USAYHS Launches Online Skills Program

08.01.2025HS Boys, HS Girls

USA Youth and High School Rugby is officially launching its online Rugby Skills Development Platform, a groundbreaking initiative that brings elite-level skills training directly to the nation’s aspiring rugby players, wherever they are.

Developed by longtime All Blacks skills coach Mick Byrne, who is a two-time Rugby World Cup winner, the platform offers players a video-based program designed to perfect skill execution under World Cup-level pressure.

Byrne, who is now Head Coach of the Fiji National Team, explains:

“The Skills Development Platform brings together over 20 years of intellectual property into a virtual program that delivers targeted, movement-based and reflective exercises across all six pillars—Physical, Technical, Tactical, Mental, Nutritional, and Vision & Leadership. It builds the essential habits that drive robust, repeatable skill execution required at the international level. These are the very same programs that helped superstars like Dan Carter become Test rugby’s leading point scorer and arguably the greatest fly-half in history. I’m extremely proud that this vital system is now available to young American rugby players striving to be the best.”

The Skills Development Platform is the backbone of the USA Rugby High Performance (HP) Virtual Academy, and provides subscribing rugby players direct access to the same skills training curriculum, resources, and tracking tools used by the USA HP staff with U18 HP Athletes. This ensures continuity, consistency, and opportunity across the development pathway from grassroots to national age group representation.

This is a major step forward in leveling the playing field for all youth players across the country. With the Skills Development Platform , geography and access are no longer limiting factors for young athletes who aspire to reach their fullest rugby playing potential.

Enrollment is open now at https://www.usayhs.rugby/skills-development-platform at a monthly subscription of $22.

This platform works with the interdependence of six key performance pillars—Technical, Tactical, Physical, Nutritional, Mental, and Vision & Leadership. Traditional drill-based methods can isolate each pillar, but the the Skills Development Platform delivers integrated, movement-based activities that develop habit-forming, robust, and adaptable skill execution patterns.

These patterns have been proven effective under the pressure and intensity of the World Cup Final performance.

The platform has over 500 example videos, position-specific programming, and real-time tracking, regular testing, and feedback.