Rugby football is a style of football that developed at Rugby School and was one of several
versions of football played at English public schools during the 19th century. The two main
types of rugby are rugby league and rugby union. Although these two forms share the
same objective of getting the ball over the line to score a try, the specific rules are
different.
Forms
History
In 1871, English clubs met to form the Rugby Football Union. In 1892, after charges of
professionalism were made against some clubs for paying players for missing work, the Northern
Rugby Football Union, usually called the Northern Union, was formed. The existing rugby union
authorities responded by issuing sanctions against the clubs, players and officials involved
in the new organization. After the schism, the separate clubs were named "rugby league"
and "rugby union". Global status of rugby codes
Rugby union is both a professional and amateur game, and is dominated by the first tier unions:
Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa
and Wales. Second and third tier unions include Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, Georgia,
Japan, Mexico, Namibia, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Spain, Tonga, the United States,
Uruguay and Venezuela. Rugby Union is administered by the International Rugby Board, whose headquarters
are located in Dublin, Ireland. It is the national sport in New Zealand, South Africa,
Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar, and is the most popular form of rugby globally,
with the seven-a-side version of the game, known as Rugby sevens, having been admitted
into the programme of the Olympic Games from Rio de Janeiro in 2016 onwards. There was
a possibility sevens would be a demonstration sport at the 2012 London Olympics but many
sports including sevens were dropped. In Canada and the United States, rugby union
evolved into gridiron football. During the late 1800s, the two forms of the game were
very similar, but numerous rule changes have differentiated the gridiron-based game from
its rugby counterpart. Among unique features of the North American game are the separation
of play into downs instead of releasing the ball immediately upon tackling, the requirement
that the team with the ball set into a set formation for at least one second before resuming
play after a tackle, the allowance for one forward pass from behind the site of the last
tackle on each down, the evolution of hard plastic equipment, a smaller and pointier
ball that is favorable to being passed but makes drop kicks impractical, a generally
smaller and narrower field measured in customary units instead of metric, and a distinctive
field with lines marked in five-yard intervals. Rugby league is also both a professional and
amateur game, administered on a global level by the Rugby League International Federation.
In addition to amateur and semi-professional competitions in the United States, Russia,
Lebanon, Serbia, Europe and Australasia, there are two major professional competitions—the
Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League. International Rugby
League is dominated by Australia, England and New Zealand. Other nations from the South
Pacific and Europe also play in the Pacific Cup and European Cup respectively.
Laws
Distinctive features common to both rugby codes include the oval ball and the ban on
throwing 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 and more try-orientated
game. 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 can occur. League players
may not contest possession after making a tackle: play is continued with a play-the-ball.
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",
in which packs of opposing players push against each other for possession, and the "line-out",
in which parallel lines of players from each team, arranged perpendicular to the touch-line,
attempt to catch the ball thrown from touch. A rule has been added to line-outs which allows
the jumper to be pulled down once a players's feet are on the ground.
In the league code, the scrum still exists, but with greatly reduced importance as it
involves fewer players and is rarely contested. 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.
Culture Home countries
In England, rugby union is widely regarded as an "establishment" sport, played mostly
by members of the upper and middle classes. For example, many pupils at public schools
and grammar schools play rugby union, although the game is becoming increasingly popular
in comprehensive schools. Despite this stereotype, the game, particularly in the West Country
is popular amongst all classes. Gloucester RFC is a prime example of a blue-collar club.
In contrast, rugby league has traditionally been seen as a working class pursuit. An exception
to this stereotype is evident in the neighbouring country of Wales. In Wales, rugby is associated
with small village teams which consisted of coal miners and other industrial workers playing
on their days off. In Ireland, rugby union is a unifying force across the national and
sectarian divide, with the Ireland international team representing both political entities.
In Australia support for both codes is concentrated in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian
Capital Territory. The same perceived class barrier as exists between the two games in
England also occurs in these states, fostered by rugby union's prominence and support at
schools. Exceptions to the above include New Zealand,
Wales, France except Paris, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Somerset, the Borders region of Scotland,
County Limerick in Ireland, and the Pacific Islands, where rugby union is popular in working
class communities. Nevertheless, rugby league is perceived as the game of the working-class
people in northern England, and in the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland.
In the United Kingdom, rugby union fans sometimes used the term "rugger" as an alternative name
for the sport,, although this archaic expression has not had currency since the 1950s or earlier.
New Zealanders refer to rugby union simply as either "rugby" or "union" and to rugby
league as "rugby league" or "league". In the U.S., people who play rugby are sometimes
called "ruggers", a term little used elsewhere except facetiously.
Those considered to be heavily involved with the rugby union lifestyle—including heavy
drinking and striped jumpers—sometimes identify as “rugger buggers”.
Internationally In France, rugby is widely played and has
a strong tradition in the Basque, Occitan, and Catalan areas along the border regions
between Spain and France. The game is very popular in South Africa, having been introduced
by English-speaking settlers in the 19th century. British colonists also brought the game with
them to Australia and New Zealand, where the game is widely played. It has spread thence
to much of Polynesia, having particularly strong followings in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
Rugby ball
In rugby union, the International Rugby Board the size and shape of the ball under Law 2;
an official rugby union ball is oval and made of four panels, has a length in-line of 280–300
millimetres, a circumference of 740–770 millimetres, and a circumference of 580–620
millimetres. It is made of leather or suitable synthetic material, and may be treated to
make it water resistant and easier to grip. The rugby ball may not weigh more than 460 grams
or less than 410 and has an air pressure of 65.71–68.75 kilopascals, or 0.67–0.70
kilograms per square centimetre, or 9.5–10.0 lbs per square inch. Spare balls are allowed under
the condition that players or teams do not seek an advantage by changing the ball. Smaller
sized balls may also be used in games between younger players. Much larger versions of traditional
balls are also available for purchase, but these are mainly for their novelty attraction.
World Cups
The Rugby World Cup, which was first held in New Zealand and Australia in 1987, occurs
every four years. It is an international tournament organized by the International Rugby Board.
The event is played in the union format and features the top 20 teams from around the
world. The current world champions are New Zealand.
The next world cup is to be held in 2015 in England.
The Rugby League World Cup was first held in France in 1954, and as of 2013 occurs on
a 4-year cycle. It is an international tournament that is organized by the Rugby League International
Federation. The event is played in the league format and features the top 14 teams from
around the world. The current world champions are Australia,
who won the world cup in 2013, played in England, Wales, France and Ireland.
Rugby shirt
Rugby shirts were formerly made of cotton but are now made of a cotton and polyester
mix. This material has the advantage of not absorbing as much water or mud as cotton alone.
The rugby jerseys are slightly different depending on the type of rugby game played. The shirts
worn by rugby league players commonly have a large "V" around the neck. The players in
rugby union wear jerseys with a more traditional design, sometimes completely white. The number
of the player and his or her surname are placed on the upper back of the jersey, and the logo
of the team on the upper left chest. Rugby betting
With the popularity of rugby over the years, many betting establishments have made it possible
for viewers of the game to place wagers on games. The various types of wagers that can
be placed on games vary, however the main types of bets that can be placed are as follows:
Fixed-odds betting Futures/Outright Bets
Prop Bets / Specials Over/Under Bets
Like most team sports, both forms of rugby are vulnerable to match fixing, particularly
bets involving easily manipulated outcomes, such as conceding penalties and first point
scorer. A recent example is a deliberate infringement by Ryan Tandy in order for the first points
scored to be a penalty goal in a 2010 NRL match; the attempt backfired when instead
of taking a shot at goal, a try was scored. References
External links Rugby's Most Unfortunate Faces—slideshow
by Life magazine Video on the Basics of Rugby