Rugby

Rugby football, also known as rugby, may connote a number of sports originating from the game of football. The game was first developed at Rugby School in England United Kingdom. Two of the most popular and contemporary versions of rugby are ’rugby union’ and ’rugby league’. Rugby league football, played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball, has two teams of thirteen team members each. The game is generally played on a rectangular grass field. In rugby union football, the shape of the ball remains the same, while the game is played between two teams of 15 players each. Most of the rules in rugby league and rugby union are similar; however, they can be differentiated on the basis of team strength as well as certain other parameters. For example, rugby union stresses more on scrums and line-outs; whereas, in league even though these exist, they are taken purely as incidental.

There is another form of rugby, which is quicker, called rugby seven. As the name suggests, the game is played between two teams of seven players each. This type of rugby football takes place in both the versions of union and league. Rugby seven has gained quick popularity with well-known competitions such as IRB Sevens World Series and the Rugby World Cup Sevens. This game is also played at the Commonwealth Games. Another type of rugby that is played with seven players is tag rugby. Here each player wears a belt or shorts with two Velcro tags. The opponent has to pull one of the Velcro patches from the opponent who carries the ball. This forces the ball carrier to pass the ball. Other forms of rugby include collegiate club rugby played in the United States of America, touch rugby and wheelchair rugby.