“Rugby is a tough sport for those who are ready for it. Rugby: Basic Rules Rugby Player Names

Rugby is a tough team sport that originated late 19th century England. This is a game of two teams with a ball in the form of a "melon".

The goal of each group of athletes is to throw the ball over the crossbar on the opponent's goal, that is, to score a goal in order to earn a point. The team that gets the most points.

How many types of rugby are there?

The classic game over time spawned many kinds rugby. Among them:

• Beach. The game is played on the sand. Compared to the classic game, the size of the field and the number of players are smaller here. Beach rugby has simplified scoring.

Photo 1. Beach rugby, participants play on the sand on a small court.

• Underwater. This type belongs to the discipline underwater sports. Competitions are held underwater in a special pool. Participants from each team are equipped with snorkels, fins and masks. Their goal is to drive the ball with negative buoyancy into the opponents' basket located on the bottom.
• Tag. This is one of the easiest kind that children play. The rules of such a match reduce the risk of injury. In particular, kicking the ball is prohibited. As additional equipment, a belt with two Velcro tags is used. To unfasten one of them means to make a grab like in big rugby.

Photo 2. Rugby tag, teams of children participate, it has lightweight rules, so the risk of injury is minimal.

• Rugby 7. This view was created in Scotland in 1883, when a proposal was made to reduce the number of from 15 to 7, and the time of the whole match up to 15 minutes (two halves of 7 minutes and a break of 2 minutes).
• Rugby 10. These matches are played 10 people from each side. It was born about 20 years back in southeast Asia. Sports veterans also play this sport.
• Rugby-13. Its other name is rugby league. It originated in the north of England in 1895. This game is played two teams of 13 people.
• Rugby-15. This is already a classic look.

About underwater and classic rugby players

Both in the classical and in the underwater, only two teams for one match. Before the match, a toss is held to determine which team will put the ball in play first.

Each group in classic rugby consists of out of 15 people and in the underwater out of 12.

At the same time, in the classic form of the game 8 people on the field from the composition- attackers and the rest 7- defenders.

Reference! Forwards play by numbers 1 to 8, and the defenders 9 to 15.

What roles do the numbers play?

Number of spares

The official international rules determine the number of players who sit on the bench. Their no more than 7. In matches of a lower level, the maximum number of substitutes is negotiated separately. There may be more in this case.

Important! Rugby substitutions are only made after the referee has been advised and during a stoppage of play. If a player has been ejected from a match on the basis of a referee's decision for an infraction, he replacement is not required.

15th player on the team

Game participant at number 15 is the closing link of the team. He always sticks to the position that is 15 meters behind the back line sites. His main skill is kicking the ball.

Useful video

A video where you can watch beach rugby and find out how many players are on each team.

Rugby- an Olympic contact team sport, the purpose of which is to perform effective actions, namely, defeating the opponent's goal or bringing the ball into the opponent's scoring area. Unlike football, touching the ball with the hands is allowed in rugby.

Global regulation of rugby is carried out by the International Rugby Board (IRB), the headquarters of the organization is located in Dublin.

The history of the emergence and development of rugby

Webb Ellis is considered to be the ancestor of rugby, being a student of one of the schools in the city of Rugby (England), during a football match he grabbed the ball with his hands and rushed to the opponent's end zone. At that time, there were several varieties of football, and the rules of that match allowed touching the ball with the hand, but moving with the ball was not allowed. It is worth noting that this hypothesis has no evidence, but it is rooted in rugby culture, and Webb Ellis has become one of the symbols of the game.

Where was rugby invented?

In England.

In 1845, the students made the first attempt to formulate the rules of rugby, and in 1848, students at Cambridge University issued their own set of rules, which began to be used as a regulation for subsequent matches.

In 1863, the first rugby club "Blackheath" (Blackheath) appeared; it consisted of members of the English Football Association and everyone could join it.

In 1871 the Rugby Union of England was formed. The game itself at that time was called "Rugby Football".

At the end of the 19th century, a split occurred in the English rugby community. This came as some clubs in the northern part of the country were actively pursuing their right to pay players cash compensation, as many players were forced to miss work due to matches. While the game had an amateur status, and, therefore, no payments could be made. The result of the confrontation was the exit of some teams from the union, their modification of the rules of rugby and the formation on this basis of a new game - rugby league.

On March 27, 1871, the first internationally recognized match took place between England and Scotland. Later, their teams appeared in Ireland and Wales, and with them the Home Nations Cup appeared. In 1888 the British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand.

In 1886, the International Rugby Board (IRB) was created, which became truly global only towards the end of the 20th century.

Since 1905, a number of tours have been held by the strongest rugby teams in the United States and European countries.

Since 1987, the Rugby World Cups have started, and the geography of the game has expanded significantly. The team from New Zealand became the first winner of the world championship.

In 1995, it was decided to give rugby a "free" status and abolish restrictions on the wages of athletes.

Rugby rules (briefly)

Let's talk briefly about the rules of rugby. A rugby match consists of two halves of 40 minutes each with a break of 5-10 minutes. After the break, the teams must change goals. If at the end of the match the score is equal, then extra time is assigned - 2 halves of 10 minutes.

How long is a rugby match?

A rugby match consists of two halves of 40 minutes each with a break of 5-10 minutes. Extra time is possible - 2 halves of 10 minutes.

From each team, 15 people simultaneously act on the field, of which 8 are attackers and 7 defenders.

Based on the results of the draw, the team that will put the ball into play first is determined. The ball is put into play with a kick.

Points in rugby are awarded for performing effective actions:

• Try - 5 points, which are awarded after the player of the attacking team brings the ball into the end zone. The player who brought the ball into the end zone must necessarily touch the ground with it.
• Penalty try - 5 points, which are awarded if the attempt failed due to rough play by the opponent. Penalty try is counted as brought in the center of the gate, which makes it easy to implement it.
• Realization - 2 points, which are awarded after the ball hits the opponent's goal. The ball must pass between the two posts over the crossbar. The opportunity to execute the implementation is given after the successful implementation of the attempt.
• Free kick - 3 points. For some violations of the rules, the match referee may award a penalty kick. The blow is made from the place of violation of the rules.
• Drop goal - 3 points awarded for a field goal, the player must drop the ball on the field and kick it after touching the ground - hand shots are prohibited.

The winner of a rugby match is the team with more points than the opponent.

The rules of the game do not allow forward play. In other words, most of the actions that result in the ball being passed to a player closer to the opponent's end zone are prohibited. In addition, it is prohibited:

• a player running after the ball to attack or push other players;
• an offside player to intentionally interfere with a player in possession of the ball;
• any player in possession of the ball after it has left the scrimmage, ruck, maul or lineout to try to force his way through the forward teammates;
• strike an opponent with a hand;
• cling from behind or kick the legs of an opponent, trip him or step on a lying opponent;
• attack or block an opponent who has just kicked the ball and is not running after the ball;
• hold, push, attack, block or tackle an opponent who is not in possession of the ball, except in a ruck, maul or scrum.

Rugby playing field

The rugby field has a rectangular shape with dimensions of 100 meters by 70 meters (144 by 70 including end zones) and grass. The field markings include several lines parallel to the goal lines, of particular importance are the center line and lines at a distance of 22 meters.

Rugby goals are H-shaped and consist of two vertical posts, located at a distance of 5.6 meters from each other, and a crossbar, which is located at a height of 3 meters from the ground.

Rugby equipment

• The rugby ball has the shape of an elongated ellipsoid and is made of leather or synthetic materials. As a rule, the surface of the ball is coated with a special compound that repels dirt. Ball length along the line - 280-300 mm, longitudinal circumference - 740-770 mm, transverse circumference - 580-620 mm, weight - 410-460 grams.
• T-shirt and shorts.
• Studded boots.
• Protective equipment: knee pads, elbow pads, fingerless gloves, shin guards, shoulder pads, mouthguard, helmet.

