Rugby union is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball on a field up to 100 metres (330 ft) long and 70 metres (230 ft) wide with H-shaped goal posts on each goal line.
A rugby union team is made up of 15 players: eight forwards, numbered from 1 to 8; and seven backs, numbered from 9 to 15. Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacements.
Each player has a fixed role with specialist positional skills and each team uses the same formation, with only minor variations; in this respect it is different from both football with its various formations. Early rugby did no more than distinguish in tactics between the great bulk of the players who played as forwards and the relative few who played back defensively as "tends", as in goaltenders. After a while, the attacking or at least counter-attacking possibilities of playing close behind the scrimmage (which later came to be called "scrummage") came to be recognized, and some players stationed themselves between the forwards and tends as "half-tends". It being seen that the players outside scrimmage (the "pack", i.e. the forwards) were not limited to a defensive role, the tends and half-tends were renamed "back" and "half back" positions.
As the game became more sophisticated, backs positioned at different depths (i.e. distances behind the forwards) were further differentiated into half back, three quarters (the fraction 3/4) back, and full back, according to British nomenclature, which was eventually adopted worldwide, with the word, 'back," often omitted for brevity from the half back ("half") and three quarters back ("three quarter") names, and "fullback" as a single word.
The most basic items of equipment for a game of rugby union are the ball itself, a rugby shirt (also known as a "jersey"), rugby shorts, socks, and boots, which have soles with studs to allow grip on the turf of the pitch. The studs may be either metal or plastic but must not have any sharp edges or ridges.(ours have to be plastic).
Protective equipment is optional and strictly regulated. The most common items are mouthguards, which are worn by almost all players, and are compulsory in some rugby-playing nations. Other protective items that are permitted include a scrum cap; thin (not more than 10 mm thick), non-rigid shoulder pads, and shin guards; which are worn underneath socks. Bandages or tape can be worn to support or protect injuries; some players wear tape around the head to protect the ears in scrums and rucks. Female players may also wear chest pads. Fingerless gloves (grip gloves) are sometimes worn to improve players' grip on the ball.
It is the responsibility of the match officials to check players' clothing and equipment before a game to ensure that it conforms to the laws of the game.
Names of Player 'positions':
Prop/Prop forward
Hooker/ Hook
Lock Second row/lock forward
Flanker Wing forward/breakaway, flank, flank forward, loose forward, blind side, open side
Number 8 Eight/eightman, eighthman, loose forward
Scrum half/ Inside half, half-back, scrum off, scrummie
Fly-half Outside half/ out half, stand-off, stand-off half, five-eighth, first five-eighth, first five, fly, pivot
Inside centre Second five-eighth/ first centre, second five or centre
Outside centre Centre/ centre three-quarter, second centre
Winger Wing, wingman, wing three-quarter
Fullback Custodian, sweeper, number 15
So, now you can see why I haven't been blogging. I've had to learn a new sport and pray my Rugby Girl doesn't get hurt before her trip to Europe (which is coming up very quickly). But, she's enjoying it and it's a great TEAM. This is their first year and they are Rockin' Down the House - Wingers and Hookers, Flanks and Fullbacks and so on and so on. Wow, what a learning experience!!!
