What is Rugby? An Overview of the Game
Rugby is a full-contact sport in which 2 teams of 15 players each attempt to score points by running, passing, and kicking an oblong ball. For those who have never seen or played rugby, it is often best described as a cross between American football and soccer.

Like American football, there is a lot of tackling and hitting, but like soccer, the game is much more continous and there are far fewer stoppages of play. Each match is 80 minutes long, divided into two 40-minute halves, and everybody plays both offense and defense.

Other differences between rugby and American football:

the ball cannot be passed forward,

there is no blocking allowed,

tacklers must wrap up during a tackle, instead of just knocking the ball-handler to the ground,

once tackled, the ball-handler must release the ball,

rugby players do not wear hard protective gear such as helmets, shoulder pads, or even cups

The Pitch (field)

The Players & Positions
Each side consists of 15 players and usually 6 replacements. Each player has a specific position which designates his role on the field. These are:

Forwards - typically the larger and stronger members of the rugby team. They are involved in the set pieces such as scrums and lineouts, and traditionally are involved in more of the rucking and mauling.

• Loose Head Prop (No 1) - A loose head prop is at the front of each scrum. They are traditionally very strong, sometimes quite short and squat. They possess very good neck, back, leg and arm strength, as they are the foundation of the scrum.
• Hooker (No 2) - A hooker is the person who packs down in the middle of the front row of the scrum. They traditionally throw the ball in at the lineout, and like props are very strong in the neck, back, legs and arms. However, hookers are normally slightly smaller than props and have to be flexible because, as their name implies, they hook the ball back with a leg or foot when the scrum half puts the ball in to a scrum. This takes considerable flexibility in the hips and shoulders.
• Tight Head Prop (No 3) - Same attributes as the loose head but packs down the tight head side (right hand) of the scrum, which requires different scrummage technique to a loose head (left hand)
• Second Row aka Lock(No 4 & 5) - This position is referred to as the "engine room" second rows provide the push in the scrum and generally are the persons who jump for the ball in the lineout. Second rows are normally tall, very athletic and have an excellent standing jump along with good strength.
• Flankers aka Wing Forwards (No 6 & 7) - Considered the position where the player should have all round attributes, speed strength fitness handling skills amongst other skills. Flankers are always involved in the game, as they are the real ball winners once play has commenced. Flankers can be broken down into open side and blind side. The open side being normally smaller faster and more mobile as he starts play nearer to the potential action and needs to be the first person to arrive. The blindside being larger as he has a more physical role to play at the lineout and may well be used as a jumper.
• Eight Man (No 8) - Packs down at the rear of the scrum and therefore controls the ball out of the scrum. A very influential position and is often used to attack with a pickup of the scrum. Normally tall and athletic and used as an option to win the ball in the lineout.

Backs - typically faster, more agile, and more adept at ball-handling than the forwards. Traditionally backs are involved in more open field running, passing and kicking.

• Scrum Half (No 9) - The person who is the link between the forwards and the backs. Normally acts as the 'General' for the forwards and is always in the hub of the action. A scrum half is normally quite small but with a high degree of vision and speed off the mark, and pound-for-pound is very strong. They have to able to react to situation very quickly. A key player in any side.
• Fly Half (No 10) - Often considered the most influential person on the field the fly half is the person who makes the key decision during a game. Responsible for deciding whether to kick or to run the ball, the fly half should be very fast, able to kick off both feet and operate in pressurized situations.
• Centre - inside and outside (No 12 & 13) - Centres provide the cutting edge to a side. They are the "Rapiers" that are given the ball normally via the fly half to make breaks through the opposition backs or can also act as decoys for other attacking options for the backs. A Centre should be very strong fast and able to pass with pinpoint accuracy.
• Wing - blind/open or weak/strong (No 11 & 14) - The wingers are the finishers of the game. The idea being that the space should be created by the forwards and backs inside the wingers so once they receive the ball they have a clear run to use their speed and agility to score tries. Need to be very fast and able to side step to finish off scoring situations.
• Full Back (No 15) - This player should posses great courage as he is likely to be the person who will be required to catch the high kicks referred to as "up and unders" or "bombs". The Full Back is also an essential part of any side's attacking option; a full back will appear in the back line as an extra man or as a decoy to provide space for the wings. Like all backs, the Full Back should have good speed and kicking skills.

The Mode of Play
The match is started by a kick off. The ball must be kicked ten metres into the opponent's half. The type of kick to start the game (first and second half) is a place kick (a tee is usually used to place the ball on). With subsequent kick offs, after a score a drop kick is used to restart the game. After kick off, a player may then catch or pick up the ball and run with it. He may than pass or throw it to another player, kick or otherwise propel the ball, tackle push or shoulder an opponent holding the ball, fall on the ball, take part in scrummage, ruck maul or lineout, ground the ball in goal. The ball must not be passed forward from the hand to a teammate.

Scoring
There are 2 methods of scoring, grounding and kicking:
Grounding

• A try - which is achieved by grounding the ball in the opponent's goal area. Tries are worth 5 points, and the scoring team is given the opportunity for a total of 7 points for each try with the conversion.
• A penalty try can be awarded where a side would have scored but for foul play by the opposing team.

Kicking

• A goal is scored by kicking the ball through the opponent's cross bar and between the posts either
• Place kicking (the ball is held using a tee), typically attempted for penalties. Worth 3 points.
• Drop kicking (a kick from the hands during play where the ball touches the ground just before the kick). These are worth 3 points.
• Converting (a placed kick is always awarded after a try, in line with where the try was scored). Conversions are worth 2 points.

Other Rugby Terminology:
The Scrum
A Scrum is formed when the ball is knocked-on, passed forward or is adjusted by the Referee, or does not appear from a ruck or maul quickly enough. A scrum is contested between the two sets of forwards normally as eight versus eight. The side who put the ball in will invariably win the ball. When they don't and the opposing side "steals" the ball it is commonly called "one against the head" or "a tight head".

The Maul
A maul is when at least one player from each side is bound onto each other and competing for the ball, The ball will be off the ground.

The Ruck
A ruck is formed normally when a maul goes to ground. Unlike a maul, the ball cannot be handled in a ruck; the two sides have to try to drive over the ball to enable them to then play it from the back of the ruck.

Knock On
A knock on occurs when the ball is dropped or knocked forward and travels towards the direction of the opponent's dead ball line.

Throw Forward aka Forward Pass
This occurs when a player passes the ball but it moves forward, towards the direction of the oppositions dead ball line. With both a knock on and a throw forward, a scrum will be awarded to the opposing side.

The Tackle
A tackle occurs when the ball carrier is held by one or more persons and whilst being held the tackled person goes to ground. The person is deemed to have gone to ground when one or two knees are in contact with the ground. The tackled player, at this point, must release the ball. The tackler also must release the tackled player.

Lineout
This is the method of restarting the game when the ball goes out of play over the touchline (i.e. goes out of bounds). The players line up five metres and no more than fifteen metres in from the touchline, at 90 degrees to it. The lineout will include 3 to 7 players at any one time. The side throwing the ball in will dictate the number of players in any lineout. The lineout begins when the ball leaves the hands of the player throwing it in.

Offside
A player who is off side will be in a position in which he is out of the game and is liable to penalty. In general play, a player is in an offside position because he is in front of the ball when another player of his team has last played it. In play at scrummage, ruck, maul or lineout, a player will be offside because he remains or advances in front of the offside line. In the case of a lineout, the off side line is 10 metres back from where the lineout was formed. In the case of a maul, ruck or scrummage it is in line with the hind most foot or body of the player on each side of the maul, ruck or scrummage.

The Drop Out
Where the ball is knocked, kicked or thrown into the opposition In-Goal area and a defending player touches down, then a drop out is taken on the defending side's 22-metre line. A drop out is a method of restarting the game. The ball must pass over the 22-metre line using a drop kick. Both sides can then compete for the ball once it has crossed.

The Ball
The rugby ball is oblong shaped, slightly similar to an American football except larger and more rounded. Length 280-300mm Circumference (end on) 760-790 mm Circumference (in width) 580-620 mm Weight 400-440 grams