All items of equipment must comply (be marked) with the International Rugby Federation standard. Players in "non-standard" equipment are not allowed to the match.

Rugby set pieces

To the number standard provisions rugby includes: scrum, ruck, pier, corridor and out, net catch (mark), capture, free and free kicks.

Fight. The purpose of a scrum is to restart play after a minor infringement or stoppage of play. Eight players from each team participate in the fight, the players wrap their arms around each other, line up in three lines and close with their opponents. With this position of the players, a tunnel is created into which the scrum half throws the ball so that the first row players of either team can take possession of the ball by hooking it with their foot.

The scrum is formed at the place of violation or stoppage of the game within the playing field, but not closer than 5 m from the side line and from the goal line. The ball is put into play by a team that is innocent of the offense or is in attack. The scrum is considered over if the ball left it in any direction (except for the tunnel).

Cancer. The phase of the game when one or more players from each team, on their feet and in physical contact, group around the ball on the ground between them within the field of play. In this position, open play is terminated. Players participating in a ruck try to win back or keep the ball with their feet without breaking the rules.

A ruck is considered successfully completed if the ball goes out of it or goes beyond the goal line. In case of unsuccessful completion of the ruck (i.e. when it is impossible to play in the ruck), the referee calls the bout (but he must allow sufficient time for the ball to come out of the ruck).

Mol. Formed when one or more players from each team, standing on their feet, in physical contact and moving towards the goal, group around the player in possession of the ball. A maul has a minimum of three players: the ball carrier and one player from each team.

A maul is considered successfully completed if the ball hits the ground or the player with the ball exits the maul. If the ball in a maul goes beyond the goal line, the maul is also considered to be completed.

Label (clean fishing). A player is considered to have made a clean catch or mark when, while in his own 22m area or in his in-goal, he cleanly catches the ball directly from an opponent's kick. Simultaneously with catching the ball, the player must shout "Mark!". After a clean catch is completed, a free kick is awarded.

Capture. A situation where a player in possession of the ball on the field of play is held by one or more opponents so that he falls to the ground or the ball touches the ground.

Corridor and out. The ball is considered to be in touch if:

• the ball leaves the field through the touchline after being kicked;
• the ball touches the touchline or leaves the field after any other action of the athletes;
• the player with the ball steps on the touchline or leaves the field altogether;
• the player catching the ball steps on the touchline or leaves the field.

The introduction of the ball into the game after it goes into touch is carried out by drawing a lineout (quick throw-in). The forwards of each team line up in a row perpendicular to the sideline - the rows of players are located one meter apart and 5-15 meters from the sideline. The ball is thrown into the corridor from the sideline between the lined up rows of players.

Athletes from both teams fight for the ball. Players can lift their teammates to increase their chances of catching the ball. A jumping player cannot be tackled, only shoulder-to-shoulder contact is allowed.

Refereeing

The refereeing board in rugby consists of the chief referee and his two assistants. At high-level matches, there is a video referee who communicates with the referee by radio. The referee has the right to issue a red or yellow card. A red card leads to a permanent removal from the field, and a yellow one to a temporary one.

Competitions

The World Cup is the most prestigious rugby championship, held every four years.

The Six Nations Cup is an annual international rugby competition that is held among the six strongest teams in Europe: England, Ireland, Italy, Wales, France and Scotland.

The Rugby Championship is an annual rugby tournament in which the four strongest teams in the Southern Hemisphere participate: Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa.

2016-06-30

We tried to cover the topic as fully as possible, so this information can be safely used in the preparation of messages, reports on physical education and essays on the topic "Rugby".

Rugby-15, rugby union (English rugby union) or just rugby- a contact team sport that arose in the 19th century in England, one of the types of rugby football. The game of rugby has spawned many related sports, among which rugby league and rugby sevens are the most popular. In addition, some elements of rugby have been incorporated into the rules of American and Australian football and their derivatives. A rugby match is a competition between two teams, each of which is represented by fifteen field players. On the front line of the field there are H-shaped gates, and behind the front lines of the field there are scoring zones of the teams. The main task of each of the opponents is to perform effective actions, that is, to defeat the goal (hit above the crossbar) or the opponent's scoring zone. The rules allow touching the ball with your hands, which determines the main difference between rugby and football. At the same time, a restriction is imposed on the game with hands: the ball cannot be passed by hand if the receiving player is closer to the opponent's end zone than the passer.

According to legend, the founder of rugby is William Webb Ellis, a student at Rugby School. The first set of rugby rules was published by Rugby School students in 1845. Half a century later, in 1895, a conflict between the English rugby union and a number of clubs from the northern part of the country, which led to the creation of a new type of rugby - rugby league. The reason for the disagreement was the union's ban on financial incentives for athletes who are forced to miss Sunday work in order to participate in rugby matches. For much of the 20th century, rugby governing bodies maintained the amateur status of the game, but in 1995 the International Rugby Board lifted most of the restrictions on player wages. So rugby the best representatives which has long reached a professional level, has become completely professional and from an economic point of view. The International Rugby Board (IRB) has been the game's leading governing body since its inception in 1886. Nowadays, rugby is played in more than a hundred countries around the world, and in a number of states this species sport is recognized as national.

The most prestigious competition in the world of rugby is the World Cup, which has been held since 1987. The championship is held once every four years, the winner of the championship is awarded the Webb Ellis Cup. The best European teams play each year in the Six Nations Cup, and the strongest team in the Southern Hemisphere is determined by the results of the Rugby Championship, also held once a year. The International Rugby Board, within its classification, divides all countries into three tiers according to the strength of their national teams. Another version of the classification is also used, in which four categories are distinguished. The strongest club championships are also held in Europe (Heineken Cup, English and French championships, Pro12) and in the countries of the Southern Hemisphere (Super Rugby). In 1900, 1908 and 1920-1924, rugby was included in the official program of the Olympic Games.

Rules of the game

Players pass the ball to each other, trying to bring it as close to the end zone as possible.

Check

The winner of a rugby match is the team with more points than the opponent. Points are awarded for performing effective actions:

try (5 points): an attacking team player brings the ball into the end zone, which is located between (and includes) the goal line and the dead ball line, that is, the end line. A try is valid if the player touches the ball to the ground while holding it with his hand, or presses the ball to the ground with any part of the arm or body from the waist to the neck, inclusive. When entering an attempt, the team gets the right to carry out its implementation and earn additional points;

a penalty try (5 points) is assigned if the player could have made a try, but this did not happen due to foul play on the part of the opponent. Penalty try is counted as brought in the center of the gate, which makes it easy to implement it;

conversion (2 points): the team scoring a try can earn extra points by making a conversion. One of the team players sets the ball in front of the place where the attempt was made [approx. 4] and shoots at the opponent's goal. The implementation is considered successful if the ball passed between the two posts over the crossbar. In this case, the players of the other team must be in their end zone;

free kick (3 points): for some violations of the rules, the referee of the meeting may appoint a free kick, penalty kick. The ball is placed on the spot where the infringement occurred and one of the team's players kicks the goal. A goal is counted according to the same rules as in the implementation of a try;

drop goal (3 points): if the ball is in play, any participant in the match may shoot at the goal. A player intending to score a drop goal must drop the ball on the field and kick it - hits "from the hands" are prohibited.

Interestingly, in the process of developing the rules of the game, the value of each effective action changed. For example, before 1890, points were awarded only for defeating the opponent's goal, but not for other effective actions.

Field

The game is played on a rectangular grass field measuring 100×70 meters. Rectangular scoring zones with a width of 10 to 22 meters adjoin the lines on which the gates are located. Thus, the maximum size of the field is 144×70 meters, and the largest possible playing area is 1.008 hectares. The field marking includes several more lines parallel to the front. Of particular importance are the line dividing the field in half and the lines located 22 meters from both goal lines.

Rugby goals are H-shaped and consist of two vertical posts, located at a distance of 5.6 meters from each other, and a crossbar, which is fixed at a height of 3 meters from the ground. Initially, the field parameters were included in the rules in the Imperial system of measures, and then were converted to metric.

Game time

Before the start of the game, the captains and the chief referee conduct a draw, which determines which team will put the ball into play first. The projectile is put into play with a kick, after which the players of the advantaged team try to take possession of the ball in the opponent's half, while their opponents seek to take the game as far as possible from their own end zone. If a tackle is made on a ball carrier, a ruck is usually awarded. A ruck is a special piece of contact play in which at least three players from the attacking team compete for the ball on the ground.

The game takes place over two halves, lasting 40 minutes of pure time each. Between halves, players rest for a few minutes. After the break, the teams exchange sides of the field. During pauses related to the provision of medical assistance to players or referee advice on a particular controversial issue, playing time stops. As a result, players spend more than 80 minutes on the field. The countdown of playing time is carried out by the chief referee of the match. At the same time, in many matches of a professional level, a timekeeper assists the referee. If the time runs out while the ball is in play, the teams continue to compete until the projectile becomes “dead”, that is, it goes out of bounds or is handed forward by one of the players. If the game episode requires the arbiter to award a penalty or free kick, the referee authorizes the required action and the match continues.

Attack

The rules of the game do not allow both play forward and forward pass. In other words, most of the actions that result in the ball being passed to a player closer to the opponent's end zone, or an unreasonable advance to the end zone, are prohibited.

The following situations fall under the definition of “play forward”:

the athlete lost the ball, after which the projectile bounced forward;

the athlete hit the ball with his hand forward;

the ball hit the athlete's hand and bounced forward and then touched the ground or another player.

If the player blocks the ball at the moment it is hit by an opponent or immediately after that, the forward play does not count, even if the ball moves forward. A pass forward takes place if the athlete has thrown or passed the ball forward with his hands. The exception is forward bounce when the ball is in front after bouncing off a player or off the ground.

An unintentional infringement of the rules regarding play or a forward pass leads to the appointment of a scrum at the place of the infringement. If these rules are violated at the time of the lineout, the scrum is appointed 15 meters from the touchline. If, as a result of a pass or forward play, the ball is in the opponent's end zone and becomes "dead", the referee also appoints a scrum at the place of the infringement. In the event that a play or forward pass takes place directly in the end zone, the scrum is called 5 meters from the goal line opposite the point of infringement (while the distance to the touchline must also not be less than 5 meters). If the play or forward pass is the result of an intentional act, a penalty kick is awarded. In a situation where a violation of this kind prevented the opposing team from scoring a try, the referee awards a penalty try to it.

Players advance to the opponent's end zone in several ways. It is possible to pass the ball forward with a kick, however, either the kicker himself or the player who was behind or in line with the kicker at the time of the kick can take this kind of pass. In some game situations, the development of an attack becomes possible due to movement with the ball in hand. Finally, the attack can be continued within a maul, a special situation where the ball carrier is surrounded by at least three players from each team. The difference between a maul and a ruck is that the maul involves holding the ball in the player's hands, while in the ruck the ball is on the ground. Only the rugby player in possession of the ball may be tackled or rucked.

Defense

The main task of the defending team is to stop the player in possession of the ball. An opponent can be tackled, as a result of which the player will be knocked down - as a rule, cancer is assigned in this situation. Captures of any parts of the body are allowed, except for the neck and head. The grip is considered complete if the athlete conducting it was able to close his arms around the opponent's body. It is forbidden to push the opponent, attack him with the shoulders or substitute the leg. Tackling the legs of a rugby player in possession of the ball is possible. On the other hand, defensive players can set up a maul by challenging the ball without tackling the rugby player in possession.

Game elements

Corridor

The ball is considered out of bounds if:

the projectile leaves the field across the sideline after being kicked;

the projectile touches the touchline or leaves the field after another action of the athletes;

the player with the ball steps on the sideline or leaves the field of play;

a player who catches a flying ball steps on the touchline or leaves the field.

When the ball goes into touch, the projectile is put into play by a lineout or a quick throw-in. The forwards of each team line up in a row perpendicular to the sideline - the rows of players are located one meter apart and 5-15 meters from the sideline. The ball is thrown into the corridor from the side line in the middle between the rows of players. The throw is taken by a player (usually a hooker) of the team that did not allow the ball to go into touch. The exception is those situations when the ball went into touch after a free kick - then the ball is thrown in by the team that took the penalty.

fight

The scrum serves as the basis for continuing the game after minor infractions. The referee calls a scrum when there is a pass or forward play, a player touches the ground in his end zone, a player is offside, or the ball is finally blocked in a maul or ruck. If the team has been awarded the right to take a free kick, the players may ask the referee to change the penalty to a scrum.

The fight is a confrontation between attacking players from both teams. Before the fight, rugby players line up in three rows, tightly clinging to each other. In the front row there are two pillars (prop) and a hooker, the second one is formed by two locks (loka) and two flankers, in the rear of the formation there is a pulling attacker. This design is known under the designation "3-4-1". After the players take their positions, the formations located opposite each other are in contact. The scrum halfback (scrum haw) supplies the rugby players with the ball, placing it in the so-called. "tunnel" (eng. tunnel) between rival first lines. The right to throw the ball into the scrum is awarded to the team against which the rules were violated. Then the hookers of the teams try to take possession of the ball with their feet and pass it to the back lines - for this, the hooker, along with the entire formation, must take several steps forward. Other participants in the scrum put pressure on the opposite side, trying to win back the territory. When the team has the ball and it is at the disposal of the back line, the pulling forward or scrum half takes the ball and the game continues as normal.

Referees and sanctions

The team of referees working at the match includes three specialists: the chief referee and his two assistants. In the past, the main function of the assistants was to determine the out, but then the competence of the side judges was expanded. Assistants now assist the referee in identifying fouls and registering offside positions. In addition, a fourth referee, a television inspector or video referee, works at top-level matches. The inspector also advises the referee in some contentious issues - the message is carried out by radio. In rugby, a system of referee gestures has been approved, with the help of which the chief referee informs the players about his decisions.

The most common violations of the rules are grabbing an opponent above the shoulders, violating a scrum, ruck or maul, holding the ball after a fall (the player on the ground must release the projectile), being out of the game. If the referee awards a free kick to one of the teams, rugby players may choose another way to take advantage. Penalties can be exchanged for:

try;

tap-kick (English "tap" kick), when a player slightly punches the ball, can take possession of it again and start an attack;

punt (English punt), when a player hits the ball hard, improving the tactical capabilities of the team;

place-kick (English place-kick), when a player tries to score in the goal.

An athlete who violates the rules can be removed from the field - in this case, the referee shows the player a red card. Yellow card symbolizes a temporary, ten-minute removal of a player from the field. A rugby player punished in this way cannot be replaced.

Some violations remain out of the arbiter's field of vision. Such situations are subsequently considered by the match commissioner, at the direction of which the athlete who violated the rules may be disqualified.

Substitutions

During a match, team coaches may substitute players for medical or tactical reasons. A rugby player who has been substituted due to an injury may not return to the game unless he has been temporarily substituted to stop the bleeding. A player substituted for tactical reasons can temporarily replace a bleeding rugby player or completely replace a front row forward. In international matches, coaches are entitled to make seven substitutions. With the appropriate decision of the national federations, the number of possible substitutions in club competitions may be increased to eight. At the same time, among the replacement rugby players, three must have the skills and experience of playing in the positions of forwards in the first line.

Player positions

Each team starts the match with 15 outfield players and 7 substitutes. The team includes eight forwards (eng. forwards) and seven defenders (eng. backs).

forwards

The main task of attacking players is to tackle and possess the ball. Forwards, as a rule, are distinguished by their large weight, height and strength. Attacking athletes play a key role during the draws of bouts and lineouts. In the English-speaking environment, the selection of attackers, in particular, their formation in a fight, is often referred to as pack (“pack”).

