Sledge / Philw - Rugby

[Hazcat]

Can ya give me the basics?  Yeah I have looked them up on line (ever the 'for dummies') and still doesn't make sense when I watch the game (England vs Scotland right now).

Hold?  Why sometimes the guy in down (tackled) and play stops with ball turn over and why sometimes it continues.  All the basics and penalties, scoring, etc. please. 

[tombogan03884]

Yes, UNH has a team, as far as I can tell "Penalties depend on the referee's mood at the moment.

[ellis4538]

Why don't yo Google it?

Richard

[tombogan03884]

Why don't yo Google it?

Richard

Lazy. 

[Hazcat]

Lazy. 

Did ya miss the point where I stated I looked it up on line? 

[Sponsor]

[ellis4538]

Sorry Haz, I did miss that.  Please help poor Haz out.  It's pretty bad when a person can't even understand _______ for Dummies!

Richard

[philw]

union or League

there are 2 forms 

easiest way is 

Union is for rich Private schools and League is the Redneck version

I don't know much about it as I follow Aussie Rules ( AFL )

I had a little look

The fly half (kicker) then has the chance to kick the ball between the posts for an extra two points, which is called a coversion.

The other way to get points is by kicking penalties, which are worth 3 points each, drop goals, worth 3 points each, or penalty tries, which is the full try amount. Penalty tries come about if the ref thinks the team was illegally prevented from making a move that would definitely have resulted in a try.

Other rules are, the ball must not be passed or knocked forward. If it, the team will be called back for a scrum, where the ball is dropped in the middle as the two squads try to push each other in a kind of tug of war.

Sometimes, advantage is played. That means, if team 1 does something wrong but team 2 already has the ball back, if team 2 then loses the ball, they can still get a penalty or scrum out of it.

Other noteable rules are:

If the ball is in a maul (where someone is holding it above ground and driving it forward with the help of his teammates pushing from behind), you can use your hands to get the ball out.

If it's a ruck, where the ball has hit the floor and people are piled on top of it, driving it along with their feet, they can only use their feet to get it out, not their hands.

Tackles - should be below the shoulders. The tackler must roll away if they are off-side (between the ball and the line they are trying to score on). The person who has been tackled must release the ball straight away or they will be penalised for holding on to the ball.

You will often see the fly half (number 10) or full back (number 15) kicking the ball deliberately out. This is to gain ground and is called 'kicking to touch'. There is then a line-out where both teams jump to try to catch the ball and play from it.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Rugby-League-vs-Rugby-Union

Introduction
This Hub consists of a comparison between two of the toughest sports in the world, rugby league and rugby union. It is not about my personal opinions on which of the two sports is the best because to be honest (and I have experience of both) I don't really know!

Both have good points and bad points. In general I would rather watch a game of union but play a game of league. But that would depend on the weather, the quality of the game, the teams involved and a whole host of other factors! In any case, on the page below I've detailed some of the key properties of each sport and compared them to each other.

Make no mistake, these are two of the fiercest, toughest and most competitive sports in the world. But which is the best? Read through and then make your decision!

Brief Summary
To decide which sport you think is best (and I really want you to decide you know) it is only fair that you know a bit more about each sport. In this section I will give a brief rundown of the rules and defining characteristics of each before mentioning some of the stand out features and occurrences below.

Rugby union is played between two teams of 15 for 80 minutes plus a 10 minute half-time break. The rugby ball may not be passed forward at any time during the game but can be kicked out of hand in any direction. There are 5 ways to score points in a union match. Firstly, if you cross your opponent's try-line and place the ball on the floor with downward pressure then you have scored a 5 point try. After a try has been scored there is the possibility of a conversion being kicked over the posts to earn a further 2 points. Other than that, if awarded, penalties may be kicked for 3 points from any position on the field (though are only normally kick-able from in the opponent's half) and drop kicks maybe taken at any time during the game to score drop goals which also earn 3 points. The last method of scoring is the rarely seen penalty try which is given should the opposition break the rules to prevent a certain try from being scored.

Rugby union is a game that blends proactive, team-wide strategy with individual brilliance. Territory is precious and every yard is hard fought with a mixture of crashing runs taking on tacklers, lightning quick, evasive back play, ferocious struggles to hold on to possession or deft kicking skill that can win 60 metres in a stroke. It is a violent, dogged scrap of a sport but played with such rich passion, vital intensity and increasingly skillful razzledazzle that can be breathtaking.

