Rugby union

A rugby union scrum.

Rugby union (short for rugby union football and often referred to as simply rugby or union) is an outdoor sport played by teams of 15 players with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball. It is one of the two main forms of full-team rugby football, the other being rugby league. There is also a quicker seven-a-side sport called rugby sevens, which exists in both rugby union- and rugby league-derived forms.

The game was developed from the rules used to play an early form of football at Rugby School in England, hence the name. The crucial differences from association football (soccer) are that in rugby the ball is a prolate spheroid instead of a sphere and the players are allowed to handle the ball. The players progress up the field by running with the ball in hand or by kicking the ball, players may throw (pass) the ball from player to player, but unlike in American and Canadian football they may not throw it forward, the ball must only go backwards or laterally when thrown or passed.

Overview

Main article: Playing rugby union

An adult-level rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes, consisting of two halves of 40 minutes each plus time added on for injury, and is controlled by a single referee, two touch judges, and in most professional matches, a television match official (TMO), commonly called the video referee.

The Object of the Game is that two teams of fifteen players each, should by carrying, passing, kicking and grounding the ball score as many points as possible, the team scoring the greater number of points to be the winner of the match.

Points may be scored though either a try, or a goal. A try is scored when the ball is grounded within the in-goal area, and is worth 5 points. A goal is scored by kicking the ball between the uprights and above the crossbar of the goal posts, there are 3 ways to score a goal, a dropped goal, which is scored in open play and the ball must hit the ground before it is kicked, a penalty goal, which is awarded after the opposing side breaks the rules and may be scored from a stationary position on the ground, or by a drop kick, and a conversion which is taken after a try has been scored. a penalty or dropped goal is worth 3 points and a conversion is worth 2 points.

The Pitch must be no more than 100 meters in length, not including the in goal area, the additional length of the in-goal area varies from pitch to pitch but must be at least 10 meters and no more than 22 meters. the width of the pitch varies too but must be no more than 75 meters wide. The goal posts are situated on the centre of the goal line, the upright posts are placed 5.6 meters apart and the crossbar is placed 3 meters above the ground, the posts are 'H' shaped, the overall height varies but must be over 3.4 meters.

A typical passage of rugby takes the following form; one team gains possession of the ball, either from a restart kick, a set piece such as a scrum or line-out, a penalty or an intercepted pass.

Although the team in possession may choose to advance by kicking the ball forward, out of the hands the team in possession will usually seek to progress toward the opposition by running forward while carrying the ball. The ball may be passed from one player to another as long as the ball does not travel forwards. Any team mate in nearer the opposition goal than the ball carrier is out of the game, and must not interfere with play, which means that American football-style blocking is forbidden.

The team not in possession attempts to stop the ball carrier by tackling them which consists of grabbing hold of them and bringing them to ground. A tackled player must pass or release the ball, allowing the opposition to contest possession of the loose ball. Play does not stop unless there is an infringement of the Laws, or the ball/ball-carrier leaves the field of play.

If the ball goes into touch (out of the field of play), the game restarts with a line-out. If the game stops due to an infringement, play restarts with either a scrum, free kick or penalty kick (depending on the severity of the infringement) to the non-infringing team.

The attacking team may score by kicking the ball between the posts and above the cross-bar. The ball may only be kicked from the ground: either from a place kick following the award of a penalty or from a drop kick in open play. A successful kick at goal is worth three points.

The attacking team may also score by grounding the ball in the in goal area. This is called a "try" and is worth five points. After scoring a try, the attacking team are awarded a free kick at goal, called a conversion, worth two points if successful, from a point directly in line with where the try was scored, and any distance away from the posts along that line.

Tries are the main form of scoring, and the primary aim of most teams is to score tries. Drop goals and penalty kicks are usually augmentors, a safer option against a steadfast defence or to punish ill-disciplined opposition. On some (usually rare) occasions, a team may be awarded a penalty try, if their opponents commit a foul which is deemed by the referee to have illegally prevented a try, or if they have persistently stopped play close to the try line through foul play.

