THIS PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY Franklin Watts Note: At the time of going to press, the First published in Great Britain in 2015 by statistics and profi les in this book were up to The Watts Publishing Group date. However, due to some cyclists’ active participation in the sport, it is possible that Copyright © The Watts Publishing Group some of these may now be out of date. 2015 Picture credits All rights reserved. Shutterstock/ Paolo Bona p.6; Sophia Rugby /Didier Honoré/Wikimedia Commons; Credits p.7; Martin Hunter/Getty Images p.21; Series Editor: Adrian Cole Shutterstock/ Maxisport p.22; Bradley Kanaris Art direction: Peter Scoulding /Gettyp.25; Shutterstock/ Max Blain p.26; Series designed and created for Shutterstock/ Neil Balderson p. 27. Franklin Watts by Storeybooks Designer: Rita Storey Cover images: Tudor Photography, Banbury. Editor: Nicola Barber Photography: Tudor Photography, All photos posed by models. Thanks to Joel Banbury (unless otherwise stated) Avery, Tim Bennett, Every attempt has been made to clear Jamie Bache, Carl Daniels, Josh Deegan, Carl copyright. Should there be any inadvertent Taylor, Mark Woodward and Jackson Wray. omission please apply to the publisher for rectifi cation. The Publisher would like to thank The Publisher would like to thank Banbury RUFC Dewey number 796.3’33 for the use of the club’s ground. HB ISBN 978 1 4451 4132 9 Library ebook ISBN 978 1 4451 4342 2 Previously published by Franklin Watts as Know Your Sport Rugby. Printed in China Franklin Watts AAAnnn iiimmmppprrriiinnnttt ooofff HHHaaaccchhheeetttttteee CCChhhiiillldddrrreeennn’’’sss GGGrrrooouuuppp PPPaaarrrttt ooofff TTThhheee WWWaaattttttsss PPPuuubbbllliiissshhhiiinnnggg GGGrrrooouuuppp CCCaaarrrmmmeeellliiittteee HHHooouuussseee 555000 VVViiiccctttooorrriiiaaa EEEmmmbbbaaannnkkkmmmeeennnttt LLLooonnndddooonnn EEECCC444YYY 000DDDZZZ Taking part in sport is a fun AAAnnn HHHaaaccchhheeetttttteee UUUKKK CCCooommmpppaaannnyyy way to get fi t, but like any wwwwwwwww...hhhaaaccchhheeetttttteee...cccooo...uuukkk form of physical exercise it has wwwwwwwww...fffrrraaannnkkkllliiinnnwwwaaattttttsss...cccooo...uuukkk an element of risk, particularly if you are unfi t, overweight or suffer from any medical conditions. It is advisable to consult a healthcare professional before beginning any programme of exercise. SS- Rugby PDF spreads indd.indd 4 27/05/2015 15:20 6 Players, Pitch and Positions 8 Training and Kit 10 Passing 12 Catching 14 Timing Runs 16 Beating an Opponent 18 Tackling 20 Kicking 22 Union and League Differences 1 24 Union and League Differences 2 26 Statistics and Records 28 Glossary and Websites 29 Index 30 Rugby is a tough, all-action game Aim of the Game played between two teams. It is The two teams try to gain points great to watch and even more by scoring ‘tries’. A try is scored fun to play. when a player grounds the ball in the in-goal area (see page 8) of It comes in many versions but the opposing team. When a team all of them feature an oval ball scores a try it has the chance to add that players carry in their hands, extra points with a ‘conversion’. pass or kick. The two teams try This is scored by one player kicking to score points while preventing the ball between the goalposts. their opponents from scoring points Teams can also score points through against them. penalty kicks and drop goals. Fourie du Preez of South Africa passes the ball during the 2007 World Cup fi nal against England. South Africa went on to win the championship. IItt’s a Fact Teaams in the men’s Woorld Cup commpete fffor thhe WWiilllliiamm WWebbbb EElllliis Tropphy. It isss named afterr a pupil at Rugbby Schooooll, iinn EEnnggllaanndddd, wwhhoo wwaass ppllaayyiinnng a gaaame of footbaall in 1823 wwwwheen he ppppiicckkeedd uupp tthhee bbaallll aanndd rrraaaaaann wwwwwiiittttttthhh iiittt iiinnn his hands. Maany belliiieeeve tthis was how ruggbyy bbeeeggggaaan. 6 Rugby for All Rugby union is open to players of TTTTTThhhhhhhhe HHiiiissttoorryyyy ooff RRRRuuggbby all shapes and sizes. It is also played at all age and ability levels. Many rugby clubs run teams In the 19th century, ddiiffffereenntt vveerrrssiioonnss ranging from under-10s to over- of football and rugby football 40s. Women’s and girls’ rugby is emerged. also booming in popularity. For the world’s best players, the most In 1871, clubs met to draw up important competition is the World an agreed way of playing and Cup, which is held separately for formed the Rugby Football Union. men and women. It is played Arguments about professionalism every four years. (being paid to play) raged within the Union and in 1895, 22 rugby Junior Games clubs in the north of England Rugby union is a 15-a-side game formed the Northern Rugby Football played over two halves of 40 Union, which was later renamed minutes each. Smaller-scale versions the Rugby Football League. Both of the game, played for shorter Union and League have developed times and featuring fewer players, different rules and ways of playing exist for younger players. These (see pages 24–27). This book include tag rugby, which is a non- concentrates on rugby union. contact version of the sport, and mini rugby. In some countries, girls and boys play mini and tag rugby together until the age of 11. In tag rugby, a player is ‘tackled’ when an opponent manages to pull away a ribbon from the player’s belt. The tackler then steppps back and the tackleed player must ppass the ball. Worldd Cup Victorry In 2014, Englaand ended a rruunn ooff tthhrreeee ssuucccccceessssiivvee fifi nnaall defeats to win the Women’s RRuuggbbyy WWoorrlldd CCuuuupp iinn PPaarriiss. 7777 A full-sized rugby pitch is up to 69 Dead ball line. Iff the ball travels oovveerr tthhiiss lliinnee,, iitttt iiss oouutt ooff ppllaayy.. metres wide and Goalposts featuring a 100 metres long, crossbar 3m in heeight. CCCorner fl ag Goal or tryyyy line with two in-goal areas of a maximum 5-m line for peenalties or scrums depth of 22 metres. 2222-mm lliinnee.. PPllaayyeerrss iinnnnssiiddee tthheeiirr oowwnn 2222 can kick the ball dirrectly out of touch The 15 players on wwiitthhoouutt tthhee bbaaaallll bboouuncciinnggggg.. each side are divided 11 22 33 into eight forwards 6 . 7 10-m line 44 5 (the players who form 8 TTo s2c6ru) mans d– sseevee pna bgaecks. ouchline 14 9 1111000 12 13 11 AbHHHHlleeeeeee aaaaaaaaapppp llllblffffawwwweyhaaaaeiyyyynrs dlll iiiim nnnntheeeeuuui.....ssssssssss t uchline TT lliineeeeeee whhen tthheeeiiiiiiiir Forwards (1–8) eenee 15 teoooooooaaaaaaarrrm rrreee ksssitttcaaakrrrsttt ssso..ffffffff 1 Loose-head prop w 2 Hooker betb 3468 TNaainnogdd.h t875-h eLFolaacdnk k pfeorrorswpards happenpeps out ese 2 l linesthe e Backs (9–15) e lin 5-m linee for penalties or scruuuuuuummms h 9 Scrum-half TTTT 10 Fly-half (also known In-goal area wwhere tries are scoreed as stand-off) 11 Winger 12 Inside centre 13 Outside centre 14 Winger 15 Full-back FFoooorrwwaaaarrdddss aaanndd BBBBaacckkkkss FFoorrwwaaards tend to be larger, hhheavviieerrr and slower than backs, ttthhoougghhh the difference between Forwards are iinvvoollvveedd iinn sscruums tthheemm iis becoming less and less and lineouts (see pages 26–27) In modern rugby forwards need and generally in winning the to be able to move around ball for their side. They feed the pitch quickly, while backs the ball to the scrum-half and need to be strong enough fl y-half who have the choice of to surge through tackles and kicking the ball, running with it defend well. or passing it out to the backs. 8 RRRReeffeerrrreees aaaanndd RRRRuulleessss The Referee’s The refferee iiss iinn cchhaarrgggee ooff tthhhee Signals rugby match and makes decisions that have to be followed by all the players. The referee is assisted by two touch judges. They run up and down the touchline during the game, and also stand beneath the goalposts when a penalty kick or conversion is taken. In some top-fl ight rugby league and union games, there is an additional offi cial, known as the video referee. Try (see Penalty (see If a try is in dispute, for example, page 6) page 12) the match referee can signal to the video referee to give a ruling. Rugby is a technical game with many complicated rules. Players need to learn all the laws of rugby. You should discuss any you are unsure about with your coach. Knock-on (see page 14) RRRReessttaaaarttss High tackle (see page 20) Each half of a mmaaattcchh iiss ssttartedd wwwwiitthh a kick-off taken from, or behinddd, tthhee centre of the halfway line. Kick-offs ‘‘TTTTeemmmmpppooraaarriillyyyy are also used to restart the game ssuusppppppeennddddeeddd’’ after a try is scored. The ball must travel over the opponents’ 10-m If a player is guilty ooff ffooouull ppllaaayyy line and stay in play. If not, the such as fi ghting, stamping on an opposing team can order the kick opponent or persistently breaking to be re-taken or can choose to rules, a referee may send a player have a scrum (see page 26) at the to the ‘sin bin’. The player is shown centre of the halfway line. Another a yellow card and sent off the type of restart, the 22-m drop out, fi eld immediately. The player must is a drop kick (see page 22) taken stay off and cannot return or be from behind the 22-m line. substituted for ten minutes. 9 Rugby is a fast and physical that rugby kit has changed a game. Players need to be very fi t great deal in the past few years. to perform at their best. Rugby Lightwight warm fabrics that ‘wick’ can also be a dangerous game. moisture away from the body To avoid injury, players need to means that shirts can be closer prepare for matches thoroughly fi tting but still comfortable to wear. and always obey the referee’s This new kit also gives an opponent instructions. less fabric to grab hold of! Boots (ideally with adjustable screw-in A Player’s Kit studs) should fi t comfortably and Players in the same team wear laces should be securely tied. A identical strips. New developments tracksuit to keep warm before and in fabric technology have meant after a game is also important. Stretching Rugby players perform a series of stretches to the key muscles in their legs, arms and back before starting a game. These stretches help them perform at their best and prevent injuries. 10