Rugby league is played between two teams of 13 players for 80 minutes just like union. The game is inherently a lot simpler than union as there is less emphasis on set-pieces and more on basic attack and defence. In league a try is worth 4 points, conversions and penalties are both worth 2 points and a drop goal is worth just 1.

Each team is allowed 6 tackles with which to attempt to score, a tackle being defined as when the attacking player's motion is stopped or when they hit the floor. When this occurs the attacking player gets to their feet and rolls the ball backwards under one leg whilst the defending team must retreat 10 metres. After the 6th tackle has been made the possession of the ball is turned over to the other team who begin their set of 6 from the point of the tackle. This does not generally happen however as teams prefer to kick the ball after the 5th tackle either to attempt to regain the ball and score a try or to make the opposition retreat down the field to recover it.

The old adage goes that rugby union is a contact sport whereas rugby league is a collision sport. There are a number of subtleties and stratagems that need to be brought together for a successful rugby league performance but there is little doubt that monstrous two-man tackles or destructive smashing runs bouncing off hapless defenders is the very soul of the sport. It requires highly developed handling skills, ruthless physicality and, above all, stalwart courage to be a successful league player and results in some of the greatest all-round athletes in the world.

(Note that both the image of Ma'a Nonu and the image of Iosia Soliola were acquired from Fickr.com.)

Best Competition/Tournament
Both sports have a number of tournaments watched by various crowds throughout the year. Here I have picked what I believe to be the best individual competition to characterise each sport.

In consideration of rugby union, there are large number of competitions that could best represent it and selection was difficult.  From the World Cup every 4 years to the annual tribulations of the 6 Nations, the Super 14, the Heineken Cup or the mighty Tri-Nations, rugby union abounds with quality competitions. However, in my opinion, the tournament that best captures the personality and ethos of rugby union is the British and Irish Lions Tour.

Occurring every four years, the most talented players from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (Both Eire and Northern Ireland rugby players form a combined national team) are selected and tour one of the southern hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.  The tour is usually about 6 weeks long and involves games against regional and professional teams before a 3 test series against the national side.  The tours are legendary, some classic games have come about as their result and the heady mix of travelling, gruelling match schedule, the combined talent on display and sheer down to earth rugby vibe make this the stand out competition in modern rugby union.

For rugby league the choice of a flagship event was an altogether simpler affair.  The competition that most clearly and effectively represents the combative, defence-oriented style of the game is undoubtedly the Australian tournament State of Origin.

Basically, Australia dominates the rugby league world and nowhere on earth is it played with more passion, intensity and skill.  And if Australia dominate the sport worldwide then the states of New South Wales and Queensland dominate it nationally and these are the teams that battle it out annually for the State of Origin crown.  The tournament is a three game series played out during the professional season by teams that are selected only from players who debuted for a club in one of these two states (regardless of who they play for now).  Hence the name State of Origin.  Such a format makes for a tantalising spectacle as friends, teammates and even family members play against each other on rugby league's highest stage.  The tournament's setup, the sheer quality of the rugby played and the overall feeling a country's most breathtaking rivalry means that the State of Origin tournament is the best event in existence to truly embody the spirit of rugby league.

Unique Features
I have already mentioned some of the basics rules and strategies of each sport and mentioned a tournament that best captures their ethos today. Here are a couple of stand-out idiosyncracies that exist in the modern form of both sports today.

The photo on the right (obtained from Flickr ) shows one of union's most famous spectacles, the Haka, a traditional Maori war dance performed before matches to intimidate opponents and pump up the team. And that team is the famous All Blacks, the national side of New Zealand and one of the most successful around. The Haka is an amazing site being performed just before kick off to international matches by New Zealand and other Pacific Island countries (who have different dances). There is nothing else like it in the world of rugby union, it is violent, impressive and passionate and therefore has been chosen as my unique feature of rugby union.

For rugby league the choice is yet again simple. It is the collision that characterises the sport, the cataclysmic contact between muscle-bound athletes trying to smash each other backwards. Just look at the video below. Enough said!


