Tackle and ruck technique proficiency within academy and senior club rugby union

This study examined the validity of a tool that assesses tackle and ruck technique in training and established reference data for tackle, ball-carry and ruck technique at different levels of play in rugby union. One hundred and thirty-one amateur rugby union players; 37 senior, 51 first-grade academy and 43 second-grade academy players, participated in a two-on-two contact drill. The drill was filmed and the players' tackle, ball-carry and ruck technique were assessed using standardized technical criteria. Senior level players scored significantly higher in all three assessments; tackle technique senior vs academy 1 (p < 0.01, effect size (ES) = 0.7, moderate), senior vs academy 2 (p < 0.01, ES = 0.7, moderate); ball-carry technique senior vs academy 1 (p < 0.01, ES = 0.6, moderate), senior vs academy 2 (p < 0.01, ES = 0.8, moderate); ruck technique senior vs academy 1 (p < 0.01, ES = 0.7, moderate), senior vs academy 2 (p < 0.01, ES = 0.4, small). These findings emphasize the importance of developing contact technique to allow players to progress to higher levels, and provide validity to an assessment tool which can facilitate this process.