2015 edition

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO

RUGBY UNION

Legend has it that in 1823, duringa game of school football in thetown of Rugby, England, a youngman named William Webb Ellispicked up the ball and ran towardsthe opposition’s goal line.

Two centuries later, Rugby Footballhas evolved into one of the world’smost popular sports, with millions ofpeople playing, watching andenjoying the Game.

At the heart of Rugby is a uniqueethos which it has retained over theyears. Not only is the Game played tothe Laws, but within the spirit of theLaws.

Through discipline, control andmutual self-respect, a fellowship andsense of fair play are forged, definingRugby as the Game it is.

From the school playground to theRugby World Cup final, Rugby Unionoffers a truly unique and thoroughlyrewarding experience for all involvedin the Game.

Safetyas a top priority

Rugby’s history & ethos

Rugby is a highly physical Game.To enjoy it to its utmost you needto be physically and mentallyprepared. You also need tounderstand how to play safely.

The Rugby Ready programmeeducates, aids and supportsplayers, coaches, match officialsand Unions on the importance ofsufficient preparation for trainingand playing in order for Rugby tobe played and enjoyed whilereducing the risk of serious injury.

The web site allows you to readmaterial, watch video, completean on-line self check test andgenerate an awarenesscertificate. Or contact yournational Union for details of face-to-face courses near you.

DisclaimerThis Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union producthas been developed in the context of the Lawsapplying to accident and injury prevention andmedical practice in Ireland and the informationand guidelines incorporated on these mattersare made available strictly on the basis thatWorld Rugby does not accept any liability to anyperson or entity for loss, cost or damagehowsoever arising out of any reliance on and/oruse of the information and/or guidelinescontained in this Beginner’s Guide to RugbyUnion product.

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The World Rugby Core Values & Playing CharterIn 2009, member Unions identifiedIntegrity, Passion, Solidarity,Discipline and Respect as the definingcharacteristics of Rugby. These are nowcollectively known as the World RugbyCore Values and are incorporated withinthe World Rugby Playing Charter, adocument which aims to ensure thatRugby maintains its unique characterboth on and off the field of play.

The Core Values enable participants immediately to understand the character ofthe Game and what makes it distinctive as a sport which is played by people of allshapes and sizes.

The World Rugby Playing Charter is incorporated within the World Rugby Laws of theGame and can be downloaded from worldrugby.org/laws in a variety of languages.

worldrugby.org/rugbyready

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Rugby is a game in which the object is to carry the ball over the opponents’goal line and force it to the ground to score.

The above description may sound simple - butthere is one catch. In order to go forward, theball must be passed backwards. The ball canbe kicked forwards, but the kicker’s teammates must be behind the ball at the momentthe ball is kicked.

This apparent contradiction creates a need forfine teamwork and great discipline, as little canbe achieved by any one individual player. Only

by working as a team can players move the ball forward towards their opponents’goal line and eventually go on to win the game.

Rugby has its unique aspects, but like many other sports it is essentially about thecreation and use of space. The winners of a game of Rugby will be the team ofplayers who can get themselves and the ball into space and use that space wisely,while denying the opposing team both possession of the ball and access to spacein which to use it.

The Game

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A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

The field of play

It’s simple... but complex

Try - 5 pointsA try is scored whenthe ball is groundedover the opponents’goal line in the in-goal area.

A penalty try can beawarded if a playerwould have scoreda try but for foulplay by theopposition.

Conversion - 2 pointsAfter scoring a try, that teamcan attempt to add two furtherpoints by kicking the ball overthe crossbar and between theposts from a place in line withwhere the try was scored.

Penalty - 3 pointsWhen awarded a penalty afteran infringement by theopposition, a team may chooseto kick at goal.

Drop goal - 3 pointsA drop goal is scored when aplayer kicks for goal in open playby dropping the ball onto theground and kicking it on thehalf-volley.

Try signal

Scoring points

Dead ball line

Dead ball line

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The term ‘open play’ refers to any phase in the match where the ball is beingpassed or kicked between team mates and both teams are contesting for theball. In open play, the team in possession tries to get the ball to players inspace who can make forward progress towards the opposing goal line.

