league with neighbouring schools culminating in a wind-up Jamboree event that brings together schools from the different leagues in the area. Schools will be supported through this project by a suite of curricular tools and resources, Sask Rugby’s league administration, and community rugby coaching. This project is a three-year project with the goal of being able to set up a program that is sustainable year-over-year beyond the initial three years.

Some highlights of the Rookie Rugby School Leagues project are:

• The core of the project is a 6-week flag rugby league featuring teams from 6-8 schools. The goal of the program is for the 6-8 schools to be from the same geographic area to allow for easy participation.
• Participating schools are responsible for the operation of their school teams, including any preparation of the players.
• Sask Rugby administrates the league, manages standings, and coordinates between local leagues.
• Sask Rugby supports the participating schools with a full suite of curriculum tools and professional development so that teachers and schools have the knowledge and confidence to prepare their athletes. This includes: rugby equipment, lesson plan curriculum binder, Rookie Rugby Instructor Training, and guaranteed in-school delivery.
• The rugby community will support the league through additional coaching support and building positive relationships with schools.

For complete information, please view the Rookie Rugby School League Manual (click link or picture above to view).

Sask Rugby is currently recruiting schools in Saskatoon and Regina to participate in this program in 2025. If you are interested in bringing this program to your school, please fill out our Rookie Rugby School League Expression of Interest Form!

For more Rookie Rugby resources, visit the Rookie Rugby website at www.rookierugby.ca. Some examples of resources that you will be able to find on the Rookie Rugby website include:

• Rookie Rugby Guidebook: Rules for flag rugby games & basic coaching cues.
• Game Cards Library: Activity instructions for the original Rookie Rugby games and activities.
• Curriculum Links Guide: How Rookie Rugby aligns with the Saskatchewan physical education curriculum.
• Rookie Rugby Activity Log: Report Rookie Rugby activity and help us grow the sport.