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How to Run a Rugby Tryout: A Coach's Step-by-Step Guide

To run a rugby tryout, you evaluate every player across core skills (passing and catching, tackling, rucking and contact, kicking, and fitness), score each on a consistent 1-to-5 scale, then read game sense in a trial match before you set the squad. The hard part is rarely the scoring sheet. It is organizing the whole event so the evaluation stays fair, the pitch stays busy, the day runs on time, and you can defend every selection decision afterward, especially when you are moving hundreds of players across a single ground in one weekend. This guide walks through exactly how to conduct a rugby tryout from first planning to final offers, whether you are a club running selection trials, a school choosing a competitive side, or a large program putting 300 players in front of 15 to 20 coaches.

Coaches running a youth rugby tryout with players rotating through passing, tackling, and fitness stations on a pitch

What Skills Should You Evaluate at a Rugby Tryout?

Evaluate five core skills at a rugby tryout: passing and catching, tackling, rucking and contact, kicking, and fitness. Most coaches add a sixth, intangible category (game sense, work rate, and coachability) that adjusts a player's overall score up or down. These six cover everything a player does in a match, and a short list keeps a large evaluation panel focused and consistent.

Here is what evaluators look for in each skill and how each is typically assessed at a tryout:

Skill	What evaluators look for	How it's assessed
Passing and catching	Accuracy, distance off both hands, soft hands under a pass, and a quick catch-pass without breaking stride	Passing-for-accuracy and passing-for-distance drills, plus catch-pass relays under light pressure
Tackling	Body position, footwork into contact, shoulder placement, leg drive, and a safe, legal technique	Graded against a standard technique checklist on tackle-bag and live, controlled one-on-one tackle drills
Rucking and contact	Body height at the breakdown, leg drive, support lines, and decision-making to clear or jackal	Controlled breakdown drills and read in the trial match
Kicking	Distance, accuracy, and reliability on hand kicks (punt and grubber) and place kicks off a tee	Kicking-for-distance and place-kicking tests; positional kickers tested further
Fitness	Speed, repeat-effort capacity, and conditioning under fatigue	A timed sprint plus a standard fitness test (such as a shuttle or beep test)
Intangibles	Game sense, work rate, communication, and coachability	Observed throughout, especially in the trial match; used to add or deduct points

Game sense is what separates a good athlete from a good rugby player: in the trial match, selectors watch for players who identify space, choose the right option, and execute under pressure, not just those who win collisions.

How Do You Score a Rugby Tryout?

Score each player from 1 to 5 on every skill, where 5 is the best, then total the scores to rank players objectively. A simple, shared 1-to-5 scale turns subjective impressions ("he looked good") into comparable data you can sort, defend, and revisit. Fitness and intangibles are usually handled as adjustments: add a point or two for the fittest players and those who compete on every phase, and deduct for the slowest or those who coast.

Position matters in rugby, so score with the role in mind. A prop and a fly-half are not measured against the same kicking or speed standard. Many programs grade core skills the same for everyone, then add a short positional read (set-piece for forwards, distribution and game management for halves and backs) so a player is judged against the demands of their position.

Two rules make the scores trustworthy at scale. First, align your evaluators on what each number means before the tryout, so a "3" tackle and a "4" tackle mean the same thing to every coach on the pitch. With 15 to 20 evaluators grading the same players, this calibration is what keeps scores comparable. Second, score immediately after each rep while it is fresh, and add a short note next to the number. "Strong over the ball, slow to reload on defense" tells you far more in a week than a bare "3."

How to Set Up Rugby Tryout Stations at Scale

Set up one station per skill and rotate small groups through them so the pitch is always busy and every player gets identical reps. Use cones and grids to define each station: a passing grid, a tackle-technique area with bags and pads, a breakdown station, a kicking zone, and a marked lane for the timed sprint and fitness test. Reserve part of the pitch for a trial match at the end.

