Rugby - Aggression on the green?

We give you an insight into one of the most aggressive, but very popular sport all over the world. You know already by the topic, that we are referring to rugby. This has become a main sport in our country, Sri Lanka too, and school rugby teams are really into the game in tournaments like the Bradby.

The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union, which was established way back in 1878, is working to uplift the game in the country. Many people condemn the aggression in rugby.

It is true that there should be some aggression in sports, but, the players as well as the spectators must understand the difference between aggression and violence.

However, apart from the aggression and the excitement, there is quite a lot of interesting facts to know about this sport. Let's see what rugby is all about.

***

Rugby in Sri Lanka

Whatever the history, the rules and thrills of the game may be, we are sure you would love to know the story of

 rugby in our country. Mr. Fazal Mohommed, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union was very generous to share some interesting information with us.

Sri Lanka is focused towards the Rugby Union category. It is because the English planters introduced rugby to Sri Lanka back in the 1800s. Rugby Union, which they introduced, has continued ever since.

And guess what? Rugby is the second most popular game in this country, according to records. Our rugby champs have secured the number one rank in South Asia.

Furthermore, our team is ranked 6th in Asia and 49th in the world. It is said that rugby is the most popular team sport among schoolchildren. Their enthusiasm is so much that they come to watch the matches in record crowds.

The Singer Rugby Tournament which is a timely topic when school rugby is considered, is a main competition organised for school rugby teams.

Apart from that, the Caltex League and Clifford Cup Knockout, Singer 7s, QI 7s and Singer Sri Lanka International 7s tournament are the tournaments organised for clubs. Caltex League is the hottest topic in the local rugby arena these days.

The Secretary of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union has a message for those of you who might be dreaming of becoming rugby stars one day. He says, "rugby teaches you discipline, team work and leadership and builds comradeship amongst the players".

So, if cricket is not your speciality sport, you could always play rugby... that's if your parents are not opposed to games that involve a certain amount of aggression.

***

Rugby in brief

Although this is referred to as 'rugby', the official name of the sport is 'Rugby Union Football'. This is a game where fifteen players play on each side. The ball that is used in the game is not spherical as used in most games.

Many would call it 'egg shaped', but the correct word to describe the

 rugby ball is 'Prolate Spheroid' shaped. There are two types of rugby, namely, full-team rugby or rugby union, and rugby league. There is a version called rugby sevens, which is also in the two forms of rugby union and rugby league.

This is a highly popular sport in many countries such as Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Romania, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga, Uruguay and Wales. The International Rugby Board (IRB), founded in 1886, governs the sport worldwide and also publishes the game's laws and rankings.

There are currently 95 full members and eight associate member countries.An adult-level rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes.

That is two halves of 40 minutes each. This sort of match is controlled by one referee, two touch judges, and in most professional matches, a television match official (TMO), commonly called the video referee, who is similar to the third umpire we have in cricket.

The players are allowed to carry the ball and run as well as kick it. When passing the ball to another player, it should be thrown backwards or laterally (across) and not forward.

***

History of the game

Rugby is believed to have originated in England. You may be surprised to learn that this game originated from a place named 'Rugby School.' How did they have a Rugby School before the game was discovered? Well, let's not get in to too much of a confusion.

This was in fact a public school in England, which was situated in the town of Rugby in Warwickshire. This is considered to be one of the oldest public schools in England and one of the main co-educational boarding schools in the country.

The credit of starting the game goes to a young man named William Webb Ellis. While playing a kind of football in this school one day in 1832, he had taken the ball in his hands and run.

This is believed to be the start of the game although some people do not believe that this is a genuine story. There has even been an official investigation to check the genuineness (realness) of the story. However, the trophy of the Rugby World Cup bears the name of William Web Ellis in his honour.

***

Some terms used in rugby

Rugby League - A rugby game played by two teams of thirteen. It started from a breakaway faction of the Rugby Football Union of England. This has a different set of rules.

Rugby Sevens - A version of rugby which has seven players per side , instead of the full 15.

Touch-line - The line on either side of the playing area of a game.

Touch - The area outside two touch-lines which are not part of the playing area.

Touch judge - An official who monitors the touch-line in a game of rugby football and raises a flag if the ball goes into touch.

Scrum - A method of restarting the game. A scrum is formed by the players who are binding together in three rows.

Line-out - Rugby union's equivalent of the throw-in in football which happens when a player puts the ball into touch.

Try - The main way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union. A try is scored when a player grounds the ball in the opposition's in-goal area, or alternatively touching the goalposts and ground at the same time. The scoring player must be holding on to the ball, using downward pressure when it is grounded.

Aravinda Dassanayake