6 Rugby Tackling Dummies For Kids That Build Confidence Safely

You watch from the sideline, holding your breath as your child approaches their first real tackle in a rugby match. It’s a moment that combines pride with a healthy dose of parental worry. The best way to ease that worry for both of you is to build their confidence and technique in a safe, controlled environment long before they step on the pitch.

Choosing the Right Dummy for Your Young Player

Your child just joined the U8 team and you’re wondering if you need to buy equipment. A teammate’s parent mentions a tackle bag, and suddenly you’re scrolling through options, confused by the different shapes and sizes. Is a big cylinder best? What about that weird wedge-shaped one? The key is to match the equipment not just to your child’s size, but to their developmental stage in the sport.

Think of this as a progression. A five-year-old just needs to learn to wrap their arms and make contact without fear. A ten-year-old, however, needs to learn how to get their body low and drive with their legs. The right dummy facilitates the specific skill they are working on right now. Don’t buy for the player you hope they’ll be in three years; buy for the player they are today.

Before you purchase, consider these factors:

• Age and Size: A dummy should be roughly shoulder-height or slightly smaller than your child to encourage a low body position. A bag that’s too big and heavy will be intimidating and counterproductive.
• Skill Focus: Is the goal simply to build confidence making contact? Or is it to refine a specific technique like a low tackle or clearing out a ruck?
• Commitment Level: If this is a new passion, start with a basic, versatile option. If your child is on a competitive track and you have younger siblings who will also play, investing in a more durable or specialized piece of equipment makes more sense.

The "they’ll just outgrow it" dilemma is real. But in contact sports, proper-fitting safety and training equipment is non-negotiable. The goal is to build correct muscle memory from the start, and using equipment that is too large or advanced can instill bad habits that are hard to break later on.

Gilbert Junior Tackle Bag for Core Drills

You see them lining the fields at every youth rugby practice for a reason. The classic cylindrical tackle bag, like the Gilbert Junior, is the foundational tool for introducing young players to contact. Its purpose is simple: to provide a stationary, padded target that allows a child to practice the basic sequence of a tackle without fear of hurting themselves or a teammate.

For the youngest players (ages 6-9), this is the perfect starting point. Drills can focus on the absolute fundamentals: approaching the target, getting the head on the correct side, wrapping the arms securely, and making contact with the shoulder. The Gilbert bag is stable and forgiving, providing the repetition needed to make these actions feel natural. It’s less about power and more about process.

This is your go-to for building raw confidence. A child who has successfully hit a tackle bag fifty times in the backyard will be far less hesitant in their first game. It removes the unpredictability of a moving opponent and lets them focus entirely on their own body mechanics.

Rhino Junior Tackle Wedge for Proper Form

Your child has the confidence to make contact, but you notice they’re tackling too high. This is an incredibly common issue and a major safety concern. The Rhino Junior Tackle Wedge is specifically designed to solve this problem by teaching players to get low.

Unlike a standard cylindrical bag, the wedge’s angled face forces the player to bend at the knees and hips to make effective, legal contact. It naturally promotes the "cheek to cheek" (their cheek to the dummy’s "cheek") position that coaches constantly emphasize. This piece of equipment is the bridge between simply making contact and making effective, safe contact.

This is the ideal next step for players around 8 to 11 years old who understand the basics but need to refine their technique. Using a wedge helps ingrain the muscle memory for a safe body height, protecting both the tackler and the ball carrier. It’s a smart investment in injury prevention.

Centurion Tackle Ring for Dynamic Practice

The game isn’t static, and eventually, neither should practice be. Once your child is comfortable tackling a stationary bag, the Centurion Tackle Ring introduces the crucial element of movement. This donut-shaped dummy can be rolled along the ground, forcing the player to track a moving target, adjust their feet, and time their tackle.

This is a game-changer for developing field awareness and agility. It simulates a ball carrier running across the pitch, helping your child learn to close space and choose the right angle of pursuit. It’s a far more realistic training scenario than a stationary bag and directly translates to on-field performance.

The tackle ring is best suited for intermediate players (ages 10-13) who have already mastered their static form. It adds a layer of complexity that keeps practice engaging and challenging. It’s also incredibly fun, turning a repetitive drill into an exciting chase.

Ram Rugby Junior Hit Shield for Close Contact

You’ve probably seen coaches using these padded shields, and they are one of the most versatile tools for a young player. The Ram Rugby Junior Hit Shield is held by a partner (usually a parent in the backyard), allowing for practice on close-quarters skills that a standalone bag can’t replicate.

This is the tool for teaching the "clear out" at a ruck or driving in a maul. Because it’s held, it provides resistance, forcing the player to use leg drive to move an opponent off the ball. It’s also fantastic for teaching ball presentation and body protection after being "tackled" while holding the shield.

Hit shields are excellent for players of all ages, but they become particularly important as kids (ages 9+) begin to understand the ruck and maul. It’s a piece of equipment that grows with them, useful for basic bump-and-run drills for a seven-year-old and for aggressive rucking practice for a fourteen-year-old.

Optimum Junior Tackle Bag: A Durable Choice

Let’s be practical. You have a ten-year-old who loves rugby, an eight-year-old who wants to do everything their big sibling does, and you want to buy one piece of equipment that can handle it all. The Optimum Junior Tackle Bag is known for its robust construction, making it a smart choice for families seeking durability and long-term value.

While similar in function to other cylindrical bags, the focus here is on withstanding years of use. It’s built with heavy-duty, weather-resistant materials and reinforced stitching that can take a beating from multiple kids over multiple seasons. This is the "buy it once" option for a rugby-mad family.

If you know the commitment to the sport is strong, investing in a durable bag like this can be more cost-effective in the long run. It ensures you won’t be replacing a lower-quality bag after a single season of enthusiastic use, and it will still have life left for the next sibling in line.

G&G Armis Jackal for Advanced Low Tackles

Your player is older (12+), dedicated, and their coach is starting to use terms like "the jackal." This refers to the specific skill of getting over the ball immediately after a tackle to try and win a turnover. The G&G Armis Jackal is a specialized piece of equipment designed to train this advanced, low-body-height technique.

Its unique shape mimics a player on the ground, with a "ball" target positioned for the tackler to practice getting their hands on it legally and quickly. This is not a beginner’s tool. It’s for the competitive player who is working to add high-impact skills to their game.

This dummy isolates one of the most crucial moments in modern rugby. It helps players learn to bounce back to their feet quickly after making a tackle and contest for the ball, a skill that can change the momentum of a match. It’s an investment in a specific, game-winning technique.

Integrating Dummies into Backyard Practice

Having the equipment is one thing; using it effectively is another. The goal of at-home practice isn’t to replicate a full-team training session. It’s about building confidence and muscle memory through short, positive, and consistent repetition.

Keep sessions brief—10-15 minutes is plenty. Focus on one skill per session. One day might be 20 reps of a basic shoulder tackle on a cylinder bag. The next might be 10 reps of tracking and tackling a rolling ring. The key is quality over quantity.

Most importantly, make it fun. Frame it as a game, not a chore. Celebrate the small victories—a lower body position, a stronger arm wrap. This equipment is a tool not just for building a better rugby player, but for building a resilient kid who feels safe and confident taking on new challenges.

Ultimately, the best tackle dummy is the one that meets your child where they are, building their skills progressively and safely. It’s an investment in their confidence, turning hesitation on the field into decisive, safe action. And for a parent on the sideline, that confidence is priceless.