Rugby Union is said to be the game they play in Heaven. If so, there must be an awful lot of people up there sporting cauliflower ears and busted noses – but more on that later.
Lesson One: The Game
In rugby, two teams of 15 players each aim to score as many points as possible by carrying, passing, kicking and grounding the (oval-shaped) ball, with the team scoring the greater number of points being the winner of the match. Points may be scored by either scoring a try or a goal. A try is scored when the ball is grounded within the in-goal area (at each end of the field) and is worth 5 points. A goal is scored by kicking the ball between the uprights and above the crossbar of the goal posts.
The game is divided into two halves of 40 minutes each, which gives spectators ample time to enjoy the full gamut of sporting emotions, ranging from moderate happiness, excitement and jubilation to mild disappointment, outrage and despair, depending on how their team is performing.
Lesson Two: The Team
There are 15 players in each team with 7 replacements that can be used for injuries and substitutions. Players are numbered 1 to 15, with numbers 16–22 being used for the replacements. Players numbered 1–8 are called the “forwards” and those with numbers 9–15 are the “backs”. The forwards, who are generally bigger, are the players who form the scrum (see below) and the lineout while the backs are more “fleet of foot” and are used to run the ball.
Are you still with us? Hang in there.
Lesson Three: The Rules
The ball is transferred from one player to another by a pass. Just to make things more interesting, a pass is made backwards to players of the same team. A forward pass is not permitted. If a player drops the ball forward (called a knock-on), play is stopped.
Anybody who has watched even a small amount of rugby will know what a supremely physical game (read: contact sport) it is. Mouthguards are essential, players frequently develop “cauliflower ears” (permanent swelling of the outer ear) and even the language of the game is full of robust terms, which will now be explained (with no small degree of squeamishness) here.
When play has been stopped, it is restarted by a “scrum” made up of the 8 forwards from each team. At a scrum, the ball is rolled into the tunnel between the opposing “packs” by the scrum half (No. 9) and hooked back by a player from either side. All players not in the scrum must be behind the back of their side of the scrum, otherwise they are off-side.
When a player is running with the ball he may be “tackled” (brought to the ground and held – ouch!) by an opposing player. When this happens, the player must release the ball so that both teams can contest possession.
“Rucks” and “mauls” are not terms dating from the era of Roman blood sports involving lions and Christians. They are manoeuvres used to compete for the ball and to keep the game flowing. A ruck is formed when one player from each team comes into contact over the ball when it is on the ground. A maul is formed between opposing teams in a similar way to a ruck, except that the ball remains in the hand, as opposed to being on the ground.
For more about the colourful terminology and rules of rugby, go to the governing source – the International Rugby Board.
Lesson Four: The Ella brothers - Australian rugby legends
The three Ella brothers – twins Mark and Glen (born 1959) and younger brother Gary (born 1960) – are remarkable rugby players for a number of reasons. They are remarkable for their rugby skills; remarkable for the fact that three brothers represented Australia in Rugby Union at the same time (in the 1980s); and remarkable that one of them (Mark) captained Australia. They also happen to be three Aboriginal brothers. Mark, Glen and Gary come from a family of 12 children who grew up in the Aboriginal community at La Perouse in Sydney.
They are Aussie legends – so do not embarrass yourself by looking blank when their names are invoked.
Lesson Five: Where to watch the game in Queensland?
The Queensland Reds play in an international competition called the Super 14s. The Reds are one of four Australian teams competing in the Super 14 competition, alongside the NSW Waratahs, the ACT Brumbies and the Western Force. The Reds play at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Their 2008 season kicks off on February 16.
Last but not least we have the Australian national team, the Wallabies, and it’s not unusual for them to play several international matches in Brisbane – also at Suncorp – throughout the year. Of course, right now the Wallabies are in the thick of the World Cup in France so we won’t see the team playing in Brisbane again this year. With luck the next time we do see them they will be world champions.
Take a look at our major sports guide for details of upcoming Rugby matches in Brisbane, plus lots more news and sporting facts.
