Athlete Academy — Kicking Extras

Kicking Session 1

Session with a friend · 60–70 minutes

What you need

2 rugby balls · kicking tee (if needed) · 4–6 cones · rugby posts

Main focus

Build a repeatable kicking technique off both feet. The most important thing about kicking is building a process, a technique, that repeats every time.

1 Athlete Academy Sequence — Short Kicking 10 mins

Done at the Kicking Academy

Set up with your partner 5–10 metres apart.

Work through, 10 kicks off each foot, for each type:

  • Punt – normal ball flight
  • Punt – low/punch ball flight
  • Punt – high ball flight
  • Drop kick
  • Grubber
  • Chip

Don’t rush the reps. Focus on ball drop, balance, contact and follow-through. Your partner should be able to comfortably catch it — aim to hit them in the chest.

2 Athlete Academy Sequence — Long Kicking 10–15 mins

Move back to roughly 15–22 metres apart and repeat the same sequence, both feet: Punt (normal, low/punch, high), Drop kick, Grubber, Chip, and Spiral (optional).

The challenge: your technique shouldn’t change just because the distance has increased — keep it the same as the short sequence, just add power. Your kick from 20 metres should look the same as your kick from 5 metres. Don’t suddenly swing harder or lose your shape. Let the extra power come naturally.

3 Score the Goal — Low Ball Flight 8 mins

Done at the Kicking Academy

Set up 10–15 metres from the posts, one player either side.

The challenge: kick the ball through the goal and underneath the crossbar to your partner.

Complete: 20 right foot + 20 left foot.

Focus on producing a low, controlled, penetrating ball flight rather than simply kicking as hard as possible.

Make it competitive: 1 point every time you find your partner underneath the crossbar. Keep score.

4 Score the Point — High Ball Flight 8 mins

Stay 10–15 metres from the posts, but now reverse the challenge: instead of going underneath the crossbar, your kick must travel over the crossbar and reach your partner.

Complete: 20 right foot + 20 left foot.

You’re working on creating height and shape while keeping the same fundamental technique. Keep score.

5 Crossbar Tennis 10 mins

Now turn it into a game. Set up approximately 5–10 metres either side of the posts. Player A uses a controlled chip kick over the crossbar, trying to land it on Player B’s side. Player B returns it. Think of it like tennis — except the crossbar is your net.

Play first to 10 points, then swap sides and play again.

Focus on:

  • Ball drop
  • Attacking chip technique
  • Weight of kick
  • Controlling height
  • Accuracy

The purpose here is to experiment. Try different heights and trajectories and learn how the ball responds.

6 Position-Specific Finish 15–20 mins

Finish every session on the kicks you’re most likely to use in your position — this is the position-specific development Athlete Academy is built around. Find your position below.

Scrum-Halves

Contestable box kick: from around the 22m line, use the crossbar as your target. Aim for roughly 3–4 seconds of hang time, landing around the crossbar area. 10–20 quality reps, no rushing.

Exit box kick: move back to 30–35 metres and try to send the ball through/over the posts. Same technique — just changing distance and purpose.

Out-Halves / Place Kickers

Finish with 10–15 realistic shots at goal. Don’t just kick from the same spot — recreate the kicks you’d actually face in a match: different distances, angles and sides of the pitch.

Keep the same set of kicks each week and track your score. The score isn’t there to add pressure — it’s there so you can see whether the practice is working. e.g. Week 1: 8/15, Week 2: 10/15, Week 3: 11/15.

Centres / Back Three

Finish with a mix of high-ball work and finding space. Have your partner kick high balls for you to field before returning the kick. Place cones in different areas of the backfield — e.g. left corner, middle space, right corner — and your partner calls the target late so you have to adjust.

Mix in: high contestable kicks, long punts, finding grass, attacking chips, and fielding a high ball then immediately returning a kick. Keep it game-realistic rather than just kicking back and forth.

The Athlete Academy Rule

Whether you’re kicking 5 metres or 35 metres, your basic technique should remain repeatable. Build a kicking action you trust off both feet, experiment with different ball flights, and track your scores so you can see your improvement across the 30-Day Challenge.

Any questions on the session, just reply to the email or drop us a message on WhatsApp.