Rugby Footy Pups

The crowd are going wild! CHEERING

Here come the Footy Pups!

# They play like a dream when they work as a team

# Footy Pups Go, go, Footy Pups

# There's Pickles and Rex and Geraldine next

# Footy Pups Go, go, Footy Pups

# Rozzie and Benny and Manager Freddie

# Footy Pups Go, go, Footy Pups

# There's Rachel too and, of course, all of you

# Footy Pups Go, go, Footy Pups

# Go, go, go, go Footy Pups! #

Rachel Yankey, top international footballer

and all-round sporting superstar.

But when Rachel's not scoring goals for her team,

she's playing with the Footy Pups.

CHEERING

Hi, everyone. We're all warmed up, so it's time to get moving.

Today, on my team we have...

Number 1 - Alex.

Brilliant!

Number 2 - Tommy.

Super dribbling!

Number 3 - Aisha.

Well done!

Number 4 - Niall.

Yeah, I love that!

Number 5 - Jessica.

Fantastic skills!

Number 6 - James.

Amazing!

Also joining us are Pickles and Benny.

LAUGHTER

So that's today's team.

OK, guys, gather round, it's team-talk time!

CHEERING

I've got a bit of a cold today

but that's not going to stop us from playing.

Now, you might have noticed that the balls we're holding

are not the normal football shape.

But does anyone know what type of balls these are?

-Alex?

-Rugby balls.

Excellent, and that's because today we're going to be looking at rugby.

Rugby is a game where teammates throw the ball to each other.

One of the ways they score points is by touching the ball on the floor.

This is called a try.

There are loads of similarities between football and rugby.

But does anyone know what some of them might be?

-Jessica?

-Working as a team.

Good. Anyone else?

-James?

-Passing the ball.

Excellent. So, in rugby, we pass the ball to each other by throwing.

Now, I'm used to playing football so I've invited along a friend of mine

who knows a thing or two about rugby.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Tim Visser, international rugby superstar.

Tim plays for the Scottish national team

and is most often found on the wing.

Being a good winger means Tim is a super scorer.

Woof! Woof!

-Hi, Tim. Thanks for joining us.

-Hi, Rachel. No problem.

What things do we need to remember when we're handling a rugby ball?

A rugby ball is a little bit shaped like an egg,

which makes it a lot easier for us to hold onto it

when we're running with it and when we're touching it on the ground.

The three main things to remember are to have your thumbs on top,

hold it tight and keep it close.

OK, guys, let's all have a go.

-ALL:

-Thumbs on top...

-Hold it tight.

-ALL:

-Hold it tight.

Keep it close.

Now, Tim, you've set us up with a game.

-What do we need to do?

-So you're split in pairs,

you've got a rugby ball each.

What you've got to do is run to the hoop, put it down and score a try.

It's a little bit like scoring a goal in football.

Go!

-Excellent tries.

-Thumbs on top.

You scored a try.

Hold it tight, Jessica. Good.

Go, Alex! Brilliant!

Niall, keep it close.

Score a try! That's it, thumbs on top of the ball, James.

He's got the hang of this.

Keep it close to your chest. Well done, Aisha.

Whilst these guys keep practising, here's a reminder for you at home.

When handling a rugby ball, remember to...

put your thumbs on top, hold it tight and keep it close.

Woof! Woof!

In your pairs you've got two orange cones and two blue cones

and you're going to pass the ball back and forth to each other.

In rugby, you can only pass the ball backwards.

The player at the orange cone is going to face forward

and pass backwards to the player at the blue cone.

Once you've thrown the ball, you need to run to the cone behind you

and once you've caught the ball, run to the cone in front.

-Off you go!

-Remember to throw the ball backwards!

Thumbs on top, hold it tight, now look at where you want to pass it.

-Very good.

-That's it, facing forward.

Excellent. And gently into her hands.

Excellent pass. Well done. Swap round.

Jessica, think about how you're holding it.

-Thumbs on top!

-Well done.

Amazing stuff!

Hands out. Now you're going to catch it in your little basket.

Right in his hands, good pass. Let's catch it. Oh!

-Yeah!

-You're brilliant at rugby, Pickles.

