Rugby Union

Supposedly invented during a football game by [William Webb Ellis]? at [Rugby School]?, the game of Rugby Union is a team sport contested with an oval ball by two teams of 15 players, the object being to outscore the opposing team. The ball is carried in the hand and may be passed backwards or laterally across the pitch or kicked in any direction. The opposing players attempt to halt the ball-carrier by tackling him or her with arms.

Points are scored by:

• touching the ball down over the opponents goal line (a try, worth 5 points)
• kicking the ball above the crossbar and between the uprights of a large 'H' shaped set of posts. This may either be done from a place kick following a rule infringement (a penalty goal) or kicked from the hand, providing the ball strikes the ground before being kicked (a drop goal). Both types of goal are worth 3 points.
• A conversion, which is attempted after a try has been scored, and is similar to a penalty goal except worth only 2 points.

Male and female versions of the Rugby World Cup are held every 4 years with separate yearly international competitions in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

The sport is governed by the [International Rugby Board], founded in 1886, who also publish the game's [laws]

Rugby Union was later modified to form Rugby League.

Rugby originated in England and is played throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, and is the national game of Wales. It also became very popular in British Colonial countries, such as Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, in the C19th where few of life's luxuries existed for Colonial farmers, miners etc. This helped build a sense of community amongst colonial men, which became essential given the often isolated nature of these colonies. The popularity of the sport in these colonial countries meant that the sport developed into the culture of the countries to a greater extent than most european countries who viewed Rugby as a violent and uncultured sport, and who by-and-large preferred soccer (football) or cricket.

Today (sep 2001) Australia is enjoying great success in the world rugby scene, having won the World Cup, the Bledisloe Cup (between Australia and New Zealand) and the Tri Nations Cup (Aus, NZ and South Africa) to name just a few.