Kicking Open playIf a player chooses not topass the ball to a team mateor run with it, that player maykick the ball instead. The kickcan travel forwards, but anyteam mates in front of theball at the moment the ball iskicked are out of play untileither they retire behind thekicker or are played onside bya team mate.

Retaining possession of the ballfollowing a kick is a challenge.Kicking strategies include:

• kicking into space, so thatteam mates have time to runonto the ball before anopponent can get to it

• kicking out wide, at an obliqueangle to the field, so that thewing or outside centre cancatch the ball

• kicking the ball to touch (offthe field of play) resulting in alineout (see page 9) with thethrow-in to the opposition.This concedes possession ofthe ball but allows the kickingteam to contest for the ball ina much more advantageousposition on the field.

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Kick offEach half of the match is started witha drop kick from the centre of the halfway line. The non-kicking team mustbe 10 metres back from the ball whenit is kicked and the kick must travel10m towards the opposition goal linebefore hitting the ground.

HandlingPassingA player may pass (throw the ball) toa team mate who is in a betterposition to continue the attack, butthe pass must not travel towards theopposing team’s goal line. It musttravel either directly across the field,or back in the direction of thepasser’s own goal line.

By carrying the ball forwards andpassing backwards, territory is gained.

If a forward pass is made, the referee will stop the game and award a scrum (seepage 8) with the throw-in going to the team which was not in possession at thetime of the pass. In this way, a forward pass is punished by that team losingpossession of the ball.

Knock-onWhen a player mishandles the ball,i.e. drops it or allows it to rebound offa hand or arm, and the ball travelsforwards, it is known as a knock-on.

This is punishable by a scrum to theopposition and therefore a turnoverof possession.

As well as being an evasion game which requires creation and use of space,Rugby is also a contact sport. In fact, contact situations can be the verymechanism by which players create the space they need to attack. Thethree most common contact situations which occur in open play are tackle,ruck and maul.

Advantage

Offside

Tackle, ruck & maul

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The advantage Law allowsthe game to be morecontinuous and have fewerstoppages.

Sometimes, during a game, aninfringement of the Laws maybe committed where astoppage in play would deprivethe non-offending team of anopportunity to score.

Even though the Laws state thatthe non-offending team shouldbe awarded a penalty, free kick orscrum, they are given theopportunity to continue withopen play and attempt to scorea try.

In this instance, the referee willallow play to continue ratherthan penalise the offence.

Rugby’s offside Law restrictswhere on the field players canbe, to ensure there is space toattack and defend.

In general, a player is in an offsideposition if that player is furtherforward (nearer to theopponents’ goal line) than theteam mate who is carrying theball or the team mate who lastplayed the ball.

Being in an offside position isnot, in itself, an offence, but anoffside player may not take partin the game until they areonside again.

If an offside player takes part inthe game, that player will bepenalised.

A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

The tackle

The maul

A ruck is formed if the ball is on theground and one or more players fromeach team who are on their feet closearound it. Players must not handlethe ball in the ruck, and must usetheir feet to move the ball or driveover it so that it emerges at theteam’s hindmost foot, at which pointit can be picked up.

The ruck

A maul occurs when the ball carrier isheld by one or more opponents andone or more of the ball carrier’s teammates holds on (binds) as well (a maultherefore needs a minimum of threeplayers). The ball must be off theground.

The team in possession of the ball can attempt to gain territory by driving theiropponents back towards the opponents’ goal line. The ball can then be passedbackwards between players in the maul and eventually passed to a player who isnot in the maul, or a player can leave the maul carrying the ball and run with it.

Only the ball carrier can be tackled byan opposing player. A tackle occurs when the ball carrier isheld by one or more opponents and isbrought to ground, i.e. has one or bothknees on the ground, is sitting on theground or is on top of another playerwho is on the ground. To maintain thecontinuity of the game, the ball carriermust release the ball immediatelyafter the tackle, the tackler must release the ball carrier and both players must rollaway from the ball. This allows other players to come in and contest for the ball,thereby starting a new phase of play.

Rugby Union has always been characterised by thenotion that it is a game for all shapes and sizes.