Possible alterations to the laws

Main article: Stellenbosch Laws

Alterations to the laws of rugby union have been trialled by students of Stellenbosch University in South Africa, have undergone additional trials in Scotland and Australia, and are now undergoing further trials in England. However, no changes are expected to be made before 2008. [1] Among the most important proposed changes are:

• At the scrum, all backs except for the two scrum-halves must stay at least 5 metres behind the back foot of the scrum (or, if the defending team in a 5-metre scrum, behind the try line).
• Each team may use as many players in the line-out as it wishes, as long as all fit within the 15-metre line.
• The opposing hooker need not stay within 5 metres of the touchline, but must otherwise conform to laws where he stands.
• Defending teams may collapse a maul.
• If the ball is run or passed behind a team's own 22-metre line, and is then kicked into touch on the full without an intervening tackle, ruck or maul, the ensuing line-out will be conducted at the spot of the kick. (If the same kick goes into touch on the bounce, the line-out will be conducted where the ball went into touch, as in the current laws.)
• Long-arm penalties (i.e., free kicks, with the possibility of a kick for goal) will now only be assessed for offside and foul play. All other infractions will be short-arm penalties, which cannot be kicked for goal; they will be tap-kicks, with the option of a scrum as allowed in the current laws.
• Initially, players were allowed to use their hands at the breakdown, as long as they enter the breakdown in an onside position. This change has been abandoned; however, the use of hands in the ruck will now be a short-arm penalty.

Players

Main article: Rugby union positions

A rugby union team consists of 15 players: eight forwards, numbered 1 to 8, and seven backs, numbered 9 to 15. Depending upon the competition, there may be up to seven replacements (substitutes or reserves). Professional rugby contains seven reserves, with a player being allowed to be substituted only once, unless they are a front-rower specialist player and are replacing an injured front-rower. Another exception to this rule is the "blood bin", where a player with a visible and bleeding injury can leave the field and then return to continue after receiving treatment providing this is within 15 minutes of the player leaving the field (running clock, not game clock). A player sent to the blood bin may be replaced by another player during treatment; if the bloodied player returns to play within 15 minutes, it is not counted as a substitution.

The main role of the forwards is to gain and retain possession of the ball. They take part in set pieces of the scrum and the line-out. Generally, forwards are larger than the backs, which generally makes them stronger but slower. Forwards also have a role in taking the ball forwards, but generally do so by driving into the opposing forwards. Increasingly back row forwards such as flankers and the number 8 are becoming athletic and fast, staying out of the breakdown to participate in running moves with the backs.

The role of the backs is to move the game forward by running or kicking the ball. The scrum-half will gain possession of the ball from the forwards and usually feed it to the fly half (no.10) who then controls how the attacking team will proceed. The backline will tend to score its tries by focussing on the tactical placement of players, creating holes in the opposition defence line. A successful backline will cause the opposition to commit too many players at strategic points allowing for space to open up for the faster, outside backs (wingers and fullback).

The following diagram locates the various positions in the 15-man team. All members of the starting 15 wear jerseys, numbered from 1 to 15, and keyed to their positions (though alternatives exist); see rugby union positions and rugby union numbering schemes for more information). The first eight players, known as forwards or the pack, play in the scrum. The remaining seven players are the backs.

Attire

A traditional rugby union kit consists of a collared jersey (often imitated by fashion labels and called a "rugby shirt"), shorts, long socks and boots with studs. Some modest padding is allowed on the head, shoulders and collarbone, but it must be sufficiently light, thin and compressible to meet IRB standards. Shoulder padding is generally allowed to be up to 1/8th inches thick. Players also have the option to use fingerless gloves (a.k.a. "mitts") which have been introduced recently to the game allowing players to better grip the ball. The invention of synthetic materials aids in keeping the players both cool and dry. Players also may opt to wear a mouthguard.

Hard plastic or metal are prohibited in rugby kit. This includes hard plastic shin guards. No form of metal is allowed in any rugby kit, except for IRB-approved soft aluminum studs on boots. Spectacles are prohibited for play; many players wear contact lenses.

A rugby shirt has traditionally followed a style with half a dozen horizontal stripes on the shirt. This style may be replicated on the socks. Another common design is the harlequin, a four-quartered checkered pattern. There is a large variety of designs as there are no restrictions on design. The number of colours used on a jersey varies with the club, with the club name or location usually having considerable influence. The back of a jersey will usually have the player's position number and sometimes their surname printed above the position number (mainly on professional club teams' shirts; names on international shirts are rare). The team logo traditionally will be placed on one side of the upper chest, usually the left. Sponsors also play a role in a jersey and their logos usually are placed on the front, sleeves and shorts. A club competition logo may also be included in the jersey's design. The rugby jersey is a popular fashion item for both males and females. Most rugby teams usually will have at least two jersey designs, home and away, the away being of lighter colour or an inverted colour scheme of the usual team jersey, depending on whether colour clashes with the opposition occur. Traditionally, out of courtesy the home team changed if there was a colour clash - plus, in the amateur days, it was easier for them to nip home and find a different shirt. This tradition is still practiced at international level, but not so much at club level.

Generally there are two types of boot worn: the 8 stud or the 6 stud. The 8 stud is most often worn by the tight 5 player (props, hooker and locks) to provide them with extra grip for scrummaging and mauling. The 6 stud is worn by backs as it allows for more agility, it is also lighter for quicker movement around the field. Plastic "blade" studs, common in Association football, are an increasingly frequent choice among backs.

Padding and protective vests are now becoming more commonly worn by players. Predominantly the padding gives protection to the shoulder area, but also provides additional protection to the biceps and the chest. Padding must be approved by the IRB before players can wear it on the field, and it will carry the IRB approval stamp .

An essential part of the safety equipment needed for rugby is the [[mouthguard], colloquialy known as a "gumshield", in the UK). The best mouthguards are made by a dentist, a mould of the mouth is first taken and then the mouthguard is cast around this mould, providing a tight fit in the mouth and around the teeth essential for it to work as it should. Unmoulded rubber mouthguards, which you can mould yourself in hot water, are also available.

The headguard, also called a "scrum cap", is now commonly worn throughout all levels of the game. Protective headgear is becoming essential due to the quantity of cuts and head injuries that can occur, particularly by the boots of players involved in rucking. Headgear also helps reduce the growth of cauliflower ears.

History

Main article: History of rugby union

The origin of rugby football is often credited to a young man named William Webb Ellis who "took the ball in his arms [i.e. caught the ball] and ran" while playing a form of football at Rugby school in 1823. However historians have questioned the authenticity of this story, beginning with an official investigation by the Old Rugbeian Society in 1895. Nonetheless, the trophy for the Rugby World Cup bears the name of "Webb Ellis" in his honour, and a plaque at the school commemorates the "achievement". Playing football has a long tradition in England, and football games had probably taken place at Rugby school for 200 years before three boys published the first set of written rules in 1845. However, the game they presented resembled "Hurling to Goal" a variant of the Celtic sport of hurling, described by Richard Carew in his 1602 work, 'Survey of Cornwall'. Cornish hurlers travelled to London to player 'demonstration matches' of the sport several times in the seventeenth century.

Until the formation of the Football Association (FA) in October 1863 opposing football teams agreed on a set of rules before each match. Teams that competed against each other regularly tended to agree to play a similar style of football.

Rugby football has a claim to the world's first "football clubs": the Barnes Club (as it was known), formed in London in 1839, and Guy's Hospital Football Club (1843). However the continuity of these two clubs has not been established by documentation. Dublin University Football Club is the world's oldest documented football club in any code, having been formed in 1854; it currently plays rugby union in the All Ireland League Division Two. Likewise Edinburgh Academical Football Club was formed in Scotland in 1857-58. Blackheath Rugby Club was founded in 1858 and is the oldest documented rugby club in England. It was a founding member of The Football Association. When it became clear that the FA would not allow running with the ball in hand and to "charge, hold, trip or hack him, or to wrest the ball from him" (hack to kicking opposition players' legs, a feature of the rugby game at the time), Blackheath withdrew from the FA, just over a month after the initial meeting. Other rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA.

For the next few years rugby clubs continued to agree on rules before the start of each game as they had always done, but on January 26, 1871, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) formed, leading to the standardisation of the rules for all clubs in England that played a variety of the Rugby school laws. Soon most countries with a sizeable rugby community had formed their own national unions. In 1886, the International Rugby Board (IRB) become the world governing and law-making body for rugby. The RFU recognised it as such in 1890.

The introduction of rugby into New Zealand was by Charles John Monro, son of Sir David Monro, then speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. The younger Monro had been sent to Christ's College, East Finchley, in north London, England. That school had adopted rugby rules and Monro became an enthusiastic convert. He brought the game back to his native Nelson, and arranged the first rugby match, between Nelson College and Nelson Football Club, on May 14 1870. In North America, rugby developed into American football and into Canadian football.

The 1890s saw a clash of cultures within the game, between working men's rugby clubs of northern England and the southern clubs of gentlemen, a dispute revolving around the nature of professionalism within the game. On August 29 1895 22 clubs split from the RFU and met at the George Hotel in Huddersfield to form the Northern Rugby Football Union, commonly called the Northern Union. NRFU rules gradually diverged from those of rugby union, although the name rugby league did not become official until the Northern Rugby League formed in 1901. The name Rugby Football League dates from 1922. A similar schism opened up in Australia and other rugby-playing nations. Initially, rugby league in Australia operated under the same rules as rugby union. But after a tour by a professional New Zealand team in 1907 of Australia and Great Britain, and an Australian Rugby League tour of Great Britain the next year, rugby league teams in the southern hemisphere adopted rugby league rules. For clarity and convenience it became necessary to differentiate the two codes of rugby. The code played by those teams who remained in national organisations which were members of the IRB became known as "rugby union". The code played by those teams which played "open" rugby and allowed professionals as well as amateurs became known as "rugby league".

