Rugby football

For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation).

Rugby football (usually just "rugby") is either of two current sports, either rugby league or rugby union, or any of a number of sports through history descended from a common form of football developed in different areas of the United Kingdom.

History

Further information: History of rugby union and History of rugby league

The game of rugby football developed from a version of football played at Rugby School and was originally one of several different versions of football played at English Public Schools during the 19th century.

The game of football which was played at Rugby School between 1750 and 1859 permitted handling of the ball, but no-one was allowed to run with it in their hands towards the opposition's goal. There was no fixed limit to the number of players per side and sometimes there were hundreds taking part in a kind of enormous rolling maul. This sport caused major injury at times. The innovation of running with the ball was introduced some time between 1859 and 1865. William Webb Ellis has been credited with breaking the local rules by running forwards with the ball in a game in 1823. Shortly after this written rules were established for the sports which had earlier just involved local agreements, and boys from Rugby School produced the first written rules for their version of the sport in 1870.

Around this time the influence of Dr Thomas Arnold, Rugby's headmaster, was beginning to be felt around all the other public schools, and his emphasis on sport as part of a balanced education naturally encouraged the general adoption of the Rugby rules across the country, and, ultimately, the world.

Status of rugby codes in various countries

Rugby union is both a professional and amateur game, and is dominated by the first tier unions: South Africa, Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales. Rugby Union is administered by the International Rugby Board (IRB), whose headquarters are located in Dublin, Ireland. Rugby union is the national sport in New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar. Second and third tier unions include Canada, Chile, Fiji, Georgia, Japan, Namibia, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, Spain, Tonga, the United States and Uruguay. Rugby Union 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. The fifteen-a-side version of Rugby Union was last played at the Olympic Games in Paris 1924, with the United States winning the gold medal, defeating France in the final 17-3.

Rugby league is also both a professional and amateur game, administered on a global level by the Rugby League International Federation. In addition to the countless amateur and semi-professional competitions in countries such as the United States, Russia, Lebanon and across Europe and Australasia, there are two major professional competitions worldwide—the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League.

Laws

Main article: Comparison of rugby league and rugby union

Distinctive features common to both rugby codes (league and union) include the oval 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-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, 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 as it involves less players and is rarely contested making the scrum academic. 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

In many rugby-playing countries, 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 schools system (i.e. independent/private schools). 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, 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". In the UK and Ireland, an old saying goes "Rugby is a game for barbarians played by gentlemen. Football is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians.".

Rugby ball

The first references made on the shape and size of the rugby ball were not made until late 1890s. In 1892, the rugby ball had a length of 11 to 11 ¼ inches, a circumference (end to end) of 30 to 31 inches, and a circumference in width of 25 ½ to 26 inches. The rugby ball had a weight of 12 to 13 oz and was hand-sewn with eight stitches to the inch. One year later, there were adjustments made regarding the weight of the ball, which has been changed to 13 to 14 ½ oz. The next regulation set in 1931 established a reduced width to 24 to 25 1/2 inches and the weight was increased to 13 1/2 to 15 ounces in 1931.

The International Rugby Board established the size and shape of the rugby ball under Law 2. So currently, an official rugby 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. It 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. The existence of the spare balls is allowed under the condition that the players or teams will not seek advantages by changing the ball. The IRB also states that smaller sizes may be used in games between younger players.

Rugby shirt

Main article: rugby shirt

Rugby shirts were formerly made of cotton but are now made of a mix of cotton and polyester or only polyester as this type of material that does not absorb water or mud such as cotton does in the disadvantage of the player.

The rugby jerseys are slightly different depending on the type of rugby game played. The shirts worn by rugby league players 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.

See also

• Comparison of rugby league and rugby union
• Medieval football
• Rugby sevens
• Tag Rugby

External links

• Richard Lindon inventor of the Rugby Ball
• Comprehensive Rugby Union History