First line

The first line of attackers is formed by three players: two pillars (props, English prop) and a hooker (English hooker). The pillars provide support to the hooker in the grapple and jumpers at the moment of drawing out the lineout. Rugby players of this role are called upon to provide power pressure within the framework of rucks and mauls. The position of the hooker is one of the most important in the team. The actions of a hooker determine the quality of a team's play both offensively and defensively, with the hooker being responsible for winning the scrum. The player who is on the edge of the attack also introduces the ball through the corridor. Wing props are numbered 1 and 3, while number two is reserved for the hooker.

Second line

The second line of attack includes two locks (forwards of the second line or locks, English lock). Castles are often the tallest players on a team and act as jumpers when playing a lineout. When the ball is thrown into play from behind the sideline, the lock supported by the partners makes a jump in order to catch the ball or ensure it gets to another player of his team. As part of the skirmish, locks are located directly behind the three players in the first line: locks form a bunch and help move the entire formation forward.

back line

The back line of the attackers includes two flankers (eng. flanker) and a pulling player (eighth, "eight", eng. number 8). Back line rugby players are also called loose forwards. A flanker playing on the left flank is called a closed or blindside flanker (eng. blindside flanker), and a player on the right flank is called an open flanker (openside flanker, eng. openside flanker). The flankers form the last row of scrum players. The flanker functions require special mobility from the players of this role, which is due to their main task - taking the ball from the opponent. The eighth player is placed between the flankers in the back row of the scrum. His task is to control the ball after it has been passed back by the players in the first two lines of scrimmage. During the attacking actions of the team in the standard game mode, the eighth acts as a link between the attacking and defense players.

Defenders

The priority task of defense players is to create and implement effective actions that bring points to the team. As a rule, defenders are shorter and lighter than attackers, which makes them generally faster and more agile than forwards. Defensive players have a developed kicking skill, which, in particular, allows them to successfully punch blows from the spot. The best punchers in the team are considered to be a wandering midfielder (fly-haw) and closing (fullback).

Midfielders

The midfield line is formed of two players: a scrum half (scrum-half) and a wandering midfielder (fly-half). Like the eighth, scrum-hav carries out the interaction of attacking and defending players. The scrum haw receives the ball when it is thrown in from behind the sideline, supplies the scrum with the ball, and also takes the projectile after it is successfully played. In addition, the scrum haw can act as a fourth player in the back line of attack. The tactical significance of the fly-hawa game is comparable to the actions of a playmaker in football - the rugby player of this role largely determines the effectiveness of the entire team of the game. In most cases, it is the fly-haw who receives the ball from the scrum-haw after a lineout or scrum. Thus, the fly-haw determines the development of the attack after the ball is put into play. The roaming midfielder is often the team's main goal-shooter.

Three-quarters

Four players are located on the three-quarter line: left and right wing (eng. left wing - right wing), internal and external center (eng. inside center - outside center). Like the fly-haw, three-quarters are proficient with their feet and are capable of directing an attack. In defense, the centers make captures of the attacking players of the opponent, and in the offensive phase, on the contrary, they break through the defensive formations of the defenders. The starting positions of the wings are located along the edges of the back line of the field. Wings play an important role in the attack as well, as their main task is to bring attempts into the opponent's end zone. As a consequence, wingers must have great speed and the ability to elude competitors seeking to intercept the ball. However, in modern rugby there is a tendency to select larger, stronger wingers who can get out of the hold.

trailing

The closing or fullback (English fullback) adheres to a position a few meters behind the back line of the field. So, in many cases, the fullback acts as the last obstacle to the opponent on the way to the team's end zone. The specifics of the game in deep defense makes it necessary for the rear player to master the skills of receiving and kicking the ball.

History of rugby

According to one version, the origin of rugby is associated with a football match that took place in 1823 at the Rugby school. During the game, one of the students, William Webb Ellis, grabbed the ball with his hands and rushed to the opponent's end zone. It should be noted that at that time there were several varieties of football, and the rules of the match in 1823 allowed touching the ball with the hand, but moving with the projectile was not allowed. Despite the fact that this hypothesis does not have solid evidence, this story has become ingrained in rugby culture, and Ellis has become one of the symbols of the game. The main trophy of the Rugby World Cup bears the name of the famous student, in addition, in 1895, a commemorative sign dedicated to the legendary founder of rugby was installed at the school. Subsequently, some graduates of the Rugby School continued to play under the new rules already at the rank of university students. Albert Pell, who entered the University of Cambridge, is considered the founder of the first local "football" team. In the early days of rugby, alumni communities competed for the right to establish their own set of rules for the game in the university environment.

The first confirmed attempt to codify the rules of rugby took place in 1845 by the students of the Rugby School. In 1848, students at the University of Cambridge issued their draft rules, which became the first unified regulation for conducting football matches. With the release of the Blackheath team from among the members of the English Football Association in 1863, a new stage in the separation of football and rugby began - now Blackheath is considered the first rugby club, membership in which was available to all fans of the game. A few years later, in 1871, the Rugby Union of England was created. For several decades, the game was known as rugby football (eng. Rugby football), but at the end of the 19th century, a split occurred in the rugby community in England. Some clubs in the northern part of the country, which were predominantly employees, insisted on their right to compensate players, as athletes were forced to miss work on Sundays, while Rugby Union management required members to maintain amateur status. The culmination of the conflict was the withdrawal of opposition teams from the union and the creation of a set of rules for a new game - rugby league (English rugby league - "rugby league"). The rules of rugby league contained a number of other differences not related to the economic relations of the club and the player. In particular, the new regulations provided for the presence of thirteen, not fifteen field players in each team. In the English tradition, the name “rugby union” (English rugby union - “rugby union”) was strengthened behind big rugby, which made it possible to distinguish the game from the emerging analogue. However, now in almost all countries of the world the word "rugby" means exactly the original version of the game.

The first test, that is, officially recognized by all international organizations, the match took place on March 27, 1871 - the teams of Scotland and England met in Edinburgh. By 1881 national teams appeared in Ireland and Wales, and from 1883 four British teams began to compete annually in the Home Nations Cup. In the same year, the first rugby-7 tournament was held (Melrose Sevens), a type of rugby in which teams are represented by seven players, and the match takes place in two halves of seven minutes. Five years later, the overall team of the British Isles went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Rugby players went to Australasia in private, but then the travel of British rugby players became traditional. Since the 1920s the team top athletes England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland is known as the "British Lions" (since 2001 - "British and Irish Lions"). Also in 1888, the New Zealand Aboriginal team visited the United Kingdom. In 1886, the International Rugby Board (IRB) was established, initially bringing together Welsh, Irish and Scottish sports officials. In 1890, England joined the council, and only in 1949 did Australia, New Zealand and South Africa become members. A truly international and global organization became only in the last quarter of the 20th century, when France, Argentina, the Pacific rugby powers and other countries became its members.

In 1905-1909, the three strongest teams in the Southern Hemisphere - Australia (1908-1909), New Zealand (1905-1906) and South Africa (1906-1907) - toured Europe and the USA. Foreign teams impressed the hosts with an innovative style of play, a high level of physical and tactical training and exceeded all expectations of local sports experts. New Zealanders before each match performed the Maori haka dance, which later became one of the main symbols of both the national team and rugby in general. Interestingly, during the team's match with the Welsh, Wales player Teddy Morgan called on fans to sing the national anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau in response to the actions of the New Zealanders. That match was the first time in the history of sports when the beginning of the competition was accompanied by the performance of the participant's anthem. In 1905, France made its debut on the international stage, playing with an English team. At the beginning of the 20th century, rugby was represented four times in the program of the Olympic Games.

During the First World War and the post-war period, major international and club tournaments were not held. However, some rugby matches were still played - for example, in 1919, the New Zealand Army team played a series of games in Europe. The even more violent conditions of the Second World War severely limited rugby geography. Even in Italy, Germany, Romania, which continued to support the national teams, only a few matches took place. In the UK, the only teams that did not stop playing were the rugby clubs of Oxford and Cambridge universities.

In 1973, as part of the celebration of the centenary of the Scottish Rugby Union, the first rugby sevens tournament was held, sanctioned by official rugby structures. The chronology of the development of rugby-7 is closely connected with the history of big rugby, since, unlike a number of other varieties of the game, the International Rugby Board controls the small version of the game.

From the late 1980s, the geography of world rugby began to expand rapidly, as the Rugby World Cup started in 1987. The first tournament was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the New Zealand team became the first winner of the world championship. The participants of the debut draw were exclusively teams invited to the championship, most of which were the elite of international rugby. However, the national teams of the USSR, South Africa (for political reasons) and Western Samoa did not take part in the championship. In 1993, the first world rugby sevens championship was held, and in 1998 this sport was included in the program of the Commonwealth Games. Rugby 7 has been an Olympic sport since 2016.

The International Rugby Board and other rugby organizations consistently championed the amateur game for much of the 20th century. However, in 1995, the council decided to give rugby a "free" status and abolish all restrictions on the wages of athletes. At the same time, the period preceding the turning point year was marked by frequent accusations of various players and clubs of violating the amateur code. One such complaint was considered by a special committee of the British House of Commons. Despite some negative effects caused by the transition to the professional level, the new system made possible the creation of new international tournaments, in particular the Heineken Cup in Europe and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1996, the Tri-Nations Cup (now the Rugby Championship) was launched, for which the teams of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and since 2012, Argentina have been fighting every year.

Inventory and equipment

The rugby ball has the shape of an elongated ellipsoid. The length of the projectile should not exceed 30 centimeters, its transverse girth - 62, and longitudinal - 77 centimeters. Historically, balls were made from leather, but now synthetic materials are used in their creation. A modern rugby ball is sewn together from four plates.

The player kit includes a rugby jersey, shorts, socks and studded boots to ensure good grip in various playing situations. Spikes made of metal or plastic must be free of sharp edges. Athletes can use additional equipment, the parameters of which are strictly regulated. One of the most common forms of additional protection is a mouth guard - in some countries its use is recognized as mandatory. Head safety is ensured by the use of a rugby helmet, the player's shoulders can be protected with thin elastic pads, and shin guards are used to prevent injury to the legs. It is allowed to wear bandages and teips, sometimes used to prevent ear injuries. Athlete's kit may include mitts, which do not have protective properties, but allow better control of the ball. Chest equipment is permitted in women's rugby. Before the match, the referees check the conformity of the equipment of the players with the requirements.

Governing Bodies

Global regulation of rugby-15, rugby-7 and a number of other sports disciplines is carried out by the International Rugby Board (IRB). Founded in 1886, the organization is headquartered in Dublin. The main task of the council is to publish the rules of the game and the general control over their observance. Since 2003, under the auspices of the IRB, the rating of national rugby-15 teams has been published, edited weekly. As of November 2012, the organization united 118 national organizations, 100 of which have full member status.

The Council hosts major international competitions, including the Men's and Women's World Cups, the Rugby World Cup, the World Series of Rugby Sevens, the Junior World Championship, the World Junior Trophy, the IRB Nations Cup and the Pacific Nations Cup. The Council determines the venue for each of the listed tournaments, with the exception of the World Series of Rugby Sevens: the tournament is held on the basis of agreements with a number of national rugby unions.

International management on regional level carried out by six organizations:

Confederation of African Rugby (CAR);

Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU);

North American and Caribbean Rugby AssociationNorth American and Caribbean Rugby Association, NACRA);

International Amateur Rugby Federation - European Rugby Association (fr.Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur - Association Européenne de Rugby, FIRA-AER);

Oceania Rugby Union FederationFederation of Oceania Rugby Unions, FORU);

South Americanconfederationrugby ( Spanish. Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby, CONSUR).

Since Australia, New Zealand and South Africa co-organize a number of competitions (Rugby Championship, Super Rugby), their joint projects are managed by the SANZAR organization. Argentina, which has recently joined the ranks of the strongest rugby powers in the Southern Hemisphere and currently does not have a representation in SANZAR, may soon be integrated into the overall structure.

Control over the process of development of rugby within individual states or their parts is carried out by national rugby unions cooperating with the IRB. Among the 26 council experts, 16 represent Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France (each national union delegates two members to the council), Argentina, Canada, Italy and Japan each have one representative. The six remaining seats are occupied by delegates from regional rugby associations.

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International distribution

Rugby originated in England, and after a while the game gained popularity in Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The further spread of rugby is associated with the activities of British emigrants, the military and students who studied abroad. In 1872, the British residents of Le Havre created the first rugby club in France. A year later, the Argentine teams "Banks" and "City" played the first match in the history of the country.

At least five states - Georgia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji - have recognized rugby as a national sport. The game has a similar status in Wales.

Oceania

In 1864, a rugby club appeared in Sydney, the largest city in the New South Wales. The history of rugby in New Zealand began in 1870, when Charles Munro, a former student at Christ's College in London, introduced the game to locals.

The game is quite popular in some island nations of Oceania. The first mention of Fijian rugby dates back to 1884: then a match between European and Fijian soldiers took place on the island of Viti Levu. In 1924, Fiji played their first away match in Samoa. Three years later, the Samoans established their own rugby union. An important role in the development of rugby in the islands of Tonga was played by Irish missionaries who arrived in Oceania in the 1920s. Teams from Niue, the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands also compete internationally.

North America and the Caribbean

In 1868, a rugby club appeared in Montreal. With the participation of Canadians, rugby appeared in the United States: in 1874, the teams of McGill University and Harvard University played a rugby match.

The exact date of the appearance of rugby in Trinidad and Tobago is unknown. In 1923, the inhabitants of the islands founded their first club - "Northern". In 1927, Caribbean rugby players assembled a national team, which in 1933 was to go to British Guiana. However, the tour was canceled and as a result the Trinidadians traveled to Barbados where rugby was first introduced to the local public. Jamaica and Bermuda also have some rugby traditions.

Europe

The development of rugby in Europe was largely accidental. British teams have traditionally competed with teams from the Southern Hemisphere, playing against other European teams only occasionally. Teams of the second European echelon, devoid of strong rivals, were forced to hold their own competitions - a similar situation takes place today. the only strong team, which regularly played with continental teams in the first half of the 20th century, was France. The interest of the French in other representatives of the mainland was especially evident during the years of isolation, when British teams excluded the French from the Five Nations Cup due to the professionalization of rugby in the country. The main rivals of France at that time were the national teams of Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Romania, Poland, Italy and Czechoslovakia. In 1934, at the initiative of the French Rugby Federation, the International Federation of Amateur Rugby (FIRA) was created, uniting national unions that did not then have membership in the IRB. The founders of FIRA included the Italian, Romanian, Dutch, Catalan, Portuguese, Czechoslovak and Swedish rugby unions. In parallel, rugby gained popularity in the Soviet Union. According to one version, Soviet rugby appeared in 1923, when the match was played by the teams of the Society physical education workers and the Moscow River Yacht Club (at the same time, some unofficial matches were held back in the tsarist period). Another source reports that the first match in the history of the country was held in 1933 between the team of the Moscow Institute physical culture and Dynamo Moscow. The Portuguese national team was created in 1922, and the first Portuguese championship took place in 1927.

South America

The most successful South American team is Argentina, one of the strongest teams south of the equator. The Argentine Rugby Union was founded in 1899. Among other countries with a rich rugby history, Brazil should be noted, in which the game has been known since the end of the 19th century, but regular matches began to be held in the country only in 1926. The match between Sao Paulo and Santos that took place then is noteworthy. The process of establishing the game in Uruguay, fueled by the enthusiasm of the Montevideo Cricket Club players, proceeded rather slowly. Only in 1951 did the national championship draws start, in the first season of which four clubs took part. The Rugby Union of Chile came into being in 1948, and the Rugby governing body of Paraguay was established in 1968.

Asia

Rugby traditions in many Asian countries date back to the time of the power of the British Empire. Indians have known the game since the 1870s, and the first local team, Calcutta, was founded in 1872. After the withdrawal of British troops from the region, Indian rugby practically ceased to exist. And yet, the heyday of rugby in this Asian country left an imprint even on the European history of the game. The oldest international trophy in rugby, the Calcutta Cup, is awarded to the winners of the annual matches between England and Scotland. The Sri Lanka Rugby Union was formed in 1878. One of the main successes of the Sri Lankan national team was the victory in the All India Cup in 1920. The Malaysian rugby authorities, like their counterparts in Sri Lanka, failed to maintain reliable information about the origins of rugby in the country. It is known that the first match in Malaysia took place in 1892, but the official date for the formation of Malaysian rugby is 1922 - then the HMS Malaya tournament was held, named after the British ship. The ancestor of rugby in Japan was Ginnosuke Tanaka, who was educated at Cambridge. The Japan National Union began its activities in 1926. The most important event for the Japanese will be the 2019 World Cup, which will be held in the Land of the Rising Sun. Singapore, the Republic of Korea, China and the Philippines have relatively strong national teams. A special position among Asian rugby unions is occupied by the Hong Kong organization, which provides significant assistance to the development of rugby-7s in Asia. Since 1976, a prestigious tournament has been held in Hong Kong for this type of game.

From the 1950s, rugby began to gain fans in the Middle East. British and French soldiers armed forces, who occupied the region after the Second World War, introduced the locals to the game. When the military left the Middle East bases, rugby clubs continued to exist thanks to the efforts of other Europeans who worked outside the military sector. The Rugby Union of Oman has been active since 1971, and Sultan Qaboos bin Said patronizes the activities of the institute. A year later, a rugby union was formed in Bahrain. Since 1975 Dubai has hosted international tournament rugby sevens. With all this, the Middle East region has only a small representation in the IRB. As of 2011, only the Israeli national team is included in the world rankings.

Africa

In 1875, British soldiers brought rugby to the South African Cape Town. The further spread of the game on the African continent took place at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Often, fans of the game held racist views, not allowing representatives of the indigenous population to the matches. Black Africans therefore showed no interest in the game and did not hold separate competitions. Rugby became successful not only in the states of South Africa, but also in neighboring Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The country's rugby union was founded in 1895. However, with the departure of the colonial authorities, the popularity of European sports in Africa declined.

Now rugby is one of the leading sports in a number of countries with a predominance of the black population. At the beginning of the 21st century, matches of the Madagascar national team were held in the presence of 40,000 fans. Since 1999, Namibia, whose rugby union has been functioning since 1915, has become a participant in the final part of the World Cup four times. Also in the IRB ranking are Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. South Africa and Kenya's rugby sevens teams are also among the twelve permanent members of the IRB World Series.

Key competitions

The main international rugby competition is the World Cup, held every four years among men's national teams. In 2011, the New Zealand team became the world champion, beating the French in the final of the championship - 8: 7. The first championship draw took place in 1987, and in the entire history of the tournament, not a single team managed to defend the championship title. First trophy winners best team world - Webb Ellis Cup - also became the New Zealanders. In 1991 and 1999, the title of the strongest went to the Australians, and in 1995 and 2007, representatives of South Africa became champions. The first and only team from the Northern Hemisphere at the moment to win the World Cup was the English team - the title was submitted to the British in 2003. Other major international competitions are the Six Nations Cup and the Rugby Championship, in which the strongest teams of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively, fight for the championship.

The Six Nations Cup is played annually between six European teams: England, Ireland, Italy, Wales, France and Scotland. During the season, all teams play one game with each other. For the first time the struggle for the cup took place in 1883. Initially, only four teams representing the British Isles fought for the victory, and the tournament was held under the name "International Home Championship" (Eng. Home International Championships). At the beginning of the 20th century, a French team joined the ranks. From 1910 to 1931 the tournament was known as the Five Nations Cup. In 1931, due to disagreements between French sports officials and representatives of other rugby unions over the professional nature of the game, the French team was excluded from further draws. Among other reasons for such a decision, the low results of the team and the rude demeanor of the French on the field were indicated. In 1939-1940, the French again replenished the composition of the Cup participants, but the Second World War forced the organizers to stop holding the tournament. The competition of the leading teams in Europe resumed in 1947. France took part in all post-war Cup competitions, and in 2000 the Italian team became the sixth participant in the tournament. At the moment, between the Italians and other representatives of the European rugby elite, there is still an a big difference both in game and in organizational terms. For example, Rome's Stadio Flaminho, where the Italians play their home matches, is the smallest stadium in terms of capacity for the Six Nations Cup. The 2012 Cup winner was Wales, who also won Grand slam, awarded for defeating all opponents during the season.

The rugby leaders of the Southern Hemisphere compete in the Rugby Championship, also known as the Four Nations Cup. The first draw of the tournament took place in 1996, and until the 2011 season, three teams fought for the main prize of the championship: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. These commands for for long years occupy top positions in international ranking IRB, and many experts considered the competition of the three giants as the strongest international championship. Initially, the tournament was held according to a two-round scheme, when the team played each opponent twice, at home and away. In 2006, a new tournament system was adopted, which included three competitive rounds. Twice, in 2007 and 2011, that is, during the years of the World Championships, the organizers returned to the original scheme. The successful performance of the Argentinean team at the 2007 World Championship was, according to a number of analysts, the basis for joining the South Americans to the number of participants cup three nations. In 2009, the organization responsible for the tournament, SANZAR, sent an invitation to the Argentine Rugby Union to participate in the championship since 2012. The debut of the Argentines in the tournament led to a number of changes in the championship regulations. In particular, now the competition is held in two rounds and is officially called The Rugby Championship.

Rugby tours

In the early days of international rugby, frequent matches between national teams were not possible due to high transport costs. Under these conditions, foreign tours became the main form of international competitions, in which the teams went abroad and played a series of matches there with various rivals. The first high-level intercontinental matches took place in 1888. The British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand, and then the New Zealanders came to Europe. By tradition, the countries of the Southern Hemisphere became the most attractive destination for the British for the tour. Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans, in turn, willingly visited European countries. Tours usually lasted for several months, due to the distance traveled and the large number of meetings held. The New Zealand tourists of 1888 left the country's shores in June and did not finish playing until August 1889, having played a total of 107 matches. The southern teams played with rivals representing a particular country, club or county, while the northerners were met by national teams or provincial teams.

Rugby as part of complex competitions

Rugby was featured in the Olympic Games in 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924. According to the rules of the International Olympic Committee England, Wales and Scotland could not compete separately in the Olympic Rugby Tournament. Thus, the British team was formed, which shared the silver medals of the 1900 tournament with Germany, and the French became the winners. In 1908 Olympic champions were representatives of the Australasian team. In 1920 and 1924, the Olympic gold went to the Americans. In 2009, IOC members approved the inclusion of rugby sevens in the program of the Summer Olympic Games from 2016. The head of the IRB, Bernard Lapassé, said that the Olympic gold rugby tournament would be "the pinnacle of our sport."

Rugby 7 has been part of the Commonwealth Games since 1998. The last winner of the tournament was the New Zealand team, which won the fourth title in a row. Also, since 1998, spectators of the Asian Games have been able to watch rugby-15 and rugby-7 tournaments. Since 2006, rugby-15 has been excluded from the program, and in 2010, women's rugby-7 was included in the number of competitive disciplines. Japan won the men's tournament at the 2010 Games, while Kazakhstan's team won the women's tournament.