Uniquely, each position requires a different set ofphysical and technical attributes and it is thisdiversity which makes the game so accessible to all.

The positions

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Loose-head prop

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Insidecentre

Outside centre

Full back

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Left wing

The names of positions given here are the most commonly used across the Rugby world. However, some regional variations may exist.

Rightwing

Fly half

Scrumhalf

Fly half

Wing

Centre

Lock

Open-sideflanker

HookerTight-head

prop

Backs

ForwardsSevens Rugby

Backs

Locks

What they do: Locks win ball from lineouts and restarts. They drive forward momentum in the scrum, rucksand mauls providing a platform for attack.What they need: The key characteristic is height. The locksare the giants of the team and combine their physicality withgreat catching skills and mobility.

Flankers

What they do: Their key objective is to win possession throughturn-overs, using physicality in the tackle and speed to thebreakdown.What they need: An insatiable desire for big tackles and a no-fear approach to winning the ball. A combination of speed,strength, endurance and handling.

Props

What they do: Their primary role is to anchor thescrummage and provide lifting strength and support for thelineout jumpers. Also pivotal in rucks & mauls.What they need: Upper-body strength to provide stability inthe scrum, endurance, mobility and safe hands to maintaincontinuity of play.

Hooker

What they do: The hooker has two unique roles on the pitchas the player who wins possession in the scrum and usuallythrows the ball in to the lineout.What they need: Great strength to withstand the physicalityof the front row coupled with speed to get around the pitchand good throwing technique.

Loose-head prop

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A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

Wings

What they do: The wings are on the pitch to provide theinjection of out-and-out pace needed to outrun an opponentand score a try. Also important to be solid in defence.What they need: Pace. Wings will often find themselves inopen space, when their number one priority is to press theaccelerator and run for the line. Strength and good handlingare an advantage too.

Full back

What they do: Generally perceived as the last line ofdefence, the full back must be confident under a high ball,have a good boot to clear the lines and a enjoythe physicality required to make try-saving tackles.What they need: Great handling skills, pace in attack andpower in defence. An ability to join the line at pace to createan overlap and try-scoring opportunities for the winger.Tactical skill and flair.

Number 8

What they do: The Number 8 must secure possession at thebase of the scrum, carry the ball in open play, provide the linkbetween the forwards and backs in attacking phases anddefend aggressively.What they need: Good handling skills are essential, as is agreat awareness of space. Power and pace over shortdistances is crucial - gaining territory and field position for aquick release to the backs in attack.

Scrum half

What they do: Provides the link between forwards and backs atthe scrum and lineouts. A true decision-maker, the 9 will judgewhether to distribute quick ball to the backs or keep it close tothe forwards.What they need: A multi-faceted position, the scrum half must bepowerful, have explosive speed, all-round handling and kicking skills.The great 9s are highly confident players, with excellent gameunderstanding.

Fly half

What they do: As the player who orchestrates the team’sperformance, the 10 will receive the ball from the 9 andchoose to kick, pass or make a break based upon split-secondinterpretation of the phase of play.What they need: The ability to kick well out of hand, ideallyon either foot, deft handling skills, pace, vision, creativity,communication skills, tactical awareness and the ability toperform under pressure.

Centres

What they do: The centres are key in both defence andattack. In defence they will attempt to tackle attackingplayers whilst in attack they will use their speed, power andcreative flair to breach defences.What they need: The modern-day centre is lean, strong andextremely quick. The position demands great attackingprowess, coupled with an intensity in contact to either retainor steal possession.

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The scrum is a means of restarting play after a stoppage which has beencaused by a minor infringement of the Laws (for example, a forward pass orknock on) or the ball becoming unplayable in a ruck or maul. The scrumserves to concentrate all the forwards and the scrum halves in one place onthe field, providing the opportunity for the backs to mount an attack usingthe space created elsewhere.

Equipment The scrumBefore playing Rugby, it’simportant to understand theequipment you’ll need.

Firstly, you’ll need a sturdy pairof boots with studs or cleatswhich are appropriate to theconditions. These are essentialto providing the purchase you’llrequire, especially in contactsituations.

It is recommended that youwear a mouth guard to protectthe teeth and jaw, and someplayers choose to wear WorldRugby approved head gearand/or padded equipment,worn under the shirt.

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The scrum halfThe key player at the scrum is thescrum half. This player throws the ballinto the scrum, moves to the hindmostfoot of the scrum, and is usually theplayer who picks the ball up and passesout to the fly half who then distributesthe ball to the back line. As soon as thescrum half picks the ball up, theopposition may contest for the ball andattempt to tackle whichever player is inpossession.

The ball is thrown into the middle of the tunnel between the two front rows, atwhich point the two hookers can compete for the ball, attempting to hook the ballback in the direction of their team mates. The team who throws the ball into thescrum usually retains possession, because the hooker and scrum half cansynchronise their actions.

Once possession has been secured, a team can keep the ball on the ground and inthe scrum and attempt to drive the opposition down field. Alternatively, they canbring the ball to the hindmost foot of the scrum, where the ball is then passed intothe back line and open play resumes again.

Signals for scrumawarded (left) and forming a scrum(right)

The lineout is a means of restarting play after the ball has gone into touch(off the field of play at the side). “The lineout concentrates a selection offorwards in one place near to the touch line, so the backs have the rest ofthe width of the field in which to mount an attack. The key for the forwardsis to win possession and distribute the ball effectively to the back line.

Penalty andfree kick

The lineout

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Infringements of the Lawswhich have a material andsignificant impact on theopposition are punished withthe award of a penalty kick.

If the placewhere the

penalty isawarded is within

range of the posts,the team willusually choose tokick for a goal froma place kick. Theball is placed on akicking tee and

the kicker attemptsto kick it between

the posts and overthe crossbar. Three points areawarded for a successful kick.

A team may choose not to kickfor goal. Other options include ascrum, a ‘quick penalty’ to bringthe ball into open play, or kickingfor touch (where the kickingteam has the throw in to theresulting lineout).

A free kick isawarded for lesssignificantoffences. Ateam may notscore pointsdirectly from afree kick.

A team may optfor a scruminstead of a freekick.

A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

To allow players to catch high throwsin the lineout, it is permissible for thecatcher to be supported by teammates while jumping to catch theball.

Safety is a prime concern here, andany player who is off the groundmust be supported until that playerreturns to the ground. A player maynot be tackled while in the air, andholding, shoving or levering on anopponent are all offences punishablewith a penalty kick.

The forwards assemble in two lines, perpendicular to the touch line, one metreapart. The hooker throws the ball down the corridor between these two lines of players. Because the thrower’s team mates know where thethrow is likely to go, that team has an advantage in retaining possession. However,with speed of thought and movement, the opposition can contest for the ball andthe lineout frequently results in a turnover of possession.

The player who successfully catches the ball can keep it and set up a maul, or canpass to the receiver (a player who stands next to the lineout to wait for such apass) who then passes to the fly half and on to the back line.

Lineout support

The touch judge signalsthat the ball is in touchand which team has thethrow in

Free kick signal

Penalty signal

The match is under the control of the referee and two touch judges.Depending on the level at which the game is being played, there may beother officials behind the scenes such as a time keeper or television matchofficial to adjudicate on replays.

Becoming amatch official

Match officials

Becoming a referee or touchjudge is a unique way toexperience Rugby.

Most people who becomematch officials have played thegame themselves and are nowlooking to give something backto the Game they love, but thisdoes not necessarily have to bethe case. Anyone can learnrefereeing, even from a youngage. In fact, for anyone aimingto get to the top of therefereeing profession, startingyoung is a good idea.

As a match official, you are atthe heart of the action and sosee the game from a uniqueperspective. It’s a great way toget lots of good exercise, and totest yourself against manychallenging situations.Refereeing is not easy, but canbe hugely rewarding.

To become a qualified matchofficial, start by asking your club,regional body or national Unionabout training courses near you.World Rugby provides coursesfor all levels of participant, fromnovice through to experiencedmatch official.

A basic level training course canbe completed in one day, andwhen combined with somegame sense which can only begained through exposure toRugby as a player or spectator,can set you off on the road tobecoming a referee.

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The referee

Two judges, one on either side of thefield of play, assist the referee inmatters of when and where the ballