Questions tagged [rugby-union]

One of the two major rugby codes. Please use this tag rather than "rugby" for questions which are specific to union.

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Kick make dead in goal line rugby

Attacking team kick a grubber in defending team in-goal area. Defending team does not choose to ground it but choose to run it out in deadball line or to kick it out in dead ballline. What sanction?
John's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
63 views

Can you steal ball in a maul?

Can you steal a ball during a maul? If so what happens after a defensive player steals it?
John's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
92 views

Are the British and Irish Lions tours as significant for the host country as they are for the touring side?

For players of the four nations that comprise the Lions being selected for a tour is seen as a major achievement in one's career. For Lions fans it can be a bucket-list trip and coverage of games ...
The Footsie's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
161 views

How many rugby union players have won 2 World Cups and 2 Lions Series?

François Steyn has won two World Cups and one Lions Series. He stands to be the only player ever to win two Lions series as well, or has there been any other player to achieve this?
noel dyer's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
111 views

The Barassi Line and Australian winter sports today

The Barassi Line is an imaginary line that divides Australia into two parts based on the popularity of Australian Rules Football vs the rugby codes. Essentially, Aussie Rules is more popular in ...
Student's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
185 views

Must a catch be taken cleanly to win a mark?

In the 2019 laws, a mark is referred to in Law 17: To claim a mark, a player must: Have at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line when catching the ball or when landing having caught it ...
Hugh's user avatar
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-2 votes
1 answer
111 views

Why can't I find any point-spread information about the World Cup of rugby?

All I can find is various predictions about the winners of games. Doesn't the margin of victory mean anything in this sport?
user 85795's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

What's going on in a Rugby Union "choke tackle"?

A player with the ball is tackled, and rather than being brought to the ground, he is held up by the tackler(s). The referee shouts "Maul" and then awards a scrum to the defending team. What ...
komodosp's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
275 views

Is carrying a player into touch a legal defense?

I recently saw this snippet of a two defenders carrying an opponent into touch as he was holding onto the ball. So I looked into tackle laws: REQUIREMENTS FOR A TACKLE (https://laws.worldrugby.org/...
KMSTR's user avatar
  • 153
1 vote
1 answer
64 views

What counts as "onside" when a ball is kicked from the in-goal area?

If the ball is kicked from the in-goal area, where does a player have to stand to be onside? Do they have to be behind the kicker (as they would if the ball were kicked from the main field of play) or ...
Jonathan Bird's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
145 views

Rugby league vs Rugby Union

Which game variation existed first, and when and why was the second variation developed?
Sarah Weiss's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
50 views

How many coaches have won test rugby against New Zealand in New Zealand?

With the South African Springboks beating the New Zealand All Blacks on 15 September 2018, Rassie Erasmus has joined an elite group of rugby coaches who can say they have won test rugby in New Zealand....
Neil Meyer's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

When and why did rugby union change the number of reserves?

In the 2011 world cup teams fielded 22 players each and in the 2015 world cup fielded 23 players. When was this changed? Is there a reason given by world rugby as to why this decision was made?
darthspongebob's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
137 views

How many times has a player scored a try on debut?

I know Brian Habana scored a try on his debut, but today (June 9th 2018) is the first test I have ever seen were two players scored a try on debut for the same team. How many times have players scored ...
Neil Meyer's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
277 views

Was Hooper offside for Australia's first disallowed try?

During the England Vs Australia rugby union international on 18th November 2017 at Twickenham, Michael Hooper scored a try for Australia that was disallowed due to him being offside. According to the ...
Kevin Anthony Oppegaard Rose's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
166 views

Why were Italy allowed to run offside in their Six Nations match with England?

Observed in this video here, Italy were repeatedly allowed to pass the offside line and enter England's backfield. Rarely does a team do this in any other game, even if it is a "tackle-only" as the ...
Edlothiad's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Three Quarters in Rugby

I've got the idea of all the player positions in Rugby. Is there a position called Three Quarters, if I'm not mistaken?. Some used to mention it by that way, but I've got no idea what it really mean? ...
Kulasangar's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
6k views

In Rugby, why can't the tackling team pick up the ball after the ball carrier lets go?

That's basically my question. When a ball carrier is tackled, he usually lets go of the ball (behind him more often than not). Why can't the opposing team pick up the ball? And who is legally allowed ...
StackOverflowed's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
62 views

Why Benetton Treviso and Zebre Parma plays Pro12 League?

Why do Benetton Treviso and Zebre Parma do not play in Italian Eccellenza (the most important national league) and play abroad in Pro12 League with teams from Great Britain and Ireland? The winner of ...
Ale's user avatar
  • 9,312
5 votes
2 answers
252 views

How do you defend quick tap penalties?

When a team is awarded a penalty near the in-goal, say at 5 yards, and they play a quick tap. How you defend against that? I have seen yellow cards shown for tackling the player (for example, against ...
Martin Argerami's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
81 views

Legal throwins at lineouts

Is it legal for a team to score a try from a line-out quick thrown-in after the same ball went into touch, the referee has blown for the lineout, the linejudge has his flag up and his arm out, and ...
Johan Coetzee's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
199 views

Which is the most popular game in Australia? [closed]

Which is the most popular football code in Australia both in terms of number of active players, and spectator attendance?
gg4jgp's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
7k views

Why rugby players try run to the center in-goal area?