Rugby League vs. Rugby Union85
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By SuperSkyRockets


 
Introduction
This Hub consists of a comparison between two of the toughest sports in the world, rugby league and rugby union. It is not about my personal opinions on which of the two sports is the best because to be honest (and I have experience of both) I don't really know!

Both have good points and bad points. In general I would rather watch a game of union but play a game of league. But that would depend on the weather, the quality of the game, the teams involved and a whole host of other factors! In any case, on the page below I've detailed some of the key properties of each sport and compared them to each other.

Make no mistake, these are two of the fiercest, toughest and most competitive sports in the world. But which is the best? Read through and then make your decision!


Ma'a Nonu breaks through the Australian defence with Matt Giteau chasing.
Brief Summary
To decide which sport you think is best (and I really want you to decide you know) it is only fair that you know a bit more about each sport. In this section I will give a brief rundown of the rules and defining characteristics of each before mentioning some of the stand out features and occurrences below.

Rugby union is played between two teams of 15 for 80 minutes plus a 10 minute half-time break. The rugby ball may not be passed forward at any time during the game but can be kicked out of hand in any direction. There are 5 ways to score points in a union match. Firstly, if you cross your opponent's try-line and place the ball on the floor with downward pressure then you have scored a 5 point try. After a try has been scored there is the possibility of a conversion being kicked over the posts to earn a further 2 points. Other than that, if awarded, penalties may be kicked for 3 points from any position on the field (though are only normally kick-able from in the opponent's half) and drop kicks maybe taken at any time during the game to score drop goals which also earn 3 points. The last method of scoring is the rarely seen penalty try which is given should the opposition break the rules to prevent a certain try from being scored.

Rugby union is a game that blends proactive, team-wide strategy with individual brilliance. Territory is precious and every yard is hard fought with a mixture of crashing runs taking on tacklers, lightning quick, evasive back play, ferocious struggles to hold on to possession or deft kicking skill that can win 60 metres in a stroke. It is a violent, dogged scrap of a sport but played with such rich passion, vital intensity and increasingly skillful razzledazzle that can be breathtaking.


Sydney Roosters centre Iosia Soliola about to take a two-man tackle. CRUNCH!
Rugby league is played between two teams of 13 players for 80 minutes just like union. The game is inherently a lot simpler than union as there is less emphasis on set-pieces and more on basic attack and defence. In league a try is worth 4 points, conversions and penalties are both worth 2 points and a drop goal is worth just 1.

Each team is allowed 6 tackles with which to attempt to score, a tackle being defined as when the attacking player's motion is stopped or when they hit the floor. When this occurs the attacking player gets to their feet and rolls the ball backwards under one leg whilst the defending team must retreat 10 metres. After the 6th tackle has been made the possession of the ball is turned over to the other team who begin their set of 6 from the point of the tackle. This does not generally happen however as teams prefer to kick the ball after the 5th tackle either to attempt to regain the ball and score a try or to make the opposition retreat down the field to recover it.

The old adage goes that rugby union is a contact sport whereas rugby league is a collision sport. There are a number of subtleties and stratagems that need to be brought together for a successful rugby league performance but there is little doubt that monstrous two-man tackles or destructive smashing runs bouncing off hapless defenders is the very soul of the sport. It requires highly developed handling skills, ruthless physicality and, above all, stalwart courage to be a successful league player and results in some of the greatest all-round athletes in the world.

(Note that both the image of Ma'a Nonu and the image of Iosia Soliola were acquired from Fickr.com.)

Best Competition/Tournament
Both sports have a number of tournaments watched by various crowds throughout the year. Here I have picked what I believe to be the best individual competition to characterise each sport.

In consideration of rugby union, there are large number of competitions that could best represent it and selection was difficult.  From the World Cup every 4 years to the annual tribulations of the 6 Nations, the Super 14, the Heineken Cup or the mighty Tri-Nations, rugby union abounds with quality competitions. However, in my opinion, the tournament that best captures the personality and ethos of rugby union is the British and Irish Lions Tour.

Occurring every four years, the most talented players from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland (Both Eire and Northern Ireland rugby players form a combined national team) are selected and tour one of the southern hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.  The tour is usually about 6 weeks long and involves games against regional and professional teams before a 3 test series against the national side.  The tours are legendary, some classic games have come about as their result and the heady mix of travelling, gruelling match schedule, the combined talent on display and sheer down to earth rugby vibe make this the stand out competition in modern rugby union.

