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Like other forms of rugby football the game was developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby school in England. The crucial differences from football (soccer) are that in rugby the ball is a prolate spheroid instead of a sphere and that the players are allowed to pick the ball up and run with it. The players are also allowed to throw the ball from player to player, but unlike American football they are not allowed to throw it forward; ie the ball must only go sideways or backward.
Rugby union was invented in the town of Rugby, England in 1823. It has established itself as a major global sport, especially popular in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Australia, Argentina and South Africa. Rugby is also gaining popularity in Italy, following its acceptance into the Six Nations and Japan, despite their unsuccessful bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which went to New Zealand.
A scrum in rugby union is a means of restarting play after a minor infringement. It involves eight players from each team, known as the pack or forward pack, binding together in three rows and interlocking with the opposing teams forwards. At this point the ball is fed into the gap between the two forward packs and they both compete for the ball to win possession. Teams can be penalised for intentionally causing the scrum to collapse, and for not putting the ball into the scrum correctly. A scrum is most commonly awarded when the ball is knocked forward, or passed forward, or when a ball becomes trapped in a ruck or maul. Due to the physical nature of scrums, injuries can occur, especially in the front row. (More...)
- 6 July: New Zealand Māori defeat Australia A 21–18 in each team's last match of the tournament to win the 2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup.
- 5 July: The 2008 Tri-Nations starts with the All Blacks defeating South Africa 19–8.
- 28 June: Toulouse defeat Clermont 26–20 in the final of the 2007-08 Top 14 season.
- 22 June: New Zealand defeat England 38–3 in final of the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship.
- 7 June: The 2008 mid-year rugby Tests kick off with the All Blacks defeating Ireland and South Africa defeating Wales.
- 7 June: Fiji defeats Samoa 34–17 in the first match of the 2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup.
- 31 May: The Crusaders defeat the New South Wales Waratahs 20–12 to win the 2008 Super 14 Final.
- 25 May: New Zealand win the 2007-08 IRB Sevens World Series after fifth place in the London tournament gives them an unassailable series lead.
- 24 May: The Crusaders will host the Waratahs in the 2008 Super 14 Final following semi-final wins over the Hurricanes and Sharks respectively.
- 24 May: Munster defeat Toulouse in the Millennium Stadium to win the 2007-08 Heineken Cup.
- 18 May: Japan defeat Hong Kong 75–29 to go unbeaten and claim the inaugural 2008 HSBC Asian Five Nations.
- ...that rugby union footballer Farah Palmer captained the Black Ferns to three consecutive Women's Rugby World Cup titles?
- ...that Bennie Osler played 17 consecutive rugby union matches for South Africa between 1924 and 1933?
- ...that South Africa and England had already played each other during pool play before meeting in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final?
- ...that South African rugby player Jannie du Plessis is both a physician and professional athlete?
- ...that the rules for a scrum in rugby union were changed in 2007 to try and reduce the number of serious neck injuries to players?
- ... that 13 June 2007 was the 25th anniversary of the first women's rugby international - Netherlands versus France, at Utrecht?
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, with a giant inflatable rugby ball suspended from it as a promotion for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Photo credit: PRA
Rugby is great. The players don't wear helmets or padding; they just beat the living daylights out of each other and then go for a beer. I love that.
Lawrence Dallaglio (born on August 10, 1972 in London) is an English rugby union player, the former captain of the English national team. He plays as a flanker or number eight for London Wasps where he has played his entire first class career. He captained England before being forced to give up the captaincy with Martin Johnson taking over and has been capped in all three positions in the backrow.
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