Below is a helpful crash course on some best and worst practices when it comes time to assemble your highlight reel:
Do's
Add a title screen- This screen should have a photo of you (preferably an action shot) and include relevant information like; height, weight, GPA, team name, position, and year in school to name a few. This helps observers know who to look for and how to track you in their database.
Use indicators- To help yourself stand out use indicators like arrows or circles before an action item you're involved in. This helps the observer track you and saves time.
Show a diverse skillset- If you are only including film of you carrying the ball for a linebreak or scoring trys you are doing yourself a disservice. Rugby is a dynamic game of attack and defense your film should demonstrate your ability to play both. Confused about what to include? Use our player profiles as an ad-hoc checklist. Just find your position and pull clip 2-3 pieces of film per bullet point. Don't worry if you don't have a clip for every item on the profile.
Make a good first impression- Think of your highlight reel as a brief introduction to you as a player AND person. You want it to come off as prepared and professional. If your highlight reel is an iPhone screen recording, just a full game recording with no indicator of who you are, or you send an Instagram or TikTok link you don't come off as someone who is taking the recruitment process seriously. If you need software to clip film might we suggest CapCut. Its basic package is free but they also have a paid portion. If your team uses software like Hudl these features are provided.
Donts
Use a full game recording- This is a double don't if you don't have any indicators in the film to signal to the observer who you are. This gives off the perception of laziness and the film is only submitted as a token attempt to be noticed.
Only show ball carries and trys- Here is a little secret about trys, they are only the by-product of a group process to work hard, use good skills, and be disciplined that ended up with a player dotting down. The other pitfall players make is showing a clip where they break the line and sprint 30m and end up being tackled by the fullback. While it sounds impressive oftentimes they are showing themselves missing an overload opportunity that would have led to a try for a teammate and demonstrated how good their field vision is.
Show plays that end in a penalty or turnover- This seems to happen the most with tackle clips. A player will put in a high or dump tackle as if it's a highlight. It isn't, and it makes you look like they don't know the rules. This also is true for ball carries that end in a turnover or poaches that lead to a penalty against you. Think critically about what you are going to include.
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