To many, rugby league is the greatest sport on earth. During winter, those cold frosty nights just aren’t the same without big hits, mazy runs from the backs and full-length interception tries. Alas, all that will soon be behind us, marking the return of 13-a-side rugby on gradually warming summer nights.
In preparation for the new season, we’ve got a collection of YouTube channels that coaches, players and fans alike can enjoy in a pre-season rugby league binge.
Super League TV
Where better to start than the home of all our hopes and dreams over the coming months. Super League’s very own YouTube channel is the best place to catch rugby league videos from the UK’s sporting elite.
Perfect for any rugby league fan, Super League TV gives a selection of behind-the-scenes videos from England’s national side. Alongside that, you’ll find a plethora of superb Super League tries and interviews with some of the league’s biggest talents.
SEQDU Rugby League
This South East Queensland-based coaching channel has almost 50 videos populating their YouTube channel – many of which look to teach rugby league youngsters the basics.
A number of the tutorials contain steps or annotations talking your through each drill, allowing coaches to learn the drill and adopt it for future training sessions.
Areas covered include tackling, passing, fending and this manic try-scoring exercise.
Sports Coach UKTV
Recommended by the RFL on their official site, Sports Coach UKTV takes a broader look at coaching in sport with advice that anyone can look to bring into their repertoire.
Engaging with your team during training is not as simple as it sounds, but thanks to interviews with leading sports consultants and active coaches, they’ll help get the best out of your sessions.
The channel also covers psychological aspects of coaching, with particular reference to maximising the talents of children you are coaching.
NRL
As much as any avid UK Rugby League fan would hate to admit it, the southern hemisphere are not too bad at 13-a-side oval sport themselves.
Much like Super League’s UK equivalent, the NRL goes behind-the-scenes in Australia’s premier rugby league competition. Gaining insight from NRL players and coaches, the NRL YouTube channel is perfect for fans of elite level rugby league.
For an NRL try and highlights feast, head to the “NRL Hub” YouTube channel for a collection of game-by-game highlights from 2015.
bcrandoms1
For a an all-out spree of great rugby moments, bcrandoms1 is the channel to find. Featuring a number of “best ever” compilations, you’ll find epic tries, massive hits and superhuman skill from past and present.
Whilst most of the videos come from Australia’s NRL, you'll find plenty of nods to English players plying their trade in the southern hemisphere, as well as the Super League itself.
One of which is this collection of standout Super League moments.