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TennisThe Rugby Union Portal
Rugby union (often referred to as just rugby or union, and in Australia and New Zealand as football or footy) is a variant of rugby football. Rugby union is played by teams with 15 players. The name comes from the name of the game's original governing body, the Rugby Football Union. It is one of several codes of rugby football, the others including rugby league, rugby sevens and touch rugby.
Like other forms of rugby football the game was developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby school in England. The crucial differences from football (soccer) are that in rugby the ball is a prolate spheroid instead of a sphere and that the players are allowed to pick the ball up and run with it. The players are also allowed to throw the ball from player to player, but unlike American football they are not allowed to throw it forward; ie the ball must only be passed sideways or backward.
Rugby union was invented in the town of Rugby, England in 1823. It has established itself as a major global sport, especially popular in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Australia, Argentina and South Africa. Rugby is also gaining popularity in Italy, which was accepted into the Six Nations in 2000, and Japan, despite their unsuccessful bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which went to New Zealand. Rugby is the most popular team sport in Georgia and is popular in Romania, Namibia, the USA and Canada.
Article of the month
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union. They compete in the Rugby World Cup and annually in the Six Nations Championship. They are governed by the Welsh rugby union, and first played in 1881 against England.
Wales have won the Six Nations 23 times, second only to England, the last being in 2005. Their best result in the Rugby World Cup is third, which they achieved in 1987. They also hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The International Rugby Board (IRB) regard Wales as a Tier One rugby nation. In particular, several Welsh players of the 1970s are acknowledged as some of the best in the game's history. Although several poor results in the late 1980s and 1990s hurt the team’s reputation, a resurgence in form in the 2000s and a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2005 has helped reverse that. Due to this success, Wales became the first team ever to win the Grand Slam while playing more matches away than at home. (More...)
Recent news
- 13 November 2011, Ex-Springbok Solly Tyibilika murdered in a Cape Town bar at 32.
- 30 July 2011: Mike Tindall marries Zara Phillips.
- 10 July 2010: The 2010_Tri_Nations_Series gets under way with New Zealand playing South Africa at Eden Park
- 13 March, 2011: Italy scores a stunning victory over France in the 2011 Six Nations Championship.
- November, 2010: Joe Ansbro becomes the first black Scotland cap in living memory.
- July, 2010: Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala, Uganda is one of two locations in the city to suffer a terrorist attack.
- June, 2010: death of Andy Ripley; Scotland become the first test nation to beat Argentina at home at Tucuman
- 8 March, 2010: Two Italian teams to join Magners League.
- 19 January, 2010: Death of Bill McLaren, internationally renowned Scottish rugby commentator.
Did you know...
- ... that the McEvedy Shield (pictured) is named after Pat McEvedy, of Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, New Zealand, who toured twice with the British Lions despite never being capped for any nation?
- ... that the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines team is named after a rare type of parrot?
- ... that the 1924 Olympic rugby final between the United States and France at Stade Colombes was marred by rioting, which may have caused the sport to have been withdrawn from the Olympics?
- ... that Swiss composer Arthur Honegger (10 March 1892 –27 November 1955) wrote a symphonic poem entitled Rugby in 1928?
- ... that Morris Zimerman was the first Jewish Springbok?
- ... that People's Commissar Anatoly Lunacharsky was one of the earliest advocates of the Rugby union in the Soviet Union?
- ... that RTP Desporto refused to broadcast the 2007 Rugby World Cup despite Portugal qualifying for it, and having broadcast domestic rugby in the past?
- ... that Harlequin F.C. played Douglas Bader later became a WWII flying ace in the RAF despite having parts of both legs removed?
- ...that George Smith has twice won the John Eales Medal, awarded for the best "Wallaby", as voted for by his peers in the Rugby Union Players Association?
Selected picture
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, with a giant inflatable rugby ball suspended from it as a promotion for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Photo credit: PRA
Things you can do
The current Collaboration of the fortnight is Fylde Rugby Club
Stub articles needing expansion : Jimmy Duncan • Ian Kirkpatrick • Germany national rugby union team • Billy Wallace • Australian Rugby Union • South American Jaguars • Georgia Championship • Vodacom Cup • England Saxons • More... Selected quote
Rugby football is a game I can't claim absolutely to understand in all its niceties, if you know what I mean. I can follow the broad, general principles, of course. I mean to say, I know that the main scheme is to work the ball down the field somehow and deposit it over the line at the other end and that, in order to squalch this programme, each side is allowed to put in a certain amount of assault and battery and do things to its fellow man which, if done elsewhere, would result in 14 days without the option, coupled with some strong remarks from the Bench.
Selected biography
Frank Hadden (born 14 June 1954 in Dundee, Scotland) is coach of the Scotland national rugby union team. He replaced Matt Williams and was appointed on 15 September 2005. Hadden coached the Merchiston Castle School (MCS) 1st XV after being appointed Head of Physical Education at the school in 1983. He coached several Scottish age-group teams before being appointed assistant coach of the Caledonian Reds in 1997. He was later appointed coach of Edinburgh Gunners (now Edinburgh Rugby) in 2000 prior to becoming the Scotland coach. He has since coached Scotland to notable wins over England and France in the 2006 Six Nations.
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