New to Rugby?
Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States! Not only are more players getting involved on a local level, but there is also a growing professional league (Major League Rugby). In terms of attendance, the Rugby World Cup is the second most popular single-event sporting event in the world. (Second only to FIFA’s World Cup.)
The allure of rugby is easy to understand yet hard to explain. Who can’t appreciate the toughness required to play a fast-paced, hard-hitting game that is 60 minutes long with no timeouts and only a 5- minute halftime! All players play both defense and offense at any given time during a game. And, most appealing is the fact that there is a position for everyone who wants to play – large or thin, short or tall. Above all, rugby is a social sport that praises competition but demands good sportsmanship.
Rugby Ethos
The International Rugby Board, (the worldwide rugby governing body), Playing Charter states:
“Rugby owes much of its appeal to the fact that it is played both to the letter and within the spirit of the Laws. The responsibility for ensuring this practice lies not with one individual — it involves coaches, captains, players and referees. It is through discipline, control and mutual respect that the spirit of the game flourishes and, in the context of a game as physically challenging as Rugby, these are the qualities which forge the fellowship and sense of fair play so essential to the game’s ongoing success and survival.
Rugby is valued as a sport for men and women, boys and girls. It builds teamwork, understanding, co-operation and respect for fellow athletes. It is because of, not despite, rugby’s intensely physical and athletic characteristics that such great camaraderie exists before and after matches.”
To help further the positive values that rugby engenders, USA Rugby has partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance© (PCA). Through its coach education and development programs, USA Rugby promotes the “Double-Goal Coach,” who wants to win but has a second, more important, goal of using sports to teach life lessons; and the principle of “Honoring the Game.” This includes having respect for the ROOTS of the game; Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and Self.
Rugby Basics
In addition to the infographic and videos below, Wikipedia has a great overview of Rugby Union rules.