Thanks, Benny, but I didn't feel that good

when we visited the All Bleats at the Valley Stadium.

Ha-ha! Oh, yeah!

-Woof!

-Woof

My word, we're a long way from Pupton Park today

at the Valley Stadium.

-We're in the mountains!

-That's right, Rozzie.

We're here to play a special game.

THEY GASP

I've never seen a football pitch like this before.

All the lines are in different places.

And the goals are huge!

They're twice the size of normal ones.

Which means I'll score twice as many goals.

And saving them will be twice as hard!

Don't worry, Pickles, the game we're playing today isn't football.

It's called rugby. Hup!

Do we play with an egg?

No, Rex, that's a rugby ball.

It doesn't look like a ball.

Whoo! Aggh!

Oh, it doesn't bounce like a ball, either.

Welcome to the All Bleats Stadium.

Baaah!

-ALL:

-We're mountain goats, we're big and strong,

we play rugby all day long.

We love rugby, we love rugby.

Baah! Baah! Yes, we do.

We love rugby, we love rugby.

Baah! Baah! Yes, we do!

Baah!

-ALL:

-Wow!

-Watch closely, Pups.

The aim of the game is to get the ball to the other end of the pitch

without being tackled and losing it.

You can pass the ball but it has to go backwards.

Once you get to the end of the pitch,

you touch the ball on the ground and score five points.

That's called scoring a try.

Naah!

After you score a try, you can kick the ball

between the posts and over the BAA-AR for two extra points.

That's what we call a conversion.

Erm, where does the goalie stand?

We don't have goalies in rugby.

I was worried he was going to say that!

You've got to feel for the young keeper here,

as the All Bleats kick off, he doesn't know where to stand.

I'll get it!

Allez... Whoops!

Oh!

Here comes the speedy Pup.

-Oh!

-Nice passing back from the All Bleats there,

but I'm not sure Pickles has got the right idea.

-Ha-ha!

-That's a try.

-Did I save it?

Five points to the All Bleats.

I smell trouble.

If the Goats kick the ball over the bar, they'll get another two points.

Don't worry, I'll save it!

Maah!

Oh, there's no way I could save that.

It's 7-0 to the Goats and while poor Pickles reaches new heights on the

rugby pitch, the Cheer-fleaders have an even bigger performance plan.

-ALL:

-Brrrr!

Come on, Fleas.

When we reach the top of this mountain

we can perform the highest Cheer-fleader chant ever!

-ALL:

-Brrrr!

-My pom-poms have frozen!

Woof! Woof!

I'm going to score with a super kick.

Woof!

Oh! Here come the Goats.

Whaa!

Oh, they threw it round me!

How did they catch that?

They're too good at dodging.

Oh!

I miss football!

That was close.

The ball has gone out of play and now the half-time whistle has gone,

but the All Bleats are still winning 7-0.

THEY SIGH

Playing rugby is impossible.

I'm just no good when I'm not a goalie.

Don't lose heart, Pickles.

Trying a new sport is always tough.

But Freddie, those Goats are unstoppable.

They're good at catching, throwing and dodging.

Catching, throwing and dodging?

But I use all those skills when I'm in goal.

Of course! If we get the ball to Pickles,

he can use his football goalie moves out on the rugby pitch.

He can throw, catch and dodge us to victory!

I hope you're right.

With the second-half about to start the Cheer-fleaders

must surely be at the top of that mountain by now.

We did it!

Oh, hang on, just a little further.

THEY SIGH

My nose is frozen now!

So as we start the second-half,

the All Bleats are already away with the ball.

Here goes. Let's try a dodge.

Baaah! I can't get past.

Whoa!

-BOTH:

-We'll catch it.

Got it!

Allez hup! Maybe I can try a throw.

Catching like Pickles, too!

Uh-oh, time to have a go at a throw!

Catch. Dodge, dodge, dodge,

and touch it on the ground.

-Ta-da!

-ALL:

-Whoo-hoo!

Goodness, what wonderful rugby skills.

Pickles scores his first try.

It's now only 7-5 to the Goats.

Well done, Pickles!

Now you've scored a try, you can have a go at a conversion kick.

OK, but I'm not sure I can do it.

