Rugby Union

This blog delved into the sport of "Rugby Union" its history and many other aspects.

Chapter One- An Unusual Start

Physicality, daring, and mentality—the prerequisites for one of the most grueling sports on the planet—rugby. A sport that is often considered one of the most dangerous with intense tackles, man-to-man engagements, and repetitive collisions at its core. Despite being a heavy contact sport, the beauty lies in its traditional approach where players wear simple in-game attire without any protective gear (except scrum caps and mouthguards).

It all started in the year 1823 in Rugby, a small market town north of London, where a schoolboy named William Webb Ellis discovered it when he picked up the football in his hands and started running towards the goalpost, dodging the players in between. Though in its initial years the sport is often played at only amateur levels (schools and colleges), in 1871 the Rugby Football Union came into existence, which was responsible for standardizing rules and making any amendments in the sport. With time it gained popularity and turned into a professional sport.

During the colonial era, the sport reached many British colonies across the world, most notably in New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia. Regardless of its widespread reach, it was often considered a gentleman's game. In these colonies, indigenous people started playing rugby with their local playing  styles with some cultural additions (most famous being the Haka in NZ), which became a symbol of national pride.

Rugby is a collective term that is classified into two disciplines—Rugby League and Rugby Union, with the latter being the popular one with global reach, whereas, on the other hand, Rugby League is concentrated in parts of the UK and Australia. For clarity, the word "rugby" is referring to "rugby union" in this blog.

World Rugby is the highest governing body of the sport, and the most successful teams are South Africa and New Zealand, with four and three World Cups each, respectively, to their names. Both countries are often called "Powerhouses of Rugby Union," with many legends etching their names in history books from these nations, like Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Bryan Habana, and many more.

Chapter Two- Basics of the Game

Without any jargons, let's understand the objective of the sport. Two teams with fifteen men each, tries to outscore there opponent in a 80-minute game, points can be scored through- 

Try- 5-points, where the player has to touch ball to the ground in endzone with downward force.

Conversion- can only be awarded after Try, worth 2-points.

Penalty- 3-points, awarded for any foul-play.

Drop Kick- the most rare way of scoring where a player drops the ball on ground and score between goal posts just after first bounce. worth 3-points.

The game also involves many physical engagements apart from tackling, which are- 

Scrum- The most physical engagement in rugby, when eight players from each side bind together to form a 'scrum', the ball is delivered between the tunnel formed, then both teams try to gain territory and possession. 

Maul- When a player with the ball is held up by one or more opponents, and teammates from both sides bind onto them, all staying on their feet.

Ruck- When the ball is on the ground and players from both teams gather over it, trying to win possession.

Chapter Three- Player Welfare and Policies
As a full contact sport, injuries are very common in rugby union. Many of these injuries can be career-threatening or can sideline a player for a prolonged period. To cope with intense physical demands of the sport, many governing (international and domestic) bodies have implemented player welfare policies. 

These policies contain a set of rules and regulations that are designed to minimize injury risks and mental fatigue and improve overall player development.

Some of the policies are

Mandatory Off-Seasons—All players must have at least four to five weeks of break, called a 'Cool Down Period,' without any game and practice time.

Match Limits—Many sporting bodies have capped a certain match limit (often 35 to 40 matches) per season, which prevents player exhaustion and overuse.

Tackling Height Change—Many community unions have moved the legal tackle height to the waist or below to reduce head-on-head contact.

Concussion Protocols—During matches an independent panel of experts must be present, and a player with the injury must have gone through a 21-day stand-down period.

Many other guidelines are proposed by World Rugby, which can be read here. During an interview, former French lock Sebastien Chabal highlighted the effects of repeated concussions during his playing career, which led to loss of memories of his professional career and childhood.

Thank You,

SPVK