How you staff those stations depends on size. At a small tryout, one coach can grade a whole skill. At scale, with 300 players and 15 to 20 coaches, you do the opposite: put several evaluators at each station so a large group keeps moving, and have every coach score the same drill against the shared rubric. Some programs run it in panels, splitting evaluators across stations, while others move all coaches to one station at a time so everyone grades the same drill together, which is common for the fitness test and the trial match. Either way, the goal is multiple independent scores per player, which you average for a more reliable result than any single grader could give. Keep a staffed check-in table at the entrance so you always know who has arrived and who is still expected.

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Rugby Tryout Timeline: From Planning to Finalized Teams

Plan to start two to three weeks before tryout day, then move through registration, check-in, evaluation, review, and offers. Here is the full end-to-end checklist for hosting the event:

Two to three weeks before: Planning

Lock the date, pitch, and a backup date; reserve the ground
Decide age grades, number of squads, and roster sizes
Build (or reuse) your evaluation form with the six categories above
Recruit and brief evaluators; align all 15 to 20 coaches on the 1-to-5 standards
Open online registration so you have a confirmed player count

Registration

Collect each player's name, age or birth year, preferred positions, experience, and contact info
Assign every player a tryout number (pinnies or bib numbers) so evaluators score by number, not by name, which keeps scoring objective even with hundreds of players
Send a confirmation with arrival time, location, and what to bring

Tryout day: Check-in

Check players in against your registration list and hand out numbers
Group players by age grade and brief them on the station flow and contact rules

Tryout day: Evaluation

Run players through each station; evaluators score 1 to 5 and add notes in real time
Finish with a trial match so you can read game sense, decision-making, and work rate
For multi-day tryouts, repeat key stations on day two so a single off-day doesn't sink a player

After the tryout: Review and decide

Combine every evaluator's scores into one ranked list
Discuss bubble players as a staff, using notes alongside the numbers, and balance the squad by position
Finalize squads and positional depth

Offers: Accept, decline, and finalize

Extend offers to selected players with a clear accept-by deadline
Track accepts and declines, and go to your next-best player when a spot opens
Send respectful, timely notice to players who weren't selected
Confirm final rosters and communicate next steps (training schedule, fees, kit)

Run Your Entire Rugby Tryout with Rizzler Sports

A tryout at scale is a logistics problem before it is a rugby problem. Three hundred registrations, hundreds of check-ins, a stack of evaluation sheets for every coach, then the follow-up: inviting selected players, tracking who accepted, and back-filling spots as players decline. Rizzler Sports handles all of it in one place, which saves coaches and administrators hours of work per tryout. Players register online, coaches score evaluations on a phone or tablet at every station, results rank automatically, and you send and track offers without a single spreadsheet or group text.

Running a larger program, a full club, a union, or a school district? We will set your tryout up end to end and show you how much staff time it saves.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a rugby tryout be?

Most youth rugby tryouts run two hours per age grade, often across one or two sessions so you can fit skill stations, a fitness test, and a trial match. Competitive programs frequently use two days so a player's evaluation isn't decided by a single off-day. Build in time for check-in before the clock starts.

How do you staff coaches at a large tryout?

At scale, do not assign one coach per skill. With 300 players and 15 to 20 coaches, put multiple evaluators at each station, or move all coaches through one station at a time, and have everyone score the same drill against a shared 1-to-5 rubric. Averaging several independent scores per player is more reliable, and far faster, than a single grader working through hundreds of athletes.

How do I keep contact drills safe at a big tryout?

Group players by age grade and experience, keep early contact controlled and graded on technique rather than collision, and progress to live tackling only after warm-up and technique checks. Watch for legal, safe body position on every rep.

What should players bring to a tryout?

Boots, gum shield, water, and weather-appropriate kit. Tell players to arrive early enough to check in and warm up before evaluations begin.

How do I tell a player they didn't make the squad?

Communicate quickly, privately, and respectfully, and keep it about the selection decision rather than the player's worth. A short, kind message with an offer to share specific feedback goes a long way, and it protects your program's reputation for next year's trials.

See also: How to Run a Soccer Tryout → · Player Evaluations in Rizzler → · How to Run a Football Tryout →