1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF)

The 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF)is awarded by 1st4sport Qualifications and has been developed in partnership with the National Source Group for Rugby Union. Group members include the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) and Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). An equivalent version of the qualification is available in Scotland, awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF) is regulated at Level 1 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). For further information on the regulated status of the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF), please log on to The Register of Regulated Qualifications website. For further information on the UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC), visit the sports coach UK website.

Is the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF) for me?

The 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF) is designed for adults (over 18 years of age) with little or no experience in coaching rugby union and offers an opportunity for aspiring rugby union coaches to support the development of the sport by contributing to the administration, management and/or coaching in school or community-based rugby union clubs.

It will provide you with an introduction to offering the principles/practice of safe, ethical and effective management and coaching of rugby union to young people, as an assistant, normally under the supervision of a Level 2 qualified coach. To complete the qualification you will need to provide evidence of having completed the IRB Rugby Ready course within the last 18 months.

Students in further or higher education studying sports-related qualifications might also wish to pursue this vocational qualification to support their interest in the sport, as a rung on the coaching ladder.

Why should I study the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF)?

• To gain the skills to introduce people to the sport in a safe and ethical manner.
• Rugby union is recognised both as a competitive sport and an excellent vehicle for the delivery of a variety of key skills to young people.
• To support the growth of the sport across its breadth.
• As an introduction to coaching and the start of a potential lifetime engagement with helping to develop the performance of others.

What can I use the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF) for?

Upon achievement of the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF), you are eligible to seek paid or voluntary employment in appropriate rugby union coaching roles. Opportunities may include coaching in grass-roots club and school environments. Holders of this Award may wish to gather further evidence to achieve a Level 1 NVQ Award in Sport and Active Leisure (QCF). In addition, after an appropriate period of practice as a Level 1 coach, you may choose to follow a programme of training and assessment for the 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF).

All qualified coaches are encouraged to become members of the appropriate home nation governing body of sport to take advantage of the available professional and educational services.

What will I learn?

Your learning programme will develop your understanding of:

• how to establish and maintain an effective, fair and equitable coaching environment
• the principles of coaching
• how to establish and maintain a safe coaching environment
• how to plan coaching activities
• how to plan for a safe coaching environment
• how to prepare facilities and equipment for coaching activities
• how to prepare participants for coaching activities
• how to conduct planned coaching activities
• how to support participants’ behaviour and performance
• how to conclude coaching activities
• how to evaluate coaching activities
• how to develop own coaching practice
• planning rugby union coaching activities
• planning for a safe environment
• preparing facilities and equipment for rugby union coaching activities
• conducting planned rugby union coaching activities
• supporting players’ behaviour and performance
• concluding rugby union coaching activities
• evaluating rugby union coaching activities
• your own coaching practice.

How will my learning programme be structured?

Learning programmes are usually designed by the recognised centre that delivers the qualification. They may, therefore, vary in length and format. Depending on your needs, delivery centres can offer intensive courses or a series of learning events over a period of days or weekends. Whatever the timescale, all learning programmes should include the following phases:

• an induction to the qualification and your programme of learning and assessment
• practical and theoretical information about coaching the sport
• a programme of assessment spread across the course, culminating in a final assessment of you delivering a coaching session observed by an appropriately qualified assessor.

At the end of the programme, you will be provided with formal feedback on your performance and an action plan for your further development.

What will my assessment involve?

The 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF) assessment will require you to:

• have an appropriate understanding of the Level 1 knowledge units and the specific technical knowledge underpinning the coaching of rugby union at this level, which will be assessed via performance, simulation, tasks and assignments
• have collected the information needed to plan activities for a minimum of two types of players (including type, ability and specific needs)
• produce pre-prepared or personal plans for a minimum of two coaching activities from different rugby union coaching sessions drawn from the Level 1 Technical Syllabus for rugby union. The planned activities must be a minimum of 15 minutes’ duration
• have been observed coaching a minimum of one of the planned sessions by an appropriately qualified assessor
• produce an evaluation for all coaching sessions; one of the sessions evaluated must be observed being coached by an appropriately qualified assessor.

How much will the qualification cost me?

Recognised centres offering this qualification determine their own fees and they will vary from centre to centre. The fees charged should entitle you to a programme of learning and assessment, registration and certification for the qualification, a 1st4sport Qualifications Learner Pack and appropriate learning resource. For further information on the costs of courses, please contact a recognised centre.

What do I do next?

The qualification is delivered by 1st4sport Qualifications’ recognised centres, not all of whom offer open courses to members of the public. Your first port of call to access a course should be to contact the governing body of sport.

For information on where to access a learning programme for the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Rugby Union (QCF), or for more information on the sport of rugby union, please contact the appropriate home nation governing body of sport:

Alternatively, contact 1st4sport Qualifications via email at enquiries@1st4sportqualifications.com or by calling 0113-290 7610.