Women's rugby

The facts of holding rugby matches with the participation of women were established in the 19th century. According to the documents of a certain Emily Valentine, in 1887 she managed to assemble a female team among the students of Portora Royal School in Ireland. Despite this report, as well as data from women's competitions in France and New Zealand, one of the first officially recognized matches is considered to be a 1917 game between Cardiff Ladies and Newport Ladies at Cardiff Arms Park. There is a photograph of the Cardiff team. In the last thirty years, women's rugby has experienced a resurgence in popularity. According to the IRB, women's rugby clubs operate in more than 100 countries, which is comparable to men's rugby.

In 1983, the Women's Rugby Union was created, bringing together the women's rugby organizations of the British Isles. The union is the oldest formalized organization in women's rugby. In 1994, a new Women's Rugby Union was born to serve as the forerunner in England. At the same time, Ireland, Wales and Scotland established their own organizations of a similar nature. The most prestigious competition in women's rugby is the World Cup.

International competitions

The first match between women's rugby teams was held in 1982 in Utrecht: the hostess hosted French women. By 2009, more than 600 international matches had taken place, involving more than 40 women's teams.

Practical jokes women's championships world started in 1991. The first tournament held in Wales was won by the United States team. The second world tournament was held in 1994, and since then the world title has been awarded once every four years. New Zealand rugby players have won the last four championships (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010).

Other competitions are held on a regular basis. The Women's Six Nations Cup is held in parallel with the men's competition. The winner of the first season in 1996 was the English women who won the tournament a total of 13 times. Representatives of the United Kingdom became champions seven times in a row (2006-2012).

Varieties of rugby

The combination of the two most popular varieties of the game - rugby-15 and rugby league - in English-speaking countries is denoted by the concept of rugby football (English rugby football). The style of play is the same for both types, and the differences in the rules relate to such characteristics as, for example, the number of field players, playing time. The international governance of rugby league is carried out by the International Rugby League Federation (RLIF). There are many other varieties of the game which (with the exception of beach rugby) are either run by the IRB or run by the RLIF. A very successful sport is rugby sevens, whose history began in 1883 in the Scottish town of Melrose.

The International Rugby Board provides international interaction between athletes and organizations in big rugby, American flag, mini rugby, sevens rugby, snow rugby, tag rugby, touch rugby and ten's rugby. The Rugby League Federation is responsible for title sport, masters rugby league, mini league, mod league, nine rugby, seven rugby, tag rugby, touch rugby and wheelchair rugby. Rugby 7 tournaments are held by both federations, however, the International Rugby Board variant has the status of an Olympic sport.

The game of rugby is often tough. In order to adapt the playing conditions for children's training, special rules have been developed that significantly reduce the risk of injury. In one of the types of "light" rugby, touch rugby, traditional grips are replaced by a symbolic gesture: in order to take possession of the ball, it is enough to touch the opponent with both hands. This format of the game allows men and women, both children and adults, to compete together. In the game of tag rugby, the equipment of each rugby player is supplemented with a belt with two Velcro tags. Unfastening one of them is recognized as equivalent to a capture in big rugby. Another important difference in tag rugby is that kicking the ball is not allowed. Mini rugby is a special kind of game for children. Only nine players from each team participate in mini-rugby matches. At the same time, games are played on a smaller field. American Flag Rugby is another non-contact variant of the game suitable for joint matches between men and women. The rules of the game were developed for US schoolchildren. A feature of mini rugby and American flag rugby that distinguishes them from tag rugby is the differentiation of rules for different age groups of players. Senior athletes use more complex elements in the game.

Influence on other sports

The emergence and evolution of rugby has contributed to the emergence or transformation of several other sports. American football, Canadian football, and many other North American games of a similar type developed from the early forms of rugby. The word "rugby" appeared in the name of the first Canadian football federations. For example, the organization of football competitions was carried out by the Ontario Rugby Football Union and the Quebec Rugby Football Union. Some historians argue that rugby and other games that originated in English public schools had a decisive influence on the formation of Australian football. Tom Wills, one of the pioneers of this sports discipline was a student at Rugby School. Swedish football originated at the intersection of football and rugby rules. Some athletes use a spherical ball to play, while other players use an ellipsoid-shaped projectile. There are currently no competitions in this sport.

The creator of basketball, James Naismith, borrowed all sorts of elements from other sports, among which, perhaps, rugby. An obvious similarity is the drop-ball order in basketball and the lineout in rugby. Naismith himself played basketball during his years at McGill University. Wheelchair rugby (English wheelchair rugby), despite the name, has more similarities with wheelchair basketball, hockey and handball than with English game.

Statistics

According to a study published by Coventry University's International Business of Sport in 2011, there are now more than 4.5 rugby players in the world (all IRB-supported varieties are taken into account). Compared to the previous report from 2007, an increase of 19% was registered. It is indicated that over the four years considered, rugby has become 33% more popular in Africa, 22% in South America, while Asia and North America grew by 18%. However, the 2010 IRB Strategic Development Plan reports that more than 3.5 million men, women and children play rugby.

The most important event in the world of rugby - the World Cup - has been continuously developing since 1987. The first draw of the tournament, which brought together 16 participants, was broadcast in 17 countries, and the number of television viewers of the championship exceeded 230 million. Less than a million people attended the championship matches in total. 94 national teams took part in the 2007 championship and the tournaments that preceded it, and the number of tickets sold for the games was 3,850,000. The championship matches were shown in 200 countries, and in total, 4.2 billion people became the championship viewers.

The world rugby leader in terms of the number of matches at the highest international level is the player of the Australian national team George Gregan. The team captain played 139 games for the Wallabies. Most points in international games earned New Zealander Dan Carter: on his account 1360 points. In April 2010, the Lithuanian team, not participating in the leading international competitions, set a world record for the number of victories won in a row. The Baltic rugby players managed to win eighteen meetings in a row - the last victory came in a game with the Serbs. At the same time on highest level The leaders in this indicator are the New Zealanders and South Africans, who won 17 meetings in a row. The biggest score in an international match was recorded on October 27, 1994, when the Hong Kong team beat opponents from Singapore with a score of 164:13. The greatest difference in the score was established in two matches in 2002: the Japanese won against Taiwan with a score of 155:3, and the Argentine national team broke the resistance of the Paraguayans, earning 152 unanswered points.

Rugby in culture

The action of Thomas Hughes' story "Tom Brown's Schooldays", published in 1857, takes place in a school in the city of Rugby, the work contains a description of a rugby match. In the 1940s, based on the story, a film of the same name was made. Several of James Joyce's works, including the novels Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, mention the Irish rugby team the Bective Rangers. The author's autobiographical work "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man" reports on Ireland international James Magee. In the Sherlock Holmes episode "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" Arthur Conan Doyle mentioned that Dr. rugby team"Blackheath".

In 1908, Henri Rousseau depicted competing rugby players in his painting Joueurs de football. The theme of rugby was also touched upon in the works of other French artists: the game is dedicated to Les Joueurs de football (1912) by Albert Gleizes, Football. L'Equipe de Cardiff (1916)RobertDelaunayAndPartie de Rugby (1917)Andrelota. In the competition of drawings and watercolors on Olympic Games In 1928, the Luxembourger Jean Jacobi won with the work of Rugby.

The 1949 comedy A Run for Your Money by Ealing Studios and the BBC Wales film Grand Slam (1979) are dedicated to rugby fans. The independent films Old Scores (1991) and Forever Strong (2008) are dedicated to the game. The film Invictus (2009), based on the book Playing the Enemy by John Carlin, tells the story of the events that took place at the 1995 World Cup and the social situation in South Africa after Nelson Mandela came to the post of head of the republic.

