Rugby: ‘A Hooligan’s Game, Played by Gentlemen’

Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in America. The game’s growing popularity is due partially due to the fact that it is a game for all shapes and sizes. From the tiny scrum-half to the hulking prop, there is a position for almost every type of athlete. The Rugby World Cup 2011 has generated recent curiosity about this unique sport showcasing strength, agility, teamwork and endurance.

A rugby ball is shaped like an oversized American football. It is passed backward only, moving up the field through running or kicking. ‘Ruggers’, as players are affectionately known, wear no padding or helmets, although some do wear a ‘scrumcap’ that protects the head from bumps and scrapes in the ‘scrum’.

There are several types of rugby, including league, sevens and touch. The most common form is referred to as ‘rugby union’. In rugby union, each team has fifteen players on the 100-yard long ‘pitch’ at a time. Games, called ‘matches’, consist of two 40-minute running halves. Points are scored by grounding the ball in the opponents’ ‘try zone’ or by kicking the ball through their goal posts.

A ‘try’ is similar to a ‘touchdown’ in American football; however, the ball itself … Read more at FryingPanSports