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Rugby football

Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union. See comparison of rugby league and rugby union.

Rugby football.

History

Rugby football developed from a version of football played at Rugby School and was originally one of several versions of football played at English public schools during the 19th century.

The game of football that was played at Rugby School between 1750 and 1859 permitted handling of the ball, but players were not allowed to run with it in their hands towards the opposition’s goal.[citation needed] With no limit to the number of players per side, sometimes hundreds would participate in an enormous rolling maul, sometimes resulting in major injuries. The innovation of running with the ball was introduced between 1859 and 1865. The popular myth of the sport’s origin states that Rugby pupil William Webb Ellis broke the local rules by running forward with the ball in his hands in 1823. Rugby School produced the first written rules for their version of the sport in 1845.

In the result that the teams were still tied at the end of the match, a drop goal shootout was held. The selected kickers of the two teams would have one shot at the goal each and would take turns shooting at the goal until one of the kickers missed

Rugby football

Status of rugby codes in various countries

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, Namibia , Peru , Portugal, Romania, Samoa, Spain, Tonga, the United States and Uruguay. Rugby Union is administered by the International Rugby Board (IRB), 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 is also a possibility that Rugby Sevens will also be a demonstration sport at the 2012 London Olympics.

In Canada and the United States rugby union evolved into the American football and Canadian football. The primary difference is that the quarterback can make a forward lateral pass behind the line of scrimmage (the line where the last play ended), and the system of down-and-distance rules. One team is given possession of the ball and must gain 10 yards in so many downs (4 for American football, and 3 for Canadian football).

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

Further information: Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, Laws of rugby league, and Rugby union numbering schemes

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

The 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 students at private schools and grammar schools play rugby union. In contrast, rugby league has traditionally been seen as a working class pursuit. An exception to this stereotype is evident in the neighbouring countries of England and Wales. In England rugby union is associated with the public school system. 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, and in particular Leinster, rugby union is also associated with private education and the “D4” stereotype, and this image of the spoilt, ignorant, wealthy rugby-playing jock inspired the best-selling Ross O’Carroll Kelly novels.

In Australia support for both codes is concentrated in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory (see Barassi Line). 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 private schools.

Exceptions to the above include New Zealand (although league is still considered to be a lower class game by many, or a game for ‘westies’ referring to lower class western suburbs of Auckland and more recently the poorer southern Auckland where the game is popular), Wales, France except Paris, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Somerset, the Borders region of Scotland, County Limerick in Ireland (see Munster), 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 use the term “rugger” as an alternative name for the sport, (see Oxford ‘-er’). New Zealanders refer to rugby in general as “footy” or “football”, 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”.[citation needed]

The Rest of the World

In France, rugby is widely played and has a strong tradition in the Basque people along the border regions between Spain and France. It rivals the popularity of Association Football. The game is very popular in South Africa among both blacks and whites, 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(also known as Law E.R.B); an official rugby union ball is oval and made of four panels, has a length in-line of 280–300 millimetres, a circumference (end to end) of 740–770 millimetres, and a circumference (in width) 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.

Rugby football

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 and they also tend to be more colourful than the rugby union jerseys. The players in the rugby union wear jerseys with a more traditional design, sometimes completely white (Cahors Rugby in France). However, most of the players in rugby union wear one color jerseys with a different color stripes.The number of the player and his or her surname are placed on the upper back of the jersey (often name above number, with the number being significantly larger and more central), and the logo of the team on the upper left chest.

The Images of the player while Playing Rugby.