No idea about rugby? It is actually a very good
way to stay fit, can be very competitive or not but is always very social.
And you do not have to be big and mean as evidenced by the captain of
the Nomads' men's second team in 2000 who is 5'6" and 140lbs. In
fact, it is far more useful in rugby to be a speedy runner. But there
are positions for the slower players too! The Nomads run 3 men's teams
with the 1st team competing at the most competitive level and the 3rd
side being far more of a developmental side for younger players, new players
and old players who want to avoid the higher level of competition. Here
are the basics:
Rugby is essentially moving the ball upfield in order to score through a variety of means (more on that later). The key concept is that the ball cannot be passed forward nor can a player be in front of the ball when he/she does not have possession. There are cases when this happens but in all cases the player must retreat to get onside quickly. Otherwise the player is penalised as offside.
The ball can be kicked ahead at any time but can only be retrieved by the opposing team or by someone who was behind the ball kicked when kicked. The result is that in rugby, without a forward pass like gridiron, the ball is carried upfield mostly. It is also kicked occasionally to gain territory although possession is most often lost.
If a player has possession of the ball in the opposing in-goal area, he/she can touch it down for a 5 point try. Afterward a 2 point kick at goal (through the upright posts) for a conversion occurs at a point back from where the ball was touched down. When a penalty is awarded, the non-offending team is awarded a penalty kick, which can be at goal. In this case it is kicked from the ground (placed or dropped) and is worth 3 points. And at anytime during play a player can kick a dropped goal. As long as the ball hits the ground first and passed through the uprights, it is worth 3 points as well.
Defense in rugby is made by tackling. Many of the uninitiated wonder: how rugby players can tackled without wearing equipment? Unlike gridiron, it is not imperative to stop an opponent from gaining ground, which would result in a first down. Instead, a player can drag another down over a few metres. Once tackled, the ball carrier must release the ball. This is where the breakdown occurs and most uninitiated people get confused. There is no stoppage for a tackle in rugby. Instead the two sides contest for the ball by either rucking or mauling. A maul occurs when the player is stopped rather than tackled and is still on his feet but not progressing. Both sides try to secure the ball and the maul is formed. The key point is the ball is not on the ground. If not brought out, the ball possession is awarded to the side that did not carry it into the maul. If after the tackle, the ball is on the ground and both sides are contesting for it, it is a ruck. If not out in a timely fashion, the ball is awarded to the side that brought it into the ruck.
This is where the most familiar sight in rugby occurs, the scrum. The 8 forwards pack down and engage the opposing 8 forwards. The 9th player, the scrum-half, then puts the ball in where the two packs come together. It is then contested for by the hookers (seriously, that's the name!) who try to hook the ball back. Both packs push until the ball is out or a whistle is blown. The scrum-half or the number 8 can pick it up to resume open play.
There is of course far more to the game but the important concepts for new players are:
No
forward pass
No stoppages for tackles
Always contest for the ball
Tackles do not have to be hard hits
You do not have to be huge!
Here is a guide to the positions in rugby (the excellent build column is for adult men as I am unsure and hesitant to list sizes for women. Juniors' sizes vary greatly):
|
Jersey
Number |
Position
Name(s)
|
Typical
Duties
|
Typical
build
|
Excellent
build
|
|
1
|
loosehead prop, prop forward, front row, tight five | physically engages opponents in scrum, keeps front row up in scrum, strong drive in scrum, rucks & mauls | shorter,
heavier, strong upper body |
up to 6' |
|
2
|
hooker, front row, tight five | physically engages opponents in scrum, hooks ball back, throws ball in at line-outs, strong drive in scrum, rucks & mauls | shorter (not taller than the props), heavier | up
to 6' 200+ lbs. |
|
3
|
tighthead prop, prop forward, front row, tight five |
physically engages opponents in scrum, strong drive in scrum, rucks & mauls | shorter,
heavier, strong upper body |
up to 6' |
|
4
& 5
|
lock, 2nd row, tight five | engine room of scrum, very strong drive in scrum, rucks & mauls, jump & catches in line-outs | taller, any weight as long as he/she can push and jump | over 6' |
|
6
|
blindside flanker, back row | first up tackles, secures much loose ball, blocks kicks, engages backs more often than tight five & links up with own backs more often too | strong & fast |
any size as long as strong & fast |
|
7
|
openside flanker, back row | first up tackles, harasses opposing backs off set plays, secures much loose ball, blocks kicks, engages backs more often than tight five & links up with own backs more often too | strong & faster | any size as long as strong & very fast |
|
8
|
No. 8, 8th man, back row | first up tackles, harasses opposing backs off set plays, secures much loose ball, engages backs more often than tight five & links up with own backs more often too, pick ball up from scrums, like any other back row may be a line-out jumper | generally big, strong & fast | often
over 6', strong & fast |
|
9
|
scrum-half, half-back |
follows up forwards, puts ball into scrums, tactical kicking, collects ball from scrum, line-outs, rucks & mauls, decides where to send ball | smaller, speed & strength helps, good passing skills | often under 6', often smallest player |
|
10
|
fly-half, out-half, five-eighth (5/8), first five | receives ball from scrum-half, again decides whether to run, pass or kick | any as long can decide quickly, can run, pass & kick, again speed & strength very useful | any size as long as quick and strong |
|
11
& 14
|
winger, wing three-quarters (3/4) | gets the ball at full pace and runs like hell upfield, kicks to avoid tackles, regathers kicked balls from either side, helps fullback | very fast | very, very fast! |
|
12
|
inside centre, centre three-quarters (3/4), second five | often takes ball into contact and recycles it back, makes breaks when able, along with other backs, fills in for fly-half when needed | bigger, strong, fast | bigger, strong, fast |
|
13
|
outside centre, centre three-quarters (3/4), centre | takes ball into contact and recycles it back, makes more breaks, along with other backs, fills in for fly-half when needed | strong, fast | strong, fast |
|
15
|
Fullback | hangs back for defense, joins attack when suitable, takes high kicks from opponents, plenty of kicking for territory, follows up own kicks in field of play | sure hands, good tackler, fast | sure hands, good tackler, fast |
All players must work in defense as in making tackles and all must be able to ruck and maul. There is far more cross-over in duties and skills nowadays but generally the forwards carry the ball forward in close quarters and contest for the ball at scrums, rucks, mauls and line-outs. The backs often find themselves with more space to run in and are far more likely to be in a situation where kicking is a good option. With proper coaching and training, the duties from one position may easily be done effectively by another. Unlike gridiron, all positions will find frequent situations where they can score tries. But as with all sports, the better of an athlete you are, the more likely you are going to perform well.