It often happened that when a rugby player arrive with no pressure opponents try to take the oval to the center of the in-goal area. The try is taken when the player enter in the in-goal area, so I ...
Ale's user avatar
  • 9,312
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why are padded shorts banned in rugby union?

Rule 4.4f of Rugby Union states that "a player may not wear shorts with padding sewn into them". What is the rationale behind this rule?
ScarletPumpernickel's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
571 views

What are the most important rugby union club leagues?

What are the most important rugby union club leagues in the world? By "most important" I mean the leagues where the players are professional and where the teams are able to win international cups and/...
Ale's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
182 views

Collapsing of a Maul if the Maul isn't actually formed

So this is an odd one which no one I've asked can actually answer. In all scenarios the second row immediately turns to face his teammates. Scenario 1 The second row catches the ball from a lineout....
Chris Harland's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
9k views

How are points awarded in the group stage of the Rugby World Cup?

After the first matches of the 2015 Rugby World Cup there are: winner teams with 5 points winner teams with 4 points loser teams with 2 points loser teams with 1 points loser teams with 0 points How ...
Ale's user avatar
  • 9,312
6 votes
1 answer
655 views

Scrum crooked feed

I noticed that, for a long time now, the crooked feed became the norm in international rugby. When did this practice start? Why is it not policed by the refs?
Martin Argerami's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
150 views

How many college level varsity women's rugby teams are there in the US currently?

I know there are a lot of club women's rugby teams in the US at the college level but I'm very curious how many of those teams are actually considered varsity level sports at their universities ...
Katie Hurley's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
93 views

Why were France awarded penalty during the last minute maul against England?

With England driving a maul toward France's touchline, the referee awarded a penalty to France which cost England a potential try and the Six Nations title. What infringement did England make for him ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Rugby penalty kick into touch-in-goal

In Rugby Union, when a penalty is taken as a kick into touch, imagine the following two situations: Penalties http://www.die-sinlosen.de/fred/rugbykick.png The kick goes over the try line (I think ...
Fred's user avatar
  • 123
6 votes
1 answer
621 views

Rugby Union knock on rule in scoring a try

Can someone help with the knock on rule when scoring a try. In the Ireland v England 6 Nations game, the slow motion reply appeared to show Henshaw first catching the ball, then he appeared to lose ...
Hayden Reeve's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
107 views

Who is this particular English Premiership (Rugby Union) lead announcer?

http://youtu.be/tcoNn0lskgw?t=2m40s He should be listed somewhere in here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_football_commentators A Meta entry said this question would be better ...
ipso's user avatar
  • 830
4 votes
1 answer
5k views

Rugby Union referee yells something like, ~“Use-Its”~?

Or something that sounds like that. A side has retained control of the ball after a ruck, and the ball is just laying there on the ground and the player is hunched over with his hands on the ball ...
ipso's user avatar
  • 830
6 votes
0 answers
116 views

Is my understanding of Italian rugby "Serie A" correct?

I've created this spreadsheet to summarise the Italian rugby "Serie A" (II and III division) format, based on this table: problem is, while the linked table is quite clear and reasonable, it's full of ...
o0'.'s user avatar
  • 523
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can a rugby player who has hit the ball forward be tackled before the ball hits the ground?

If a player accidentally hits the ball forward into the air, it isn't a knock on until the ball hits the ground, but is that player considered the ball carrier? Can that player be legally tackled, ...
travis's user avatar
  • 173
8 votes
1 answer
7k views

In Rugby Union, how can players be put back onside after a kick

In rugby union there is often a lot of kicking. To be onside and able to chase the ball, a player must be behind the kicker (or be the kicker himself) when the ball is kicked. How can other players ...
Greg's user avatar
  • 238
9 votes
3 answers
902 views

What is the largest deficit overcome in a 6 nations match?

Team A is losing by X points. At the end of the game, either they draw or Team A wins. Which is the largest X?
o0'.'s user avatar
  • 523
6 votes
3 answers
20k views

Why the change of the scrum verbal directions to "Crouch-Touch-Set"?

Since I've watched Rugby in the late 90's, the referee's verbal directions for the scrum have been either: Crouch-Pause-Engage or for the last several years: Crouch-Touch-Pause-Engage I was ...
iandotkelly's user avatar
  • 1,034
17 votes
6 answers
12k views

Are Hookers the only players allowed to take lineout throws?

When lineouts take place in Rugby Union I have only ever seen Hookers being the player who takes the throw in. Is it in the laws of the game that only a Hooker is allowed to take the throw? If it is ...
coversnail's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
167 views

Which factors have been most prominent in the switching of codes amongst professional players?

It is not uncommon for professional sportsmen to switch from one football code to another. Specifically considering the move from Rugby League to Rugby Union and vice-versa, what have been the most ...
Ste's user avatar
  • 3,710
10 votes
2 answers
9k views

Under what conditions can a player take a quick throw-in in rugby union?

I've read the rules at irblaws but I'm still confused: over there the most binding condition stated is "A player must not take a quick throw-in after the lineout has formed", but quite often it ...
o0'.'s user avatar
  • 523
17 votes
3 answers
20k views

Why is a chargedown not regarded as a knock on in Rugby Union?

Generally in Rugby Union when a player knocks the ball forward from their hands without making a clean catch, a scrum is called for a knock on. But when a player kicks the ball and the ball is knocked ...
Martin Duys's user avatar