Whilst rugby is very popular in parts of Europe and Australasia anyone not from those places may have very little idea what type of sport rugby actually is, so let’s clear that up right now.
Rugby union is a 15 a-side full contact, competitive, collision and invasion sport characterized by structured set pieces, such as scrums and lineouts, interspersed with periods of unstructured open play. The aim is to advance the ball over the opponents try line through a combination of running with the ball, passing the ball backwards and kicking the ball ahead.
Whilst rugby union is the most popular version of rugby, rugby league is also very popular in certain parts of the world like Australia and the north of England, and whilst similar, should not be confused.
Rugby league is a 13 aside full contact competitive collision and invasion sport characterized by sets of six tackles or opportunities for a side to score by running with, kicking, or passing the ball backwards, in order to get over the opponents try line. Failure to do so leads to them handing over possession.
The main difference between rugby league and rugby union is that in rugby union there is ongoing competition for the ball in rucks, mauls, scrums, lineouts and tackles, whereas in rugby league one team is allowed to keep the ball until they have had six tackles.
After the six tackles the ball is simply handed over to the opposition who then have their turn to attack with the ball. Contrastingly in union the competition for the ball never stops and opponents can try and steal the ball at any point.
A Brief History
The sport of rugby began when in 1823 and young man by the name of William Webb Ellis first picked up the ball during a game of football and ran with it. This happened during a game of football in a town called Rugby in 1823. This gave rise to the name of the sport Rugby Football which has stuck ever since.
As the game continued to develop a formal Rugby Union was set up in 1871 to produce a formal set of rules which everyone agreed on. However, in 1892 a section of the game wished to adapt the rules and create a professional version of the game which they did and this became known as Rugby League.
Whilst Rugby Union also turned professional in 1995 the two sports rules are so far apart and have such different support bases that the two sports both remain.
That said, from time to time players do switch from rugby union to rugby league and vice versa as certain skill sets, most notably amongst the wingers and fullbacks are easily interchangeable between the two sports.
Read more about the history of rugby here: 14 Rugby History Facts Everyone Should Know
Why Rugby is Different
One thing that remains similar between rugby union and league and indeed probably sets it apart from other sports is the rugby culture and traditions that have developed over the years. These center around respect for teammates, opponents and the referee.
Players typically hit each other hard on the pitch but as soon as the game is over opponents become best mates buying each other drinks and chatting away. The friendships that are formed last years as teams do battle a couple of times a year and players take turns hosting their opponents.
Whilst rugby is by no means perfect, there remains considerable issues surrounding the issue of head concussions and brain injury which the game urgently needs to address, it is still a game which becomes more a way of life than simply something to do on a Saturday afternoon.
It does not stop there though, there are a few variations of rugby that should be noted: Rugby 7s, Rugby 10s, Touch Rugby, Tag Rugby and Wheelchair Rugby, all are great sports in their own right.
In fact, wherever you are in the world I would urge you to get involved and go down to your local rugby club and see what they have to offer.
Touch rugby can be a nice way to get into the sport before transitioning to full contact 15s or 7s. Go ahead and do it, it could be the best decision you ever make!
You can read more about the different types of rugby here: The Different Versions of Rugby Explained
What Combination of Sports is Rugby Like?
To give you an idea of what rugby union is like it can be compared to a number of other sports.
The passing and movement of players in basketball is not too dissimilar in that players are always moving into space and anticipating the next pass. The physical contact is more akin to American Football except players do not wear shoulder pads and helmets, and the kicking element is similar to Aussie Rules football.
There is also and element of closed skills such as throwing the ball into a lineout which can be compared to throwing darts and also penalty kicks at goal are similar in terms of pressure to penalty kicks in football.
Fitness wise, wingers and fullbacks can be likened to hundred meter sprinters, in fact some of the better wingers have excelled in athletics, Carlin Isles in the USA Rugby 7s team for example. The main difference being that sprints need to be repeated again and again and not just one all outrace effort.
Among the forwards there are some seriously strong guys who lift heavy weights in the gym in the same ballpark as Olympic weightlifters and bodybuilders, however, the rugby players also need to be aerobically fit and not just big and strong.
Some of the athletes you see on display in rugby union and league are incredible, especially the Fijians and Tongans who have taken a liking to the sport with their incredibly powerful and explosive physiques perfectly matching the needs of rugby.
You might also like: The differences between rugby 15s, 7s and league explained
Is Rugby a Game or a Sport?
An interesting question I sometimes get asked.
At the professional level rugby is definitely a sport as it is played to a specific set of rules in order for teams to compete against each other. However, at the amateur end lower down the league structure, teams typically play more for the pure enjoyment which fits in more with the definitions of a game.
Either way it essentially really does not matterwhich you refer to it as a game or a sport, noone I have ever met would distinguish between the two.
Indeed there may well come a time whereby the top professional end of the game plays to different rules than the lower end of the sport in order to suit the needs of the two groups of players and supporters as the crowd size, fitness levels and pressures of commercialisation are completely different.
Also read: How Hard Is It To Learn Rugby?
Is Rugby a Match or a Game?
In rugby the terms match and game are used interchangeably, i.e. there is no difference in usage between the two. Technically, however, the term ‘match’ is used to indicate that the match in question is part of a greater formal tournament or competition structure whereas ‘game’ could perhaps indicate a more social affair but I’ve never really noticed this difference.
Whichever term you prefer to use, match or game, I urge you to get involved in the sport of rugby. You will receive a friendly welcome and it may be the best decision you ever make!
Image credits
Match of the 2006–08 rugby union European Nations Cup Division 3 Israel vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Got Rugby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Top 14 saison 2010-2011 : Stade Rochelais/Bourgoin CASTELMAUROU, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
