Rugby football
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/awv/ Rob Gale, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Rugby football is a game named after the school in the English town of Rugby. There are two main versions: rugby union with 15 players a side (with a 7-a-side variant), and rugby league with 13 players a side (with 7-a-side and 9-a-side variants). Rugby union is played in many countries, whereas rugby league is little played beyond Australia, Papua New Guinea, urban New Zealand, the South Pacific, the south of France and the north of England. It is colloquially referred to as rugger.
HistoryMany towns in Britain had traditional ball games, but the rules were entirely local and unwritten, and games were mob affairs akin to pitched battles.
Rugby unionThe top matches are the internationals. These sell out weeks in advance - check the host nation union's official website for ticket sales, and be wary of online scalpers.
Rugby leagueRugby league is played in fewer countries than rugby union and attracts smaller audiences. It is however a much faster, open game, and its play is easier to comprehend.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Rugby football" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/awv/ Rob Gale, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons