Added: 12/21/2007 |
The Rugby is a football to a lesser extentRugby Union football or Rugby union commonly known as ‘Rugby’ owes its birth to the most common form of football. It is most often referred to as a football of lesser extent. To name a few of the many modern sports which owe their origin to rugby football, are ’ rugby union’, ‘American football’, ‘rugby league’, ‘Canadian football’. The Rugby world cup is held once in four years.
An outdoor sport, the Rugby, as we all know, is played by teams of 15 players with an oval shaped ball. A rugby union match is played for 80 minutes with a break after 40 minutes of play. The match is controlled by a single ‘referee’ and two ‘touch judges’. Each team of 15 members must score as many points as may be possible and the team scoring the highest is declared the winner. Points are scored either by scoring a try or manage to goal. To have the utmost control over the match the players must learn to have complete control over the ball. While the ball is carried forward to hit a goal, other team mates must protect the ball from passing over to the opponent team. Also passing the ball is an art whereby one player passes the ball to his teammate without the ball going into the opponent’s foot. The ball is can also passed from one player to his teammate without the same not moving forward. The team which is not in the possession of the ball will try and stop the opponent team from passing the ball amongst themselves and hitting a goal. The style of blocking the ball as in American football is strictly not practiced.
In the event of the ball crossing the play ground or play area the game has to be restarted with a ‘Line out’. There are other reasons for which the game may have to be restarted with a penalty or free kick. A goal from a successful kick is worth three points where as a try is worth five points.
Interestingly, an important form of scoring is the ‘tries’. So, even if not goals the players aim for tries. Many a times a ‘penalty kick’ helps them to make a score. A ‘penalty kick’ awarded by the referee to a team when their opponent team tries to unethically prevent a ‘try’, results in a goal.
Countries like Australia, Great Britain, France and New Zealand have promoted the Rugby is. Papua New Guinea has adopted this as their national sport. Other countries, where the Rugby has set its firm foot are Russia, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Lebanon, Japan, Canada, South Africa etc.,
Rugby is dominated by Australia, France, England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales and Scotland. New Zealand and Wales too play this sport immensely and they have it for their national sport. Both the rugby union and rugby league have one rule in common i.e. a ban on making a pass forward so as they players can run along with the ball or kick it.
The Rugby is governed worldwide by the ‘International Rugby Board’ (IRB) founded in 1886. The rules of the Rugby game are also published by this body. There are about 95 members and eight associate member countries in the board. According to the statistics provided by the board the Rugby is played in more than hundred countries across the globe covering six continents both by men and women.
A ‘rugby sevens’ is a similar game with a seven players on one side.
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