Rugby: History, Rules, and Techniques
Rugby: A Deep Dive into the Sport
History
Rugby in Great Britain emerged in the early 19th century. In 1823, at Rugby School, during a football match, a student named William Webb Ellis, with the intention of playing the ball with his foot, picked it up with his hands and ran towards the opposing team’s goal line. His adversaries tried to stop him in the only way possible: by tackling him. In 1871, the first rugby association, the Rugby Football Union, was created to organize the sport.
Basic Rules
Main Objective: To carry the ball to the opponent’s try zone and ground it.
Field: A grass field, 100 meters long and 70 meters wide.
The Ball: It must be oval and weigh 400 grams.
Goals: Two posts, at least 3.4 meters high, are placed vertically, separated by 5.6 meters, with a crossbar at 3 meters high.
Players: Each team consists of 15 players.
Gameplay
A match starts with a kickoff from the center. After that, any player can:
- Catch the ball and run with it.
- Pass the ball to another player.
- Kick the ball.
- Tackle an opponent who has the ball.
- Drop the ball on the ground.
- Score a try in the try zone.
- Kick the ball forward to gain territory.
Special Plays
Scrum: Formed by the forwards of both teams, grouped in a way that allows the ball to be thrown to the ground between them. It is used after certain infractions.
Ruck: Formed when the ball is on the ground and one or more players from each team are on their feet and in physical contact around the ball.
Maul: Formed when one or more players from each team are on their feet and in physical contact around a player who has possession of the ball. It ends when the ball is dropped.
Lineout: Used to restart play after the ball has gone out of bounds. Seven players from each team line up facing each other, forming a corridor.
Scoring: Achieved through a try or a goal.
Match Duration: Divided into two 40-minute halves with a 5-minute break.
Main Infractions
Knock-on: Occurs when the ball is knocked forward towards the opponent’s dead-ball line.
Forward Pass: Occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward towards the opponent’s dead-ball line.
Offside: Being in front of the ball when not part of a ruck, maul, or scrum; being in front of the last foot in a grouping; or not being 10 meters away in a lineout.
Techniques
Passing and Receiving: Performed with a twisting trunk movement to separate the legs. The ball is released with a movement of the arms, which remain extended. The receiver maintains an active posture, printing a rolling movement on the ball.
Kicking: Sending the ball to a free zone to recover it later.
Tackling: Consists of tackling the player with the ball to prevent further progress towards the try line.
Tactics
Open Play: Used when the defense is grouped, looking for open lateral spaces by passing the ball.
Closed Play: Used against a spread-out defense. Players advance with depth, taking advantage of gaps between defenders.
Play in the Backfield: Used against a pressing defense. A kick sends the ball to a free space behind the defensive line.
Rugby and Basketball
Basketball players have a very specific athletic build because the basket is very high. In rugby, there are different typologies depending on the position and function in the game. You can be big and strong to play as a forward, skilled to play as a halfback, or fast to be a three-quarter.