For rugby league the choice of a flagship event was an altogether simpler affair.  The competition that most clearly and effectively represents the combative, defence-oriented style of the game is undoubtedly the Australian tournament State of Origin.

Basically, Australia dominates the rugby league world and nowhere on earth is it played with more passion, intensity and skill.  And if Australia dominate the sport worldwide then the states of New South Wales and Queensland dominate it nationally and these are the teams that battle it out annually for the State of Origin crown.  The tournament is a three game series played out during the professional season by teams that are selected only from players who debuted for a club in one of these two states (regardless of who they play for now).  Hence the name State of Origin.  Such a format makes for a tantalising spectacle as friends, teammates and even family members play against each other on rugby league's highest stage.  The tournament's setup, the sheer quality of the rugby played and the overall feeling a country's most breathtaking rivalry means that the State of Origin tournament is the best event in existence to truly embody the spirit of rugby league.


The mighty All Blacks perfoming the Haka, a traditional Maori war dance, before they play Australia.
Unique Features
I have already mentioned some of the basics rules and strategies of each sport and mentioned a tournament that best captures their ethos today. Here are a couple of stand-out idiosyncracies that exist in the modern form of both sports today.

The photo on the right (obtained from Flickr ) shows one of union's most famous spectacles, the Haka, a traditional Maori war dance performed before matches to intimidate opponents and pump up the team. And that team is the famous All Blacks, the national side of New Zealand and one of the most successful around. The Haka is an amazing site being performed just before kick off to international matches by New Zealand and other Pacific Island countries (who have different dances). There is nothing else like it in the world of rugby union, it is violent, impressive and passionate and therefore has been chosen as my unique feature of rugby union.

For rugby league the choice is yet again simple. It is the collision that characterises the sport, the cataclysmic contact between muscle-bound athletes trying to smash each other backwards. Just look at the video below. Enough said!

Rugby League Big Tackles

So? Which is best?
After an introduction to both rugby codes and highlighting some of their stand out features I still might not have helped you decide which is the better sport.  So, as a final attempt to get you to make a decision, here's a list of various aspects common to both sports and my opinion on which is the better sport for each consideration.

Tackling - Easy.  Rugby league.  See the video above.

Skill - This is a close one but rugby union just wins I think.  At certain points in the game a union match can significantly break up enabling the backs to run riot showing off all manner of skills.  Just look up Shane Williams, Carlos Spencer or Jason Robinson on YouTube to understand what I mean!

Set-pieces - Set-pieces are prescribed actions such as scrums or lineouts necessary to restart the game after knock-ons, when the ball is kicked out etc.  If you like set-pieces because they require players to acquire a multitude of skills and factor in their effects to the overall strategy then, like me, you cannot help but pick rugby union.

Athleticism - This is an interesting one.  Whilst wingers in both codes are generally super-fit sprinting machines the front row union players can weigh upwards of 20 stone and (whilst certainly professional athletes) are not marathon runners.  Therefore rugby league wins this one too as players are of similar build across the team and exhibit an amazing mixture of power, pace and fitness.

Banter - Which sport's players have the best chat, are the funniest, the most entertaining, the best laugh?  This is too close to call I'm afraid.  Click here to see an absolute classic video of the aforementioned British and Irish Lions which is absolutely hilarious but then this video shows off some characteristic rugby league style hilarity from the Australian NRL Footy Show. This is definitely a draw!

So there you have it.  Plenty of information from which to draw your own opinions, please do so by voting in the poll below and I'd love to hear your comments on which you think is the better sport.  Thanks for reading!

[tombogan03884]

I understand now, its a combination of "Team effort"

And "Good Sportsmanship"

[sledgemeister]

Ahhh you been introduced to the artful sport of bum sniffing  
Union is big in to scrums where it seems they way to win one is stuck your head up a team mates ass and tickle his balls till he cant stand it no more and he in turn squirrel grips the opposite team player.

Frankly mate its a quandry to me too, I do know however that some of these guys are the toughest SOB's that walk and take hits with out pads which would have a nfl person squeal all the way back to momma's house.
As for the rules there doesnt seem to be any, apart to try and get the ball through the sticks at the other end of the ground by any means possible. Weapons optional!

[philw]

yep  that's it Sledge