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.

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