The Object of the Game
Two teams try to carry, pass, or kick an oval ball across the opponent's goal line and touch it down for a try (five points). Unlike the American game it helped inspire, rugby flows almost continuously, the ball may only be passed backward or sideways, and players wear little or no padding. After a try, the scoring team attempts a conversion kick (two points); penalties and drop goals are worth three.
Fifteens vs. Sevens
Clubs typically play two formats. Fifteen-a-side — the traditional autumn game — features eight forwards and seven backs across two forty-minute halves. Sevens — the faster spring and summer game, now an Olympic sport — puts seven players on the same-sized field for seven-minute halves, turning rugby into a track meet with tackling. The laws for both are published and maintained by World Rugby.
Forwards and Backs
The forwards (numbers 1–8) are the engine room: they contest the set pieces, win the collisions, and do the heavy lifting. The backs (9–15) are generally the faster, more elusive runners who turn possession into points. Two positions organize everything: the scrum-half (9) feeds the ball from rucks and scrums, and the fly-half (10) is the on-field playmaker who decides whether to run, pass, or kick.
Set Pieces: Scrums and Lineouts
When play stops for a minor infringement, it restarts with a scrum — eight forwards from each side binding together and pushing for the ball. When the ball goes out of bounds, it restarts with a lineout, where forwards lift a jumper high to catch a thrown ball. Both are rugby's most distinctive images, and both take real technique and trust to perform safely.
The Breakdown
After a tackle, players compete for the ball on the ground in a ruck — the fast, physical contest that decides most matches. Learning to arrive, stay on your feet, and clear space is the unglamorous skill that separates good sides from great ones.
The Spirit of the Game
Rugby is fierce for eighty minutes and famously friendly afterward. The tradition of the host club feeding the visiting team a post-match meal — the "third half" — is as old as the sport, and referees are addressed as "sir" or "ma'am" without argument. That blend of ferocity and sportsmanship is exactly why so many players fall in love with it. Ready to try it? See how to get involved, or read the club's history to meet the tradition you'd be joining.