Right, my first article, while fairly well received, was apparently a little obscure in that many people genuinely have no clue how rugby works. I suppose understanding the rules of the game might help one enjoy its intricacies. Now, in the scope of an article this size, there’s really no way I can give you the definitive Rugby 101, so this is more of your teaser trailer to get to grips with the fundamentals of this sport. Kind of.
It’s really quite simple; basically to go forward you need to throw the ball backwards, you can kick forwards, but have to be behind the ball, if the ball gets thrown forward you’ve got to go backwards and….ok, let’s try to put this in English, shall we?
The story goes that Rugby was invented by William Webb-Ellis in 1823 when, during a school football (soccer) game in the town of Rugby, Webb-Ellis picked up the ball and ran to the oppositions goal line.
Over the years the game has evolved into the fast-paced, impact driven and highly tactical game we have today. Rugby is played on every continent of the world, and played to rules that have been largely established since the origins of the game.
Tempting as the prospect may be, it would be something of a misnomer to compare Rugby to the NFL. Yes, they both involve a similarly shaped ball, but really that’s where the similarities end. In rugby, offence and defence are on the field at the same time, and realistically a player can be playing both offence and defence at any given point of the game. In some areas though I will contrast rugby with NFL, if only for ease of understanding.
The basic upshot of the game is to move the ball over the opponent’s goal line, and force the ball to the ground to score a “try”.
Rugby is played in two 40-minute halves. Stoppages to the clock, for example at the end of a passage of play, are rare and the clock continues counting down throughout the game. This does allow tactics such as running the clock down towards the end of the game.
The team is loosely divided into ‘Forwards’ and ‘Backs’. The forwards primarily attempt to move the ball and position themselves to create space for the backs to then get through the opposition defence and score the try. This isn’t to say forwards can’t score, any less than it is to say a Quarterback can’t get a touchdown, this however is the general roles they fulfil.
Each half of the match is started with a drop kick from the centre of the half way line. The non-kicking team must be 10 metres (Rugby traditionally is worked in metric) back from the ball when it is kicked and the kick must travel 10m towards the opposition goal line before hitting the ground.
In order to move forward, players can run with the ball, and must pass to a player behind them. If the ball goes forward during a pass, the referee will award a penalty to the opposition team.
If the ball is dropped during a pass and knocked forward, this is called a ‘Knock on’ and again a penalty is awarded.
A player can also kick the ball forward, and as long as all players are behind the kicker at the time of said kick, they can chase the ball and, if they regain possession, continue with the passage of play.
Essentially, Rugby is a game of possession, and getting a player into open space to best utilise the ball. Field position is crucial, players need to be aware not only of where the opposition is, but where their support players are so they can make decisions on the fly and get the ball where it needs to be.
Penalties usually take the form of either a free kick, a scrum, or a shot on goal. The team awarded the penalty can on occasion nominate what they wish to do. Exceptions to this rule are knock ons, which are automatically a scrum.
A scrum is where both forward packs create a sort of human tent with a tunnel in the middle. The team who has the penalty feeds the ball into the middle of the tunnel, and the two players at the front, centre of the scrum use their feet to hook the ball backwards to the players at the rear of the scrum, who then pass the ball out to the backs to run.
Free Kicks are basically an opportunity for the penalised team to kick for field position, and are usually used to get the ball out of the penalised team’s defensive half.
Finally, once the team has crossed the line and scored a try – which is worth 5 points – the attacking team can then convert the try by kicking the ball through the goal posts over the cross bar (in a manner much like an NFL field goal) for an additional 2 points. So a converted try therefore is worth 7 points.
So, to sum up: Teams in rugby are attempting to use field position and tactical ability to move up the field and score a try. I realise this probably hasn’t set the record straight, so much as firmly crooked, I’d strongly suggest if you want to know more about the rules and regulations of rugby, go and check out the International Rugby Board’s website and search their ‘Beginners Guide to Rugby’ which goes into much more detail.
This though is the basic fundamentals of the game itself. This is a game I grew up with, played and love. It’s New Zealand’s national past time, and it forms a huge part of our culture. I’m really looking forward to sharing this game with all of you, and I sincerely hope you come to enjoy it too.
Don’t panic, the next Rugby World Cup isn’t until 2015, I’m sure I’ll have you all up with the play by then.
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Main photo credit: Catching Magic via photopin cc
