Coach Education

Key National Themes - Regional Launch

The Tayside & Fife Regional Launch for Scottish Rugby’s Key National Themes Project was held at the Loch Leven Community Campus at the end of January

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Scottish Rugby and SportTayside & Fife run a comprehensive range of coach and official education programmes throughout the region in conjunction with the Coach Education Department based in Murrayfield.  The following Courses are available;

IRB Rugby Ready
This is an online course that has been rolled out worldwide by the IRB and has been adopted by Scottish Rugby as the minimum standard for coaching rugby. The course can be accessed online at www.irbrugbyready.com and must be completed by anyone wishing to coach at any level in Scottish Rugby. More information on minimum standards can be accessed via the ‘Are You Ready To Play Rugby?’ page. 

Foundation Course
The course is aimed towards coaches operating at Mini level. The course allows candidates to referee up to Primary 7 level.
Course aim: To prepare coaches, teachers and parents alike to prepare and deliver game-based activities through which Primary school aged children learn and apply the basic skills, concepts, and rules of Rugby Union. 

Courses are held on a regional basis at clubs and schools. Please speak to your local Rugby Development Officer. This course is free of charge.

UKCC Coaching Courses (1,2 & 3)
The UKCC in Rugby Union is a nationally recognised Vocational Qualification which is transferable across the three home unions (SRU/RFU/WRU). It is also recognised across the whole of UK sport. 31 sports have signed up to the UKCC process, Rugby Union is one of the first six "fast-track" sports. For more information on the UKCC please visit www.ukcoachingcertificate.org Scottish Rugby has now been granted approval to offer the new UKCC Level 1,2 & 3 Coaching Rugby Union courses by the SQA. 
Scottish Rugby has been working hard at developing a workforce qualified to deliver this new programme as well as developing the programme content along with our colleagues in the RFU/WRU/Sportscotland and sports coach UK

Strength & Conditioning Courses
Our Level 1 and Level 2 courses in weightlifting for rugby are fully endorsed by the United Kingdom Strength & Conditioning Association (UKSCA) and are as a result jointly awarded by both Scottish Rugby and the UKSCA.
We also provide day long modules in Speed and Agility to enable you to develop faster more agile players in your club and school environments

Referee Level 1 Course
This course is for those who wish to referee for their school, club or referee society. You do not need to have completed a Foundation Course to do this course. The Level 1 course is approximately 6 hours in total followed by a practical assessment when the candidate is ready. The course is free but should you wish to referee for your local referee society, you will be asked to pay the annual subscription.  All attendees will receive a Law Book, Law Variation Cards and course handouts.
Having passed the exam and practical assessment, a Level 1 Referee Licence is awarded, and you are qualified to referee up to and including, Regional League 2, schools, youth, Mini Rugby, Tag and New Image.  The licence is valid for the remainder of the season in which you passed the course and a further two full seasons.

National Coaching Updates
The National Update Programme is delivered by National, Pro-team, Academy and Age-grade coaches as well as the Performance Development Team, covering a number of key areas within the game. These updates provide a valuable source of CPD for Youth and Senior coaches across the country. National Coaching Updates are free of charge.

Local Coaching Updates
Local Coaching Updates are delivered by the Jointly Funded Development Officer is each of their areas and cover the 4 National Coaching Themes; Handcatch, Offload, Ball Presentation and Individual Tackle Technique. For information on the next local update in your area please contact your nearest development officer.  

Coach Scholarships
These may be available to assist with the costs of coach education for coaches operating at Level 2 and above.  For further information please click here.