Near London's Twickenham Stadium, there is an eight-meter bronze sculpture by Gerald Laing depicting a corridor draw. Near the Millennium Arena in Cardiff is a statue of rugby official Sir Tasker Watkins. The sculptural compositions are dedicated to players Gareth Edwards (Cardiff) and Dani Craven (Stellenbosch).

The essence of the game

Team in blue (Western Force) in attack

The game is played on a rectangular grass field measuring 100×70 m, the short sides of which are adjoined by rectangular scoring zones 10 to 22 m wide. The maximum size of the playing field is therefore 144×70 m, and the area is 1.008 ha. The duration of the game is two halves of 40 minutes of "pure" time (the referee stops the stopwatch while providing medical assistance to the players, during meetings with the side referees and the referee's work on video replays). After the expiration of 40 minutes, the game does not stop, but continues until the ball becomes "dead" (goes out or is played with a forward hand).

Players pass each other an oval ball, trying to bring it as close to the end zone as possible. If an attacking player brings the ball into the end zone and touches the ground with it, his team scores 5 points ( attempt, or skid; English try) and the right to an additional blow ( implementation; English conversion), which must be made from any point on an imaginary line parallel to the sideline drawn through the place where the attempt was made. Points can also be earned by kicking the ball into the goal from a free kick or from a specially executed kick during the game ( drop goal; English drop goal).

The ball can be thrown to a player of his team ( pass), but only back or parallel to the end line. The ball can be sent forward with the foot, but the striker himself or the player of his team who was behind the striker at the moment of impact can catch it.

Rules

Team Structure

forwards

1. Forward of the first line of the open side (left pillar).
2. Player (hooker).
3. Forward of the first line of the closed side (right pillar).
4, 5. Forwards of the second line (castles).
6. Closed flanker.
7. Open flanker.
8. Contracting (figure eight).

Defenders

9. Halfback scrum (nine).
10. Wandering midfielder (ten).
11. Left winged three-quarter.
12. Inside center.
13. Outside center.
14. Right three-quarter.
15. Fullback (closing).

Player positions

Positions of players in a rugby team

It is also interesting that in rugby forwards are powerful, but not very fast players, responsible for the power game, including defense, and pressure to move forward. For fast breaks, three-quarters are usually responsible (in English backs).

Glasses

Points in rugby can be scored as follows:

• Attempt(5 points) - a player of the attacking team puts the ball into scoring area located between the goal line (including this line itself) and the dead ball line, and, holding it with his hand, touches the ground with it, or presses the ball to the ground with any part of the arm or body from the waist to the neck inclusive.

• Penalty try(5 points) - assigned if the player could have made a try, but this did not happen due to rough play on the part of the opponent. A penalty try is awarded to the center of the goal.

• Implementation(2 points) - Any player on the team that made the try (usually the player with the best kick) places the ball at any point opposite where the try was made and kicks the goal. If he hits (that is, the ball flies over the crossbar and between the vertical poles, even if it is higher than them), the try is considered realized. Players of the other team must be in their own end zone.

• Free kick(3 points) - for some violations of the rules (see below), the referee awards a penalty. If the team entitled to do so decides to kick it, the ball is placed on the spot where the infringement occurred and one of the players kicks at the goal.

• Drop goal(3 points) - any player, when the ball is in play, has the right to kick at the goal. To do this, he must drop the ball and, when it touches the ground, hit it (kicks on goal from the hands prohibited). In principle, such blows (eng. drop kicks) can also be used for conversions and penalties, but usually they are not used in these cases.

Game progress

Main competitions

Rugby World Cup

As part of this tournament, the following are also played: Bledisloe Cup (eng. Bledisloe Cup) (between New Zealand and Australia), Liberty Cup (between New Zealand and South Africa), Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup (between Australia and South Africa), Puma Cup (eng. Puma Trophy) (between Australia and Argentina). In 2009, New Zealand won the Bledisloe Cup for the seventh consecutive time.

European Nations Cup

Main article: European Nations Cup

European teams of the second tier compete for the European Cup of Nations. The teams participating in this competition organized by the European Rugby Association (FIRA-AER) are divided into several divisions. The cup itself is played in the first division, where competitions are held for two seasons. In the 2011 edition, teams from Romania, Georgia, Portugal, Spain, Russia and Ukraine play in the first division.

Other varieties of rugby

Rugby should not be confused with rugby leagues (or rugby 13s) - a game derived from rugby, which is today an independent version of football (just like rugby and American football are different). A variant of rugby is rugby sevens under the rules of rugby union, with minor amendments. Rugby 15s and Rugby 7s are governed by the International Rugby Board (IRB). Rugby 10 is another variation of rugby. There are also non-contact varieties of rugby - touch rugby and tag rugby - which are used for teaching children under 12 years old, as well as as a sport for the whole family.

see also

	Portal "Rugby"
	Rugby in Wiktionary
	Rugby at Wikimedia Commons
	Rugby at Wikinews
	Project "Rugby"

• beach rugby
• Tag rugby

Notes

Links

Olympic sports
Summer

Rugby- sports team game with an oval-shaped ball on a court with an H-shaped gate. Purpose of the game: by passing the ball to each other with hands (only backwards) or feet (in any direction), ground it in the in-goal or score into the opponent's goal, for which the team is charged a certain amount of points. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins.

Rugby rules allow tough power struggle, respectively, players are required to have good physical and functional training, endurance, mobility, strength, wrestling skills and certain moral and volitional qualities. In many countries, rugby is popular in power structures and special forces: for example, in the USSR it was cultivated in parts of the Airborne Forces.

Rugby is currently played in over 100 countries, primarily in Europe, Africa, South America and the Pacific. The total number of players is several million people.

History of rugby

The roots of rugby in modern form go to 1823. The traditional version of the origin of rugby is as follows: this game was invented by William Webb Ellis at a school in the city of Rugby in Warwickshire. At that time, students from many schools played a team game similar to rugby and football at the same time. There were not so many rules in this game. In one of these matches, Webb Ellis decided to play "foul": he simply grabbed the ball and ran towards the opponent with it in his hands. Many now doubt that the Webb Ellis story actually took place, but this version is considered generally accepted.

Nearly 50 years after the Webb Ellis "hoax" - on January 26, 1871 - club representatives from all over England met and formed an organization called the Rugby Football Union, which was called upon to lead the development of this sport. The main task was to adopt a single set of rules.

Two months later, on March 27, the first ever international rugby match between England and Scotland took place.

However, as rugby clubs began to gain strength, a scandal erupted in 1893. There were rumors that clubs from the north of England were offering players money for moving from one team to another. The Rugby Union did not agree with this state of affairs at all. The leadership of the union believed that the game should have remained amateur - there should not be any monetary payments in it. However, teams from Yorkshire and Lancashire have insisted that they need to pay money to players who lost in "civilian" wages by participating in matches. When the rugby union rejected wage proposals outright, the rebel clubs decided to leave the organization. There was a split. These clubs in August 1895 organized the Northern Rugby Union. The name of the organization was soon changed to Rugby League. Not only the name has changed, but also the rules, and, to a large extent. Just like that now there are two different types sports: rugby union (or regular rugby) and rugby league (or rugby 13).

Rugby has long been an amateur sport. However, in the 1980s, top rugby union players began to leave their clubs to play rugby league at a professional level. And only in 1995 rugby union gave up and switched to a professional track. This meant that rugby players could now earn a living from their game. Since then, rugby around the world has become stronger and more interesting every year. And the name of Webb Ellis is immortalized in history: it is the name of the cup awarded to the winner of the Rugby World Cup, which takes place every four years.

The Rugby Union of the USSR was founded in 1936, at the same time the USSR national team was formed. In 1991 and 1992 there was a CIS rugby team.The Russian team has never played in the final tournament of the Rugby World Cup.