Rugby football facts for kids

Rugby football, often just called rugby, is a popular team sport played all over the world. It's especially big in places like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Africa, and Japan. Rugby is unique because it uses an oval-shaped ball.

What is Rugby Football?

Rugby football gets its name from Rugby School, a school in England. This is where the sport first began. A famous story says that in 1823, a student named William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a game. Back then, players usually just kicked the ball. This new way of playing eventually led to the rules of rugby. The first official rugby rules were written down in 1846.

For a while, people tried to make one set of rules for all football games. But there were big differences, especially about "hacking." Hacking meant kicking another player in the shins to get the ball. The players who liked hacking went on to play rugby. The players who didn't like it formed Association Football, which we now call soccer. They eventually banned all handling of the ball.

Types of Rugby

There are two main types of rugby: rugby union and rugby league. They are very similar, but they have different rules. The two types split up a long time ago because of a disagreement. This disagreement was about how players should be paid if they got hurt during a game.

Rugby Union

Rugby union is the most popular type of rugby. It is the national sport in countries like New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Madagascar. The biggest competition for rugby union is the Rugby World Cup. This tournament happens every four years.

Rugby League

Rugby league is played a lot in the UK, especially in northern England. It's also very popular in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. There is also a Rugby League World Cup for this version of the game.

How Rugby is Played

Rugby is played on a field by two teams. Each team has 15 players. The goal of the game is to score more points than the other team. A game usually lasts for 80 minutes. Players score points by getting "tries" or by kicking "goals."

The Field and Goals

At each end of the rugby field, there is a goal shaped like the letter H. There is also a special area behind the H-shaped goal called the "in-goal." A goal is scored when a player kicks the ball through the top part of the H.

Starting and Moving the Ball

A game starts when one team kicks the ball from the middle of the field towards the other team's goal. Players can move the ball up the field by carrying it or by kicking it. Players can pass the ball to their teammates. However, they cannot pass the ball forward to a teammate who is closer to the other team's goal.

Scoring Points

• A try is scored when a player touches the ball to the ground in the other team's in-goal area.
• In rugby union, a try is worth five points. In rugby league, it's worth four points.
• After a team scores a try, they get a chance to kick a conversion kick. If they kick the ball through the H-shaped goal from this kick, they get two extra points.
• After points are scored, the team that did not score kicks the ball from the middle of the field to restart the game.

Tackling in Rugby

Players tackle members of the other team to stop them from scoring. Tackling means grabbing another player and making them stop moving or fall to the ground. An important rule in rugby tackling is that players must not make contact with the neck. Only players who are carrying the ball can be tackled. Once a tackle is finished, the other team can try to get the ball.

Rugby World Cups

The Rugby World Cup is a big competition for rugby union teams from all over the world. It happens every four years. The next one will be in 2019 in Japan.

There is also the Rugby League World Cup. This tournament includes teams from countries that play rugby league. It does not happen on a regular schedule. The next one will be in 2017, hosted by Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

Images for kids

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  Someone tackling another person

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  Football match on the 1846 Shrove Tuesday in Kingston upon Thames, England

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  Griffins RFC Kotka, the rugby union team from Kotka, Finland, playing in the Rugby-7 Tournament in 2013

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  Calcio Fiorentino match in Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy, painted by Jan Van der Straet

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  Rugby field in Tapa Parish, Estonia

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  A rugby lineout being conducted. A group from either team lifts a player to fight and catch the ball for their team. (OSUWRC 2014)

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  Rugby union: A scrum between the Crusaders and the Brumbies

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  A Gilbert rugby football as used in rugby union

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  Rochdale Hornets team of 1875

See also

In Spanish: Rugby para niños