Basic information for the new player


What is Rugby?

Rugby is a team sport played on a 100 metre long pitch using an oval-shaped ball and H-shaped goalposts. No special equipment is necessary and the athlete clothing and equipment is simple and inexpensive. Rugby was an amateur sport for more than 100 years. In 1995 it became a professional game at the elite level only whilst retaining its traditional values and its spirit at all levels. 99% of the game is amateur.


Does Rugby have more than one format?
The sport has two main forms - 15s and Rugby Sevens, reflecting the number of players that are permitted on the field of play at any time in each form of the game.


The IRB manages a number of tournaments, including the IRB Sevens World Series, Age Grade World Championships and a number of regional 15s and Sevens tournaments for both men and women. The principal tournaments are the Rugby World Cup, which is generally considered one of the top five sports events in the world, the Women’s Rugby World Cup (being held this year in Canada) and Rugby World Cup Sevens for men and women. Rugby Sevens is also a core sport in the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Follow up:

What is the spirit of Rugby?
The values of the sport are priceless. In an age in which traditional sporting qualities are being challenged, Rugby proudly retains high standards of sportsmanship, ethical behaviour and fair play. The ethos and values of Rugby mirror those of the Olympic Movement. It builds team values, understanding, co-operation and respect for fellow athletes and officials. It is an important sport in the school curriculum in many countries. Despite its intensely physical and athletic characteristics there is great camaraderie amongst the players before and after matches.


Who plays Rugby?

Rugby is played by men, women, boys and girls. More than three million people of all ages across the world regularly play. Players of a variety of shapes and sizes are needed for any Rugby team. The wide variation of skills and physical requirements needed for the game means that there is an opportunity for individuals of every physical shape and size to participate at all levels.


Where is Rugby played?
Rugby is played in more than 100 countries and in every continent of the world. Women’s Rugby is played in more than 50 countries and in every continent. The game is played in virtually all climates and in every type of weather condition – in tropical heat or in sub-zero temperatures, in rain, in sun or even with snow on the ground.


How is Rugby played?

The game is generally played on a grass surface referred to as ‘the pitch’, measuring 100 metres in length and 70 metres in width. It can also be played on artificial surfaces. Each team’s overall objective is to move the ball towards the other team’s end of the pitch and then to score by touching the ball down on or over the goal line. Players can run forward with the ball and it can also be kicked forward, but it can only be passed by hand laterally or backwards.


How is a Rugby match won?
Two Rugby teams compete against each other to win a game. The winning team is that which scores the most points by the end of the game. Points can be scored in four ways:

- A try (5 points) is scored when the ball is touched down by a player in the in-goal area of the opposing team.
- A conversion (2 points) is made possible following the scoring of a try. It is a kick above the crossbar and between the goalposts of the opposing team.

- A penalty goal (3 points) is a set-piece kick above the crossbar and between the goalposts of the opposing team following an infringement of the laws by the opposing team.

- A drop goal (3 points) is a successful kick between the goals posts of the opposition team during the course of play when a player drops the ball onto the ground and kicks it at the moment of contact between ball and ground.


How long does a Rugby match last?
The duration of a 15s match is 80 minutes comprising two halves of 40 minutes each. Sevens matches are 14 minutes long comprising two halves of seven minutes each.


How is a Rugby match controlled?

Rugby is a physical sport involving full body contact within the laws of the game. Matches are controlled by a single referee aided by sideline judges. During the match there is profound respect for the authority of the officials. Decisions of officials are rarely questioned, even at the highest professional level.


Is Rugby tough on doping?
In keeping with the spirit and the ethos of the game, Rugby is largely doping-free. Those who run Rugby are determined that it should remain so. Rugby recognises and applies the Olympic Charter, and bases its strict anti-doping regulations on those of the IOC and WADA. The IRB is now a fully signed-up member and valued member of WADA. Both in-competition and out of competition random tests are frequent and numerous, with very few positive outcomes.


Has Rugby been in the Olympic Games?

Rugby was played as a medal sport in the Olympic Games of 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924. The International Rugby Board became an IOC Recognised International Federation in 1995. Since then, the IRB has sought to be a diligent and active member of the IWGA and a supporter of all the GAISF and IOC initiatives. Rugby satisfies in every respect the criteria set out in the Olympic Charter for inclusion in the programme of the Olympic Games.


What are Rugby’s commercial values?
Rugby’s commercial value has grown significantly in recent years. Commercial (non-ticketing) revenues for RWC 2007 will be in excess of US $230 million and over 2.2 million tickets will be sold. Over 200 countries will take the broadcast of the event and the global cumulative broadcast audience will be in excess of four billion people. Annual tournaments in key markets have also become extremely valuable. Notably, Rugby has established enduring sponsorship relationships with some of the world’s most powerful companies including such brands as Coca Cola and Visa.


Is Rugby continuing to grow?The IRB invests over US$60 million a year into the global development and promotion of Rugby. It currently has 115 National Federations, reflecting the truly global nature of the game, and applications for membership pending from a number of other Unions. With a staff of around 50 people, the IRB is a dynamic International Federation which delegates certain governance and development responsibilities to its regional structures.


What are the goals of the IRB?

The IRB global investments are designed to achieve the goals of the IRB Strategic Plan. The IRB’s mission is to “create an environment in which the IRB and all its Member Unions can flourish in developing and expanding the game globally” (the strategic plan is available on the IRB website www.irb.com).