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.
41
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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 ...
2
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1
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139
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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?
3
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1
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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 ...
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1
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144
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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 ...
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1
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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?
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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 ...
5
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1
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209
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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/...
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1
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59
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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 ...
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2
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131
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Rugby league vs Rugby Union
Which game variation existed first, and when and why was the second variation developed?
2
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1
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48
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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....
2
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1
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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?
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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 ...
2
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2
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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 ...
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2
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161
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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 ...
5
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1
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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?
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4
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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 ...
2
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1
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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 ...
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2
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242
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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 ...
5
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1
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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
...
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1
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196
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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?
5
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1
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7k
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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 ...
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2
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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?
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512
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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/...
4
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1
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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....
5
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1
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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 ...
6
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1
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626
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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?
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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 ...
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1
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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 ...
2
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1
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1k
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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 ...
6
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1
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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 ...
3
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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 ...
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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 ...
6
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0
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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 ...
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3
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892
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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?
6
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2
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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 ...
17
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6
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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 ...
7
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1
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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 ...
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2
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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 ...
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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 ...