Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/54710
sport / t karo E WIN! Hey Welcome back to Ruggerland for 2012! We are looking forward to an exciting year of Small Blacks action and Rippa Rugby! We'd LOVE to hear more from you about your rugby experiences! Send in your rugby stories, letters, artwork – anything RUGBY – and if it's published you'll WIN one of our Upstart contributor prizes from pages 12-13. Simply attach your contribution to the entry coupon on page 60 and send it in OR enter at the Upstart Friendship Club, www.upstartmag.co.nz. Entries for this prize close 31 March 2012. I can't wait to hear from you all! www.ruggerland.co.nz RATAPIKO SCHOOL! YAY FOR Hi Upstart, My name is Sophie Barron and I live in Taranaki in a place called Ratapiko! Our school is Ratapiko School and it is really interesting because we only have 20 people in our whole school! But just because we are a little school doesn't mean we don't win anything. Just the other week our school won a competition to train with the Irish rugby team (that's why I'm writing this letter in green!). And we also won a Rippa tournament. So you can tell our school is CRAZY about rugby! We all have to get along and be friends so our school is the best place to be! – SOPHIE BARRON, 12, Ratapiko School, Kaimata, New Plymouth RUGGER SAYS: 56 M ! RUGBY SKILL NO SMALL BLACKS 1 RUNNING WITH THE BALL: Objective: To run effectively with the ball in two hands. Key factors: • Spread your fingers on each side of the ball. • Carry the ball at about chest height. • Keep your elbows pointed inwards (not flapping out to the side like a duck) • Consider your options…THINK! THINK! THINK! PRACTISE… Holding the ball in two hands with your fingers down the seam. Use to: • Evade players • Draw a defender • Go through a gap Common errors: Tucking the ball when running or evading. It's always best to run with two hands on the ball because this will give you an option to pass. Carrying the ball too high or too low. This is an unstable position because it makes it more difficult for you to pass the ball. Hi Upstart, Last year, I was selected out of 10 students from my school for the North Counties Touch team. We had our tournament in November and we won six out of six games. We went through to the semi-finals but lost. This was a big achievement for me and I am very proud of myself. My mum and dad are proud too! – TOBI WORTHINGTON, 12, Redhill Primary School, Papakura, Auckland 2012 Ruggerland will feature lots of Small Blacks Rugby skills and tips! Plus activities on how you can develop good technique and accuracy to improve your game! Keep an eye out and feel free to send in your questions to so I can answer them! February / March 2012 ch 2012 Fall seven times, stand up eight – Japanese proverb W E T L C RUGGERLAND! O Rugger O Upstarters Upstart Upstart Magazine' s

