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Introduction

Rugby originated in England in the 1800s and is enjoyed by millions of fans around the world today. Although it does not enjoy the mass appeal of sports like American football and soccer, its fans and players are dedicated and very passionate.

To untrained observers, rugby is often compared to American football, but the two sports are very different in their rules and strategy. Due to restrictions on passing the ball forward, there is a lot more running and carrying than other football-like sports. There is also a lot of physical contact: rugby isn’t a combat sport, but players have little padding or equipment to soften tackles, scrums, and mauls.

There are two variants of rugby – rugby league and rugby union – which also muddies matter. This article will focus on rugby union, the variant with slightly more exposure outside of the sport itself.

How to Play

The rules of rugby union require that a game is played on a field with 15 players on either team, and 8 players on the bench as substitutes. Rugby players are divided into “forwards” and “backs,” which are not simply offensive and defensive players. A rugby game is two 40-minute halves with a five-minute break at halftime. Rugby players must have greate endurance to play their roles well for long periods of time with little rest from time-outs or substitution.

Forwards (who are further subdivided into three rows) focus on getting and keeping possession of the ball, which often means tackling or plowing through opposing players. Backs (who are divided into two sections) focus on stopping the opposing team’s forwards and creating opportunities for their own forwards to score. Unlike many other team games, rugby players generally have strict roles and responsibilities within a team: there are only a few generalist roles, the Fly-Half, Inside Centre, and Outside Centre.

Moving the ball forward is a bit odd: players can run forward with the ball, but they cannot pass the ball forward. Passing can only be done to a player alongside or behind the player with the ball. The ball can be kicked forward, but any teammates who are in front of the kicking player are out of play (“offside”) until they retreat behind the kicker OR 10 metres away from the ball, whichever is shorter. Offside players are not allowed to take active roles in the game or to interfere with the opposing team.

In this way, a rugby player with the ball is always the spearpoint for his team. Any players farther down the field who have not repositioned after an earlier play must first rejoin their team and get behind the ball carrier.

A rugby team scores when one of its players carries the ball into the section at the opposing team’s end of the field (“the in-goal area”). Scoring a try is worth five points and gives that team a chance to score a conversion kick worth two points. Players can also try to score “drop goals” by drop kicking the ball directly between the goal posts.

How to Spectate

Spectating rugby can be confusing if you don’t know the rules, but once you have a decent grasp of the game it has many similarities to other field and football sports: teams try to get the goal into the scoring area and prevent the opposing team from doing the same. Because the teams are smaller than American football and the pace of play is generally faster, rugby spectating is about tracking which rugby player has the ball and how his team can try to push it up the field.

Aside from the beginning of the game, possession is decided by specific plays (“set pieces) called scrums, rucks, or mauls. Rucks and mauls are what happens when the player with the ball is tackled by an opposing player but does not fall to the ground. Once another player joins in, all the players are considered to be in a maul (ball carrier is standing) or a ruck (ball has fallen to the ground). A scrum is a more involved set piece where each team’s forwards assemble a specific formation and the Hooker, supported by a Tighthead Prop and a Loosehead Prop, tries to hook the ball with his feet and get it back into his team’s control.

Taken altogether, following every single thing in a rugby game can be taxing and difficult. Focus on spectating rugby paying attention to broad strokes and the rest will come naturally.

Leagues

Professional play in rugby union is typically locked to small regions and is not popular outside of Commonwealth countries. Super Rugby is currently the largest and most prestigious, with New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Japan competing.

In North America, Major League Rugby is the only major league, with 11 American teams and 1 Canadian. There are also national leagues in various countries: Premiership in England, Top League in Japan, and Top 14 in France.

Trivia

New Zealand is a fearsome country in mens rugby, with their national team having extremely high win rates in both exhibition games and formal competitions. The All Blacks, so-called due to their all black uniform, are a source of cultural pride amongst all New Zealanders. In fact, they perform a traditional Maori ceremonial dance before every game.