The Odds

Rugby Union

07.15.2011 | By: Chris Morton
+Chris Morton

Rugby is a game that has been around since the early 1800s. While it is played all over the world, it got started in the United Kingdom, at the Rugby School. There are two main forms of the game. One is Rugby League. The other is Rugby Union. It is also sometimes just called rugby.

Rugby Union is a form of football. Rugby is a form of football. It is played with an oval ball that has to get put through goals at either end of the field. It looks similar to American football. The players are allowed to carry the ball, but not throw it. They can move the ball down the field either by carrying it or by kicking it. It is a full contract sports, and minimal pads are used by the players. There is a record of injuries, sometimes severe, that have come out of professional or high level amateur games.

The game is governed world wide by the International Rugby Board. They are based out of Dublin, Ireland. They are also made up of 6 lower commissions. The one that includes Australia is the Federation of Oceania Rugby Union. They are made up of 12 countries in the Pacific. The FORU runs 3 rugby cup competitions. The IRB has one, the World Cup, which is played every 4 years, and includes teams from all over the world.

Part of the reason that people like playing Rugby Union is that it is accessible to anyone. The rules of rugby and rugby league are slightly different and include how big the teams are. The biggest rule change is about what happens after tackles. Rugby teams have smaller teams that rugby league teams do. People are very loyal to their local teams, and to the larger teams. When it comes time for the Rugby World Cup, the games are some of the most watched games all over the world. People become very fanatical over the games, and they can lead to hours of debate and replays for days and even months or years after the games have been played.