On August 26 1995 the IRB declared rugby union an "open" game and removed all restrictions on payments or benefits to those connected with the game. It did this because of a committee conclusion that to do so was the only way to end the hypocrisy of Shamateurism and to keep control of rugby union (there were rumours that Rupert Murdoch was planning to finance a Southern Hemisphere professional league). The move from amateurism to professionalism has undoubtedly increased the quality of rugby being played. However, professionalism has meant a huge increase in the gap between the top nations and the second tier. Alongside the success stories there have been some famous rugby clubs which have not coped well with the new era. Increasing popularity in recent years has led to diversification, Women's rugby is increasingly popular in the US and Canada.

The professionalisation of rugby union has created a larger and more international supporter base than before and very large crowds in international competitions. Sponsorship and club attendance is also increasing in rugby union, with many English premiership clubs seeking to expand heir existing ground capacity. Attendances for major international rugby union matches are generally sell-outs. As rugby union has grown, the increased funds generated have allowed the opportunity for big money deals bringing top-level rugby league players over to rugby union.

Rugby union worldwide

Rugby union has established itself throughout the world as a highly popular sport, particularly in Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Romania, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga, Uruguay and Wales. Rugby union is also gaining popularity in Italy, following its acceptance into the Six Nations, and Japan, which bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup losing to New Zealand.

The International Rugby Board (IRB), founded in 1886, governs the sport worldwide and also publishes the game's laws and rankings. There are currently 95 full members and eight associate member countries. According to IRB figures, rugby union is played in over 100 countries spanning six continents by men and women of all ages. The IRB controls the Rugby World Cup, the Women's Rugby World Cup, Rugby World Cup Sevens, IRB Sevens World Series, Under 21 World Cup, Under 19 World Championship, and the Super Cup. It holds votes to decide where all of these events shall be held, except in the case of the Sevens World Series. For that competition, the IRB contracts with several national unions to hold individual events.

Major international tournaments

Further information: List of rugby union competitions

The most important tournament in rugby union is the Rugby World Cup, a men's tournament that take place every four years between the elite national rugby union teams. The tournament is one of the top three international sporting events in the world, with the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics being the largest. England are the current world champions, winning the 2003 tournament held in Australia. The fact that four countries have won the last five World Cups confirms the level of competition in the tournament, creating intense interest from supporters, the media and major sponsors. The women's World Cup event takes place every four years as well. Major international competitions in the northern and southern hemisphere are the Six Nations Championship and the Tri Nations Series, respectively.

The Six Nations is an annual competition involving England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Each country plays the other five once, the modern tournament traces its roots to the first ever international game, when England lost by one goal to Scotland at Inverleith Park, adjacent to Raeburn Place, Edinburgh in 1871. In the 1880s, Wales and Ireland joined to create the Home International Championships. France joined the tournament in the 1900s and in 1910 the term Five Nations first appeared. However, the Home Nations (England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales) excluded France in 1931 amid a run of poor results, allegations of professionalism (rugby union was officially amateur until 1995) and concerns over on-field violence. France then rejoined in 1939-1940, though World War II halted proceedings for a further eight years. France has played in all the tournaments since WWII, the first one of which was played in 1947. In 2000, Italy became the sixth nation in the contest.

The Tri Nations is an annual international rugby union series held between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The series was initially played on a home and away basis with the three nations playing each other twice. In 2006 a new system was introduced where each nation plays the others three times rather than two. In 2007 the teams will play each other only twice, as it is a World Cup year. The IRB has been brokering a deal which could see Argentina admitted to the competition in 2008. Amidst all the rugby union competitions are also the autumn and summer Tests, which take place between September to December and June to August. These are played by the major rugby union nations on a home or away basis.

See also

• List of notable rugby union footballers by country
• List of notable rugby union footballers in alphabetical order
• List of international rugby union teams
• International Rugby Hall of Fame
• Rugby union at the Summer Olympics
• Rugby Sevens
• Tag Rugby
• Touch Rugby
• Comparison of American football and rugby union
• Comparison of rugby league and rugby union

References

• The Laws of Rugby Union
• Scrum.com Rugby guide
• Rugby15.co.uk RFU Laws

External links

Official

• International Rugby Board
• Rugby World Cup

News

• rugbyuniononline.com the essential rugby union website, promoting rugby clubs world-wide
• Rugby Heaven world rugby from an Australian viewpoint
• BBC SPORT |Rugby union
• The Rugby World Cup Unofficial RWC news & results
• RugbyRugby.com World rugby news
• Planet Rugby for news on rugby union
• Scrum.com Rugby union news and results

Resources

• History and Origins of Rugby Union
• Rugby union phrase guide
• Rugby Data Statistics on International Rugby Union games