Rugby Psychology

Overview → The Leader → Session Notes
Session Notes The Leader
Addressing:

Contact Anxiety

That visceral hesitation before committing to tackles or carrying into contact, where your body instinctively wants to protect itself despite your mind knowing what needs to happen. Players describe going through the motions but "pulling out" at the last moment, making half-hearted contact that increases injury risk and undermines team defence.

How The Leader Can Overcome Contact Anxiety in Rugby

Posted on December 9, 2025 ~ min read
📋
For: The Leader athletes in Rugby
Focus: Session Notes - Contact Anxiety
Read Time: ~9 min
Session Notes December 9, 2025
Profile: The Leader
Sport: Rugby
Challenge: Contact Anxiety

The tackle bag sits ten meters away. Your legs know the distance. Your mind runs calculations on angle, speed, body position. But something stalls between thought and action. In rugby, contact anxiety describes that visceral hesitation before committing to tackles or carrying into contact, where your body instinctively protects itself despite your mind knowing exactly what needs to happen.

For The Leader iconThe Leader (IOTC), this disconnect creates a specific kind of frustration. You see the defensive line. You've analyzed the gap. Your teammates trust your read. Yet when the moment arrives, you go through the motions instead of committing fully. The tackle gets made, but without conviction. The carry advances play, but without authority.

Continue Reading with Premium Access

Get full access to this Session Notes article and all premium deep dive content.

$27 one-time payment
Unlock Full Session Notes

Unlock 620 deep dive articles across 10 sports

Vladimir Novkov

M.A. Social Psychology | ISSA Elite Trainer | Expert in Sport Psychology for Athlete Development

My mission is to bridge the gap between mind and body, helping athletes and performers achieve a state of synergy where peak performance becomes a natural outcome of who they are.

About the author LinkedIn

Explore Other Mental Challenges

Different challenges require different approaches. Explore solutions for other mental challenges in Rugby:

← Back to Rugby Overview

Want to Build Your Mental Game?

Get proven performance psychology strategies delivered to your inbox every week. Real insights from sport psychology research and practice.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.