A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union Safety Rugby’s history & ethos as a top priority Rugby is a highly physical Legend has it that in 1823, Game. To enjoy it to its during a game of school utmost you need to be football in the town of Rugby, physically and mentally England, a young man named prepared. You also need to William Webb Ellis picked up understand how to play the ball and ran towards the safely. opposition’s goal line. Two centuries later, Rugby Football has evolved into one of the world’s most popular sports, with millions of people playing, watching and enjoying the Game. s e At the heart of Rugby is a unique g a m I ethos which it has retained over y t t e the years. Not only is the Game G d n played to the Laws, but within a www.irbrugbyready.com m a the spirit of the Laws. h n e k c The IRB Rugby Ready i w T Through discipline, control and , programme educates, aids m u mutual self-respect, a fellowship e s and supports players, u M and sense of fair play are forged, y coaches, match officials and b g defining Rugby as the Game it is. u R Unions on the importance of d l r sufficient preparation for o W From the school playground to f o training and playing in order y s the Rugby World Cup final, Rugby e t for Rugby to be played and r u Union offers a truly unique and o c enjoyed while reducing the s e thoroughly rewarding experience g risk of serious injury. a m I for all involved in the Game. The web site allows you to read material, watch video, complete an on-line self The IRB Playing Charter check test and generate an The International Rugby Board awareness certificate. Or publishes a Playing Charter setting contact your national Union out Rugby’s basic principles: for details of face-to-face conduct, spirit, controlled physicality courses near you. and contest for possession. The Charter’s objective is to ensure that Disclaimer Rugby maintains its unique character This IRB Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union both on and off the field. product has been developed in the context of the Laws applying to accident and injury prevention and medical practice in Ireland and the information and guidelines The principles of Rugby are the fundamental elements upon which the incorporated on these matters are made Game is based and they enable participants immediately to identify the available strictly on the basis that the IRB (including its operating entity IRFB character of the Game and what makes it distinctive as a sport which is Services (Ireland) Limited and other associated entities) does not accept any played by people of all shapes and sizes. liability to any person or entity for loss, cost or damage howsoever arising out of any reliance on and/or use of the The IRB Playing Charter is incorporated within the IRB Laws of the Game information and/or guidelines contained in and can be downloaded from www.irb.com in English, French, Spanish, this IRB Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union product. Russian, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Italian. 2 A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union The Game Scoring points Try - 5 points Rugby is a game in which the object is to carry the ball over the A try is scored opponents’ goal line and force it to the ground to score. when the ball is grounded over It’s simple... but complex the opponents’ goal line in the The above description may sound simple - but there is one catch. In in-goal area. order to go forward, the ball must be passed backwards. The ball can be kicked forwards, but the kicker’s team mates must be behind the ball at A penalty try can the moment the ball is kicked. be awarded if a player would This apparent contradiction creates a need for fine teamwork and great have scored a try discipline, as little can be achieved by any one individual player. Only by but for foul play working as a team can players move the ball forward towards their by the opposition. Try signal opponents’ goal line and eventually go on to win the game. Rugby has its unique aspects, but like many other sports it is essentially about the creation and use of space. The winners of a game of Rugby will be the team of players who can get themselves and the ball into space and use that space wisely, while denying the opposing Conversion - 2 points team both possession of the ball and access to space in which to use it. After scoring a try, that team can attempt to add two further points by kicking the The field of play ball over the crossbar and between the posts from a Dead ball line N place in line with where the o t - l - e n e i a n 2 h x - i try was scored. l 2 c o c h l m e g c u In-goal In-goal a e - u o o d o n T g i i T n Goal line g Penalty - 3 points When awarded a penalty h c u 22-metre line after an infringement by the o T opposition, a team may N o choose to kick at goal. t 10-metre line e x c e e d i Half way line n Drop goal - 3 points g e n 10m 1 i l 0 h 0 c A drop goal is scored when m u 10-metre line o T a player kicks for goal in open play by dropping the h c u ball onto the ground and o 22-metre line T 15m kicking it on the half-volley. 22m 5m 5m N o l t a Goal line e - o x e n i c g n - i e - l h e l n In-goal c i d a u - i o n o h g g T c Not exceeding 70m 2 u 2 o m T Dead ball line 3 Open play Kicking If a player chooses not to The term ‘open play’ refers to any phase in the match where the ball pass the ball to a team mate is being passed or kicked between team mates and both teams are or run with it, that player contesting for the ball. In open play, the team in possession tries to may kick the ball instead. get the ball to players in space who can make forward progress The kick can travel forwards, towards the opposing goal line. but any team mates in front of the ball at the moment the Kick off ball is kicked are out of play until either they retire behind Each half of the match is started the kicker or are played with a drop kick from the centre onside by a team mate. of the half way line. The non- kicking team must be 10 metres back from the ball when it is kicked and the kick must travel 10m towards the opposition goal line before hitting the ground. Handling Passing A player may pass (throw the ball) to a team mate who is in a better position to continue the attack, but the pass must not Retaining possession of the travel towards the opposing ball following a kick is a team’s goal line. It must travel challenge. Kicking strategies either directly across the field, or include: back in the direction of the passer’s own goal line. • kicking into space, so that team mates have time to By carrying the ball forwards and run onto the ball before an passing backwards, territory is opponent can get to it gained. If a forward pass is made, the referee will stop the game and award a • kicking out wide, at an scrum (see page 8) with the throw-in going to the team which was not in oblique angle to the field, possession at the time of the pass. In this way, a forward pass is so that the wing or outside punished by that team losing possession of the ball. centre can catch the ball • kicking the ball to touch Knock-on (off the field of play) When a player mishandles the resulting in a lineout (see ball, i.e. drops it or allows it to page 9) with the throw-in rebound off a hand or arm, and to the opposition. This the ball travels forwards, it is concedes possession of known as a knock-on. the ball but allows the kicking team to contest for This is punishable by a scrum to the ball in a much more the opposition and therefore a advantageous position on turnover of possession. the field. 4 A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union Tackle, ruck & maul Advantage As well as being an evasion game which requires creation and use The advantage Law allows of space, Rugby is also a contact sport. In fact, contact situations the game to be more can be the very mechanism by which players create the space they continuous and have fewer need to attack. The three most common contact situations which stoppages. occur in open play are tackle, ruck and maul. Sometimes, during a game, an infringement of the Laws The tackle may be committed where a stoppage in play would Only the ball carrier can be deprive the non-offending tackled by an opposing player.