COACHING ENROLMENT
Small Blacks is compulsory for every Junior Rugby Coach, with a focus on Safety in our game. All sessions are live in person. Please attend one of the Auckland Rugby run sessions below:
Click HERE to register your attendance.
Please also register as a coach for the season by creating a Rugby Xplorer profile HERE. Need more help on how to sign up? Click here.
More detailed info about Rugby Xplorer can be found by clicking this link HERE
- Monday 30th March Papatoetoe Rugby Club
- Wednesday 1st April Suburbs Rugby Club
- Monday 13th April Marist Rugby Club
- Monday 20th April Eden Rugby Club
In 2026 NZ Rugby have mandated that all Rugby Smart courses are to be complete live, in-person. ARU will be providing these courses via:
- Rugby Smart Masterclasses where we will have some big names in our sport helping deliver great messages and some gold nuggets for your season.
- ARU will coordinate running some mop up sessions with our clubs and schools if you missed out on our masterclasses.
- Auckland Rugby with help from NZ Rugby has trained up some community coach developers who are now accredited to deliver rugby smart for our communities.
Please note: Every Coach in New Zealand must complete a coach registration form AND attend a Rugby Smart Course if coaching 14 years and older. This process must be completed annually.
For more detailed information about rugby xplorer click HERE
For any queries, please contact joe.tuitavake@aucklandrugby.co.nz for more info
This season Auckland Rugby have the pleasure to provide our Senior Club & School Rugby Participants a skill development opportunity direct from High Performace. This season we offer gender specific environments and coaches to further develop our players skills of the game.
Our highly experienced coaches will cover 4 key Rugby skills.
- Scrum Masterclasses led by NPC Scrum Coach Census JOHNSTON, Ex Auckland Rugby Pro John AFOA and Current FPC Champion Aldora ITUNU
- Collision Masterclasses led by NPC Coach Steven BATES, Ex Auckland Rugby Pro Fa'atiga LEMALU and Current FPC Champion Charmaine McMENAMIN
- Lineout Masterclasses led by NPC Coach Steven BATES, Ex Auckland Rugby Pro Fa'atiga LEMALU and Current FPC Champion & Captain Eloise BLACKWELL
- Kicking Masterclasses led by NPC Coach Jono HICKEY, FPC Winning Coach Anna RICHARDS & Ex Auckland Rugby Pro Tyrone ELKINGTON MacDONALD
PLAYERS: 7 players per team
BALL SIZE: 4
FIELD SIZE: ½ Field (touch line to touch line long x goal line to 10m line, wide)
LENGTH OF GAME: 2 x 20-minute halves (maximum) with a 5-minute break at halftime.
SUBS: Teams to use rolling subs to achieve satisfactory game time for all players.
MOUTHGUARD: Recommended
RIP BELTS/RIPS: Rip belts must be worn on the outside of clothing (tops tucked in) and one Rip on each hip.
UNIFORM: Teams to wear the same uniform
STARTING/RESTARTING PLAY: Drop kick for start and restarting play after a try or half time. The kick must travel past the 5m mark. If the kick does not make the 5m mark or goes dead in goal, a free pass is awarded to the receiving team on half-way. When a try is scored, the team that scores then kicks the restart.
ATTACKERS:
- Attackers can run, pass, kick (grubber, cross-field, chip and chase, etc)
- Attackers can hip twist and even spin 360 degrees once. ‘Helicopter’ or continuous spinning will result in a handover.
- After being ripped, the ball carrier must pass the ball within three steps (no stop/play the ball required). If they pass after the three steps post Rip, then it is a turnover. If the player oversteps the three-step mark post rip and returns to the mark to pass the ball, then it’s play on.
- The attacker must then regain their Rip from the defender before they re-join play.
- Four rips in a row leads to a turnover in possession.
DEFENDERS:
- To complete one ‘rip’- one or both of the two Rips from the ball carrier belt must be removed.
- Once ripped, the defender must stop, hold the rip above their head and shout “RIP!”
- Once a rip is made; the offside line becomes the ball, noting the ball carrier remains in play and is allowed to pass or kick within 3 steps of the rip occurring- while all defenders must retreat behind the ball.
- The ripper must then hand the Rip back to the attacking player; if the attacker runs off however, the ripper may place the opponents rip on the ground where the rip was made.
- Four Rips in a row leads to a turnover.
PASSING: The ball can only be passed in a sideways or backwards direction. There are no forward passes. If the ball is passed sideways or backwards landing on the ground and bounces forward, this is not a knock on or forward pass. Either team may re-gather the ball, only if remaining on their feet to continue play.
KICKING, SCRUMS & LINEOUTS:
- Scrums are uncontested, 3 players each.
- The lineout must consist of three players from each team, plus a thrower who can also play receiver after the ball is thrown in. Lifting is Optional.
- Kicking is allowed in Rip Rugby. Normal off-side rules apply. There are no conversions or shots at goal.
REFEREEING A GAME: Shout, “RIP and the number of rip (1, 2, 3, 4,) and PASS!” when a rip has been made. Where possible ‘advantage’ should be played to the non-offending team if there is any chance that they may get the ball. The referee should call ‘advantage’ followed by ‘play on’. If no advantage within a reasonable period, play returns with a scrum, penalty, or free pass.
PENALTIES: Penalty offences are awarded to non-offending team via a tap restart (4 again), scrum, or kick to touch. Penalty offences include:
- Contact of any kind (pushing, tackling, fending, collisions).
- Hiding, fending, or shielding Rips.
- Helicopter/Continuous spinning.
- Offside.
- Diving on the ball on the ground
- Not handing back Rips/ throwing it away
- Passing after overstepping (3 steps)
SCORING:
- Ball must be in contact with hand or player and placed on the tryline or in the in-goal area for a try to be awarded.
- If a player is ripped in goal/ripped and runs into in goal, play restarts with a tap from 5m line out from try line.
- If a player is ripped while mid-air (feet off the ground in a dive to score) and the player is ripped, the try is awarded.
Joseph Tuitavake
Game Development Manager