What is rugby?

  • It is a team sport where each player can really go all out. Rugby is a 15-a-side team sport. The object of the game is to ground the ball behind the opponent’s try line, into what is called the in-goal area. Rugby is played both with the ball in hand and by kicking the ball.

Rugby 15s

  • In the traditional form of the game, players are introduced to the full game of Rugby, the core of the sport. Now they can enjoy all the intricacies of the game and try out different positions in the team. Depending on factors such as age and experience, a player may play in several positions before they settle in one that suits best, and coaches should be prepared to allow this. Hopefully, other clubs nearby will be able to offer fixtures and the steps outlined below offer advice about how to arrange a league.
  • World Rugby Laws

Rugby 7s

  • Rugby Sevens is now an Olympic sport that will be played at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo. ‘Sevens’ is played increasingly at the grassroots level, but at the elite end of the game are the (men’s) HSBC Sevens World Series and (women’s) World Rugby Sevens Series for national teams, both of which are staged in multiple countries around the world, like a grand prix format. Both are also direct qualifying tournaments for the 2016 Olympic Games, with the top four-ranked nations in 2014/15 booking their place in Rio.
  • Because Rugby Sevens is played on a full-sized pitch but with less than half the normal number of players (seven against seven, instead of 15 against 15), there is a large amount of space to run in. This makes it a very fast and exciting variation of the game demanding huge levels of fitness.

Touch Rugby

  • Touch rugby is a version of rugby in which players do not tackle in the traditional, highly physical way, but instead touch their opponents using their hands on any part of the body, clothing, or the ball.
  • Touch rugby is widely played as a training activity for rugby union, and as a non-contact variant in schools and junior clubs, and as an informal social sport in leagues or tournaments.
  • Each team of six players attacks the other team’s try-line and keeps the ball for a total of six ‘touches’ (tackles). At the end of these six touches, if the team has not scored possession passes to the opposition.
  • Touch is often played informally. In addition to tackles being replaced by touches, laws are simplified to remove elements such as scrums, rucks, mauls, line-outs, and kicks.

Beach Rugby

  • Beach Rugby is a fun game that is played with a minimal amount of resources and equipment. The game is a fast-moving one suitable for boys and girls of all ages to play together, in which tags are worn and removed for the ‘tackle’. The game is fast-paced and exciting, but because it is played on sand, there are some differences to the conventional game:
  • Can be played as a 5 or 7-a-side game
  • Both genders, all abilities, and all ages welcome
  • Common to use a size 4 ball rather than the traditional size 5
  • Non-contact, Tag Rugby Laws apply

Rugby 10s

  • 10-a-side rugby is also played and is usually called ‘tens’. Like in Sevens, there is more space available than in 15-a-side rugby, but there are two extra forwards and one added back. The game uses the same Laws as the 15-a-side Game but with some slight variations.

Tag Rugby

  • Tag rugby is a non-contact, fast-moving game that is suitable for adults or children, and for boys and girls to play together. Its safe, non-contact nature makes it ideal for youngsters coming into the game. Tag belts or tag shorts replace tackling. Teams are seven-a-side with a preferred gender mix of at least three men and women playing at one time. The basic rules include:
  • No contact, but a gumshield is advisable
  • No kicking of any kind
  • When a tag is made, the tagger stops running, holds the tag above their head, and shouts “TAG!”
  • When the ball carrier is tagged, the ball must be passed to a teammate within three seconds
  • Competitive matches should not be more than seven-a-side

Wheelchair Rugby

  • Wheelchair Rugby is a mixed-team sport for male and female quadriplegic athletes invented in Winnipeg, Canada in 1977. It combines elements of Rugby, basketball, and handball. Players compete in teams of four to carry the ball across the opposing team’s goal line. Contact between wheelchairs is permitted and is in fact an integral part of the sport as players use their chairs to block and hold opponents.
  • Wheelchair Rugby players compete in manual wheelchairs that are specifically designed for the sport to ensure safety and fairness. To begin playing, any manual wheelchair may be used, although the game is easier when played in a lightweight sports wheelchair mandatory for international competition.
  • The game is played with a white ball, similar to a volleyball, and is played indoors on a regulation-sized basketball court. Four cones, pylons, or markers are used to mark the goal lines. A game clock is also required; any clock used for basketball, handball, or other similar sports will be sufficient.
  • To be eligible to play Wheelchair Rugby, individuals must have a disability that affects the arms and legs. Most players have spinal cord injuries with full or partial paralysis of the legs and partial paralysis of the arms. Other disability groups who play include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, amputations, polio, and other neurological conditions. Men and women compete on the same teams and in the same competitions. Players are assigned a sport classification based on their level of disability; teams must field players with a mix of classification values, allowing players with different functional abilities to compete together.
  • Wheelchair Rugby is a Paralympic Sport currently played in more than 40 countries and presided over by the IWRF [link], which includes three zones: the Americas, with six active countries; Europe, with 14 active countries; and Asia-Oceania, with six active countries.