Rugby union
Frae Wikipedia
Rugby union (aften referrit tae as rugby, union or football) is a variant o rugby fitbaw. Rugby union is aye daffit o coars wi 15 daffers, altho thare is rugby sievens an aw, a swippert gemme wi 7 daffers oan baith coars. The cry comes fae the cry o the gemme's foremaist owerseein bowk, the Rugby Football Union. It is ane o the twa codes o rugby, the ither bein rugby league.
Maik ither furms o rugby fitbaw, the gemme wis developit fae the rules used tae daff fitbaw at Rugby schuil in Ingland. The main differ fae fitbaw are that in rugby the baw is an oval, no a sphere, an that the daffers are allouit tae lift the baw up an rin wi it. The daffers are allouit tae fling the baw fae daffer tae daffer, but no forrit: the baw mist gang sideweys or back when flung.
It is a faur ben gemme parteecular in Nou Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Wales, Ingland, Irland, Scotland, Fraunce, Austrailae, Argentina an Sooth Africa. Rugby union is gainin faur bennin in Italie, efter its acceptance intae the Sax Nations, an Japan, mauger thair failt ettle tae haud the 2011 Rugby Warld Kemp, which went to Nou Zealand.
The International Rugby Board (IRB), founded in 1886, governs the gemme an publishes the gemme's laws an aw. Thare are 95 full members and 8 associate member countries the noo. Fae IRB feegures, rugby is gettin played in mair than 100 countries ower five continents gin men and weemen o aw eilds. The IRB controls the Rugby Warld Kemp, the Weemen's Rugby Warld Kemp, Rugby Warld Kemp Sievens, IRB Sievens Warld Series, Nether 21 Warld Kemp, Under 19 Warld Kemp, an the Super Pouers Kemp. It will haud votes tae wirk oot whaur these events shall be haudit.
[edit] Overview
The gemme lasts for 80 meenits (twa haufs o 40 meenits each) an is controlled gin a referee, halpit gin twa touch judges. Each coar alternately attacks the opposition goal or defends thair ain. These goals are marked at baith ends o the pitch gin twa muckle (10 m or mair) posts set 5.6 m apairt, an connected gin a cross-bar at 3 m ower the grund; the hail forming the shape o a letter H. A coar miy score fae kickin the baw aqueen the posts an ower the cross-bar, but the baw miy ane be kicked fae the grund: either fae a place kick efter the award o a penaltie or fae a drop kick in open play. A successful kick at goal is worth three points. The area ahin each set of goal posts is cawed the "in goal area" an the attacking coar miy score gin grundin the baw here: cryit a "try" and worth five points. Efter scorin a try, the attacking coar are gied a free kick at goal (called a conversion) for an extra two points.
[edit] Gemme Pairk
A rugby union pairk consists o a maximum gemme area o 144x70m on a girse surface. Lines are pentit on tae the field at regular intervals; deid baw line, try line, 22 metre line (afore the metric system was introduced, this wis the 25-yard line), 10 metre line (braiken line) and haufwiy. This is mirrored oan the other side o the pairk. Lines are 5 metres awa fae the try line an side line an 15 metres awa fae the side line. The length fae try line tae try line is aye 100 metres; the ane varying distances oan a rugby pairk are the wadth o the pairk, an the distance fae try line to deid baw line.
1.2 metre padded flags are placed next tae the pairk for indication on the haufwiy line, 22, try line and deid baw line. The try line and deid baw line flags are pit on the intersection wi the touch line an are considered oot if hit gin a daffer cerryin the baw, or the baw itsel.
[edit] Players
A rugby union coar consists o 15 daffers, eicht furrits nummered 1 tae 8, an sieven backs, nummered 9 tae 15. Depending oan the competition, thare may be up tae sieven replacements (substitutes or reserves). Professional rugby can hae sieven reserves, wi a daffer bein allouit tae be substituted ance, hin thiy are a front rower and are replacing an injured front rower. Anither exception tae this rule is the "bluid bin" whaur a daffer wi a visible hagger can lea' the gemme for 10 meenits an then retour tae continue efter gettin treatment. A daffer sent tae the bluid bin may be replaced gin anither daffer during treatment; if the bluidit daffer retours tae the gemme athin 10 meenits, it is no coontit as a substitution.
The main role o the furrits is tae git and haud possession o the baw. They tak pairt in set pieces of the scrum an the line-oot. Aye, furrits are mair muckle than the backs, which maks them mair savendie bit mair langsome. Furrits hae a role in takkin the baw furrit an aw, but aye dae sae gin drivin intae the opposing forwards.
The role o the backs is tae muive the gemme furrit gin runnin or kickin the baw. The scrum-hauf will git possession o the baw fae the furrits an aye feed it tae the fly hauf (no.10) wha then controls how the attacking coar will gang. The backline will aye score its tries gin focussing on the tactical placement o daffers, makkin holes in the opposition defence line. A guid backine will mak the opposition commit muckle mony daffers at strategic points allowing for space tae open up for the mair fast, outside backs (wingers and fullback).
The foalyin picter locates the various positions in the 15-man coar. Aw members o the stairting 15 weir sarks nummered fae 1 tae 15 and keyed tae their positions. The foremaist eicht daffers, kent as furrits or the pack, play in the scrum. The ither sieven daffers play as the backs.
