Rugby Rugby Features

The best feature writers from around the globe contribute to Rugby Rugby.  Read their opinions and send us your opinions by CLICKING HERE.

  • Monday, 20. July, 2009

    The Scrum and Social Loafing

    The scrum has long been a source of distinction in our sport and requires a team effort to be successful. Rugby Rugby’s Tom Billups takes a look at the scrum and urges teams to train to improve their scrum and advises to avoid social loafing in the scrum.

  • Monday, 22. June, 2009

    Where do I Stand? Positioning for the Flyhalf

    The position of the flyhalf is critical to properly directing and launching the next phase of attacking rugby and Rugby Rugby ‘s Tom Billups answers a readers question on the best positioning for this important position.

  • Monday, 8. June, 2009

    Rugby Training Plan

    One of the frequently overlooked aspects to rugby training is to have a good plan established before you start. A good plan helps the coach or team manager identify the assets and liabilities of the individual players and the team and develop techniques to overcome them.

  • Monday, 25. May, 2009

    A Memorial Day for “Rocky”

    With Memorial Day on Monday May 25, Rugby Rugby’s takes a second to take his focus off rugby and to the upcoming holiday reminded readers to remember the sacrifices made by the men and women of our military for our freedom, pointing to one such soldier, Captain Humbert “Rocky” Versace.

  • Monday, 11. May, 2009

    The Performance Analyst

    The performance analyst is increasingly being turned to in rugby to breakdown the finer points of the game and help players and teams improve and Rugby Rugby’s Tom Billups spoke with a pioneer in video analysis systems, Welshman Jon Moore.

  • Thursday, 23. April, 2009

    Rugby Skills - Throwing Mechanics for Hookers

    I have had the opportunity to watch dozens of hookers play this season witnessing many different throwing mechanics and Rugby Rugby's Tom Billups gives his suggestions on how the mechanics should work.

  • Wednesday, 8. April, 2009

    On Becoming a Rugby Coach

    I recently fielded a handful of questions from a former player who is in his first year coaching club rugby in the South. During our communications, he expressed a strong desire to improve as a coach and asked for suggestions of how to improve and Rugby Rugby's Billups gave these suggestions.

  • Tuesday, 24. March, 2009

    Appetite for Work

    There are several elements tied directly to whether a rugby team reaches it’s potential. In my humble opinion, the most important of these elements is the desire to play hard.

  • Friday, 13. March, 2009

    Importance of a Basic Medical Injury Plan

    Rugby is a physical game and Rugby Rugby's Tom Billups talks about the need for ALL teams to have a basic medical injury plans at matches and training sessions.

  • Monday, 23. February, 2009

    Implicit Learning in Rugby

    The USA Sevens was held recently in San Diego and was a fantastic weekend of sevens rugby. The United States team did better than it has ever previously done, and each and every match offered something for an implicit learner. Implicit learning occurs in sport when athletes learn from observing elite athletes prepare and compete

  • Wednesday, 28. January, 2009

    Communication in Rugby

    Communication is very important to a rugby team's success and Rugby Rugby's Tom Billups breaks it down.

  • Tuesday, 13. January, 2009

    Sport Science with Dr. Wagner

    Rugby Rugby's Tom Billups is fortunate to have many friends around the rugby world who are experts in their field. Once such friend is Phil Wagner, M.D. and Billups spoke to him about rugby.

  • Tuesday, 30. December, 2008

    All Black Magic

    Scott Compton has been there and done that in world rugby and Rugby Rugby's Tom Billups sat down with the former media manager of the New Zealand All Blacks.

  • Thursday, 18. December, 2008

    Interval Speed Endurance Training in Rugby

    As a follow up to the recent column posting regarding fitness testing and my recommendation of the 1,000 meter shuttle run as a reliable fitness test, I wanted to offer one of my more popular Interval Speed Endurance (ISE) workouts.

  • Wednesday, 3. December, 2008

    Fitness Testing Question in Rugby

    Off season training is huge in rugby and Rugby Rugby't Tom Billups gives some pointers for a successful rugby training program.