According to tradition, the game of rugby, or rugger, began in 1823. During a game of football (soccer) at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it toward the goal. This was against the rules of the game. However, it led to the start of the new game called rugby.

Playing area and equipment

Rugby is a game played by two teams. Rugby Union, or amateur rugby, is played with 15-member teams; Rugby League, or professional rugby, is played with 13-member teams. The game is played on a rectangular field, 69 meters wide. The length of the field, which is the distance between the goal lines, is 100 meters. The end zone area beyond the goal lines, called “in goal,” is 22 meters deep. The two goalposts, 5.6 meters apart, are at the center of the goal lines. They are connected with a crossbar 3 meters above the ground.

The inflated ball is oval. The outside casing of the ball is made of leather or plastic. The players wear jerseys, shorts, socks, and boots with cleats. No hard protective equipment is allowed.

Rules

The game is usually played in two 40-minute halves with no time-outs. Only two substitutions for injured players can be made during a game. The players may catch the ball, throw it, or run with it, but they may not pass the ball forward. They may also maneuver the ball with their feet.

The referee controls the game by keeping track of the time and the score and enforcing the rules. The referee is helped by two touch-judges, who signal when the ball or player has gone into the goal and watch for players stepping out of bounds.

Scrum, or scrummage, and line-out are the two basic formations of the game. Scrum is the formation made by eight players of each team when they link their arms with each other and bend forward. The ball is placed in the middle of the formation and the players use their feet to get the ball for their team. A line-out is when the ball is reintroduced into the game after it has gone out over the touchline. To do this, at least two members of each team line up perpendicular to the touchline where the ball crossed over. The ball is thrown in above the space between the two lined up players, who try to grab the ball for their teams.

A tackle occurs when a player carrying the ball is sent to the ground or is held immobile by one or more opponents. When a player touches the ball down in the opponents' goal area, that player scores a “try,” or touchdown, worth four points. When a player kicks the ball over the crossbar of the opponents' goalposts, a goal worth three points is scored. The winning team is the one that scores the most points.

There is also a variation to the game, called rugby sevens, or seven-a-side. As the name suggests, seven members in each team play the game. The game was invented in Scotland in 1883 and has become very popular in Asia. World Cup competition for this variety began in 1993.

History

Although tradition has it that the game of rugby was begun by Ellis, more exact historians date the origin of the game to a runner called Mackie in about 1838.

In 1871, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was formed as the English governing body, and the first match was played between England and Scotland. The Scottish Football Union was formed in 1873, and this body became known as the Scottish Rugby Union in 1924. The Irish Football Union and its rival, North of Ireland Football Union, were formed in 1874. The two finally merged in 1879 as the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Welsh Rugby Union was formed in 1881.

Rugby Union has two international bodies. The International Rugby Football Board, the rule-making body, was established in 1866 and the Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA), was established in 1934. The former had members from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, France, South Africa, and Australia. The scope of the board was widened in the mid-1980s, when associated member countries were allowed. The FIRA included members from Germany, France, The Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Catalonia.

The highest level of international competition for Rugby Union teams is the World Cup, played for the William Webb Ellis Trophy. Inaugurated in 1987, it was hosted jointly by New Zealand and Australia. Sixteen countries took part and the final was held in Auckland, New Zealand.

Rugby Football League is the governing body of professional rugby. It was founded in England in 1895. It was originally called the Northern Rugby Football Union. The league adopted its present name in 1922.