Rugby

Rugby is once again growing popular in the United States but there is still very little information on the game. This site was designed to give a basic introduction to anyone interested in rugby. Each page briefly discusses certain aspects of the game and tries to give a good overview but does not cover everything about the game. Rugby is very flexible and changing so there may be information that may be true in certain parts of the world that do not correspond with what is here. This site should be ideal for someone who is thinking about playing and does not know much about the sport, a curious spectator or for those that need information for that speech due tomorrow. Either way, I hope that the information presented is helpful.

Rules

Distinctive features common to both rugby codes (league and union) include the prolate spheroid ball and the ban on passing the ball forward, so that players can gain ground only by running with the ball or by kicking it. As the sport of rugby league moved further away from its union counterpart, rule changes were implemented with the aim of making a faster-paced, more try-oriented game, in the hope of increasing attendances at games.

Today, the main differences between the two games, besides league having teams of 13 players and union of 15, involve the tackle and its aftermath:

* Union players contest possession following the tackle: depending on the situation, either a ruck or a maul occurs. League players may not contest possession after making a tackle: play is
continued with a play-the-ball (AKA: "Scratch")

* In league, if the team in possession fails to score before a set of six tackles, it surrenders
possession. Union has no six-tackle rule; a team can keep the ball for an unlimited number of
tackles before scoring as long as it maintains possession and does not commit an offence.

Set pieces of the union code include the scrum, where packs of opposing players push against
each other for possession, and the lineout, where parallel lines of players from each team, arranged perpendicular to the touch-line (the side line) attempt to catch the ball thrown from touch (the area behind the touch-line).

In the league code, the scrum still exists, but with greatly reduced importance. Set pieces are
generally started from the play-the-ball situation. Many of the rugby league positions have similar names and requirements to rugby union positions but there are no flankers in rugby league. The result of these variations have led to rugby union being considered a traditional form of rugby.