-ALL:

-Yippee, we've reached the top!

-ECHO:

-Top, top, top...

Hang on, what if the Pups can't hear us from up here?

-ECHO:

-Here, here, here...

Let's try a really loud chant, everyone.

-ALL:

-To score some points here's a trick -

pretend your conversion is a big goal kick.

-ECHO:

-Kick, kick, kick...

I see, it's just like a big goal kick.

Ready.

Ruff! Ha-ha!

-ALL:

-Oh, wow.

What a fantastic conversion.

That gives the Pups two more points, making the match a draw, 7-7.

How are we going to get down?

Come on, Cheer-fleaders, follow me.

Yippee!

Baah! Nice kick, Pickles.

Oh, thanks! I'm beginning to like rugby almost as much as football.

I wonder what happened to the ball.

-CHEER-FLEADERS:

-Go, go, go, Pickles!

Whoo!

I think Pickles might try playing rugby again.

Woof! Woof!

Oh, well done in our match against the All Bleats, Pickles.

Thanks, Benny.

-Hi, guys.

-BOTH:

-Hi, Rachel!

-Can I join in?

-Sure, you can go over there and I'll throw you the ball.

Brilliant.

-Pickles, over here.

-Ready?!

Ruff!

Do you guys remember how to handle a rugby ball?

Remember to put your thumbs on top,

hold it tight and keep it close.

-OK, guys, who fancies a game?

-THEY CHEER

So I've split you up into two teams.

We've got Tim's Tigers. Give me a growl.

-ALL:

-Grrrr!

Scary. And we've got Rachel's Rhinos. Give me a stampede.

-ALL:

-Yeah!

Oh, fantastic!

Let's take a look with the Footy Pups to find out how to play.

(Come and have a look.)

To play this game you need to throw and catch.

When the whistle blows, the first player throws the rugby ball

backwards to the next.

That player then throws it backwards to the last player,

who runs and scores the try.

That's when you touch the ball to the ground.

-Whoo-hoo!

-Then everyone swaps places and starts again.

The winners of this game will be the team

who scores the most tries before the final whistle blows.

Woof! Woof!

-Three, two, one...

-WHISTLE BLOWS

First up, it's Rachel's Rhinos and it's James to Jessica.

Can she score? Amazing stuff.

Swap round, swap, swap.

-Well done.

-Thumbs on top.

Super catch, Alex.

James's turn to score a try. Awesome!

Jessica is looking for that ball, passes to Alex.

She misses. Great recovery, Alex. What a try!

-Ready, go! And again.

-Good throwing.

Keep it close, keep it close. Score it.

-Swapsies.

-Yeah!

-Time's against them.

How many more can they score?

Hold on to that ball, Holly, nice and tight.

They're trying to score as many as they can.

-Well done.

-Score, Alex.

-Yeah!

And time.

It's all over, but can Tim's Tigers do any better?

Go! Good pass, Tommy. Score it.

He runs to the line and a great early try from Niall

as they swap around. So now it's Niall to Tommy.

-Thumbs on top, keep passing it. Good pass.

-Excellent.

-Top try, Aisha.

-Look at who you're passing to.

That's it, look for Niall.

Niall to Tommy. Oh, he's dropped it. Good recovery.

Yeah!

Twist your upper body and pass that ball.

Great advice, Rachel.

-Keep it close and score.

-Fantastic teamwork here.

-BOTH:

-Yeah!

-Well done.

-Swap, swap, swap.

Time's almost up. Tim's Tigers are up against it.

-That's a high one.

-Nice, Aisha. Pass it on. Score it!

-This is close.

-Yeah!

WHISTLE BLOWS It's all over! Let's have a replay.

Both teams were fantastic at throwing the ball

and terrific at scoring try after try, but who were today's winners?

Let's go to Footy Pups' Pickles and Benny for the final score.

Rachel's Rhinos scored nine tries and Tim's Tigers scored ten,

making them today's winners.

My team today have been heroic at handling rugby balls.

We've run with the ball,

we've thrown the ball and we've scored tries.

All thanks to international rugby star Tim Visser.

That's it for today, guys.

Well done, everyone.

Now you've got the skill, remember to pass it on.

THEY CHEER