Rugby Psychology

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Session Notes The Motivator
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 Motivator Can Overcome Contact Anxiety in Rugby

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

Your body freezes. The tackle opportunity presents itself, and something inside you hesitates. In rugby, contact anxiety is that visceral moment when your physical instincts override your tactical intentions. Your brain knows the defensive read. Your legs refuse to commit.

For externally motivated, self-referenced athletes, this creates a specific torture. You can see the gap between your current contact commitment and your previous best performances. The metrics don't lie. Your tackle completion rate dropped. Your carries into contact lack the same explosive intent they once had.

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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.

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