Sunday, January 4, 2009
Rugby League
Rugby League is one of the two codes of rugby football, with the other code being rugby union. It is a full contact team sport, played with ball the same shape as the football, but much wider. This code is used mostly in Australia, England, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France and Wales, and it is in these countries that the sport is played professionally. It is also played in the amateur and semi professional levels in such countries and Ireland, Scotland, Russia, the United States and Canada.
The origins of Rugby can be traced back to early football history, by means of the playing of games which have little to no resemblance to modern sports. In 19th century England, football was played across the country in private schools, each with individual rules varying on the size of field that was used. In the later half of the century, the games began to be codified. A number of clubs that played the game under the set of rules used by Rugby School, located in Rugby, Warwickshire, which is one of the oldest public schools in England at present, got together and formed the Rugby Football Union. Rugby was played mainly by the working-class in northern England, and the middle-class in Southern England.
In 1982-1983, there was dispute between the northern clubs and the southern clubs. Since rugby was played as an amateur sport, it was against the rules for players to be paid. Some of the northern rugby clubs had compensated their players for missing work due to game commitments. On August 29th, 1895, 22 northern rugby clubs met and agreed to resign from the Rugby Football Union and form their own, the Northern Rugby Football Union. In 1922, the name was changed to the Northern Rugby Football League, which is the origin of the name rugby league. Since then, the rules have continued to change and we now have two distinct, different sports.
Field:
-120m long100m used for general play
-50m line in middle
-lines going towards each end in intervals of 10m
-at each end, there is a goal line, and 10m back is the dead ball zone
-about 68m wide
-dead ball lines and side lines make up boundaries
Positions: The players are divided into forwards and backs, each player being given a number from 1-17. 1-13 are on the field, and 14-17 as substitutes. Each team may use up to 12 substitutions per game.
The origins of Rugby can be traced back to early football history, by means of the playing of games which have little to no resemblance to modern sports. In 19th century England, football was played across the country in private schools, each with individual rules varying on the size of field that was used. In the later half of the century, the games began to be codified. A number of clubs that played the game under the set of rules used by Rugby School, located in Rugby, Warwickshire, which is one of the oldest public schools in England at present, got together and formed the Rugby Football Union. Rugby was played mainly by the working-class in northern England, and the middle-class in Southern England.
In 1982-1983, there was dispute between the northern clubs and the southern clubs. Since rugby was played as an amateur sport, it was against the rules for players to be paid. Some of the northern rugby clubs had compensated their players for missing work due to game commitments. On August 29th, 1895, 22 northern rugby clubs met and agreed to resign from the Rugby Football Union and form their own, the Northern Rugby Football Union. In 1922, the name was changed to the Northern Rugby Football League, which is the origin of the name rugby league. Since then, the rules have continued to change and we now have two distinct, different sports.
Field:
-120m long100m used for general play
-50m line in middle
-lines going towards each end in intervals of 10m
-at each end, there is a goal line, and 10m back is the dead ball zone
-about 68m wide
-dead ball lines and side lines make up boundaries
Positions: The players are divided into forwards and backs, each player being given a number from 1-17. 1-13 are on the field, and 14-17 as substitutes. Each team may use up to 12 substitutions per game.
Backs : Generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Very creative, and evasive, these players tend to prefer kicking, passing, or maneuvering skills. They use these skills instead of brute force. The positions in back include
Fullbacks – usually good ball catchers and clinical tacklers
Wings – Usually fastest players on team. Can be found on far right and left of field. They receive passes and score tries.
Centers – Creates attacking opportunities Stand-off Half – Responsible for passing the ball to the rest of the team in attack
Scrum Half - One of smallest players on field. Feeds scrums, and collects it via hooker.
Forwards: Usually much larger than the backs, they provide the brute force part of the game. The positions in forward include:
Hooker – Middle of front row in scrum, attempts to get possession of ball during scrums.
Prop – Largest players in game, work on either side of hooker in scrum and use their size for straight runs into the oppositions side.
Second Row Forward – Often make a lot of runs and do a lot of tackling.
Loose Forwards – Most responsibility of any forward. They lock the second row forwards in the scrum, and are usually the first to make the tackle out of the scrum.
Game Play - The play starts with a ground kick from half, from one team to the other. If a kick goes out of bounds, the play is restarted and a penalty awarded to the team that has not kicked. Each team takes turns throughout the game attacking the opponents side, and defending their own.
A try is scored when a player grounds the ball in the in goal area, or on the try line. A try is worth four points. After a try is scored, the scoring team has the opportunity to try a conversion, which is worth two points. They do this by groundkicking the ball. It can be as far away from the try line as the kicker likes, but must be in line with where the try was grounded. As well, the teams may attempt a field goal, drop kicking the ball through the uprights of the goal post. While passing in the game, the ball must be passed behind the player in possession, or lateral in a parallel line to the try line. A forward pass is penalized by a change of possession.
The primary defense in rugby league is the tackle. A successful tackle will cause a halt in play, and the defending team has to move back 10m towards their end of the field. There is a limit of 6 tackles before the ball is handed over to the defending team, where they then make an assault. A scrum is caused when the front line of the forwards of both teams lock together and push against each other. The second forwards push behind the front, and the loose forward pushes from at the very end of the scrum. Traditionally used a competition for possession of the ball, uncontested scrums have been introduced, where the ball is fed into the second row. This is to give advantage to the side that is awarded the scrum.
Fullbacks – usually good ball catchers and clinical tacklers
Wings – Usually fastest players on team. Can be found on far right and left of field. They receive passes and score tries.
Centers – Creates attacking opportunities Stand-off Half – Responsible for passing the ball to the rest of the team in attack
Scrum Half - One of smallest players on field. Feeds scrums, and collects it via hooker.
Forwards: Usually much larger than the backs, they provide the brute force part of the game. The positions in forward include:
Hooker – Middle of front row in scrum, attempts to get possession of ball during scrums.
Prop – Largest players in game, work on either side of hooker in scrum and use their size for straight runs into the oppositions side.
Second Row Forward – Often make a lot of runs and do a lot of tackling.
Loose Forwards – Most responsibility of any forward. They lock the second row forwards in the scrum, and are usually the first to make the tackle out of the scrum.
Game Play - The play starts with a ground kick from half, from one team to the other. If a kick goes out of bounds, the play is restarted and a penalty awarded to the team that has not kicked. Each team takes turns throughout the game attacking the opponents side, and defending their own.
A try is scored when a player grounds the ball in the in goal area, or on the try line. A try is worth four points. After a try is scored, the scoring team has the opportunity to try a conversion, which is worth two points. They do this by groundkicking the ball. It can be as far away from the try line as the kicker likes, but must be in line with where the try was grounded. As well, the teams may attempt a field goal, drop kicking the ball through the uprights of the goal post. While passing in the game, the ball must be passed behind the player in possession, or lateral in a parallel line to the try line. A forward pass is penalized by a change of possession.
The primary defense in rugby league is the tackle. A successful tackle will cause a halt in play, and the defending team has to move back 10m towards their end of the field. There is a limit of 6 tackles before the ball is handed over to the defending team, where they then make an assault. A scrum is caused when the front line of the forwards of both teams lock together and push against each other. The second forwards push behind the front, and the loose forward pushes from at the very end of the scrum. Traditionally used a competition for possession of the ball, uncontested scrums have been introduced, where the ball is fed into the second row. This is to give advantage to the side that is awarded the scrum.
Equipment -
Mouthguard
Ball
Rugby Shorts
Metal Studded Cleats
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