Rugby

“Rugby is a good occasion for keeping 30 bullies far from the centre of the city” Oscar Wilde.

Rugby is a famously physical game, renowned for its tough players and proud fans. To the uninitiated, rugby matches may simply look like organised brawls. However, as well as strength, rugby also requires skill, dexterity, and speed – factors which have brought this exciting team sport an appreciative global audience of millions, many of whom regularly attend matches at international and domestic level.

📜 Rugby History

Rugby can trace its history back to Roman times, when ancient players took part in a competition called harpastum, a game which derived its name from the Greek word for "seize". The sport truly blossomed in the 19th century, when students at a school near Rugby, England, created a new set of rules that quickly caught on in Britain and around the world.

In 1895, the sport split into 2 variants – rugby union and rugby league – after a dispute in northern England over player payments. Whilst there are some key rule differences between the 2 codes, their similarities are instantly recognisable. Today, rugby is an international, professional sport boasting millions of tribal yet friendly fans, everywhere from Cardiff and Dublin, to Paris, Johannesburg and Wellington.

💯 Rugby Format & Scoring

Across the 80 minutes of a rugby match, 2 teams of players try to outscore each other. The most valuable actions to this end are “tries”, which entail touching the ball down behind the opposition’s posts: there are multiple points on offer for each try a scored, and the scoring team is also given a chance to kick the ball over the posts – a conversion - which also scores points. Further points can be scored when kicking the ball over the posts in other contexts, such as penalties and drop goals. Winning the ball back is fundamental to rugby; scrums, head-to-head chances to push possession up the pitch, are an iconic feature of the game.

Domestic leagues and international tournaments take place all over the world. At a domestic level, rugby clubs usually represent towns, cities, or provinces, and compete within national divisions. Some leagues operate across borders. Elite continental competitions and other knock-out cups also exist, with teams usually qualifying via a high finish in their respective domestic leagues.

Internationally, the most well-known competitions are the 2 Rugby World Cups, quadrennial competitions which exist to crown the best international side in both codes, as well as other high-profile annual events such as the Six Nations Championship in Europe, and the Rugby Championship held in the Southern Hemisphere. Women's rugby is a growing sport, and wheelchair rugby is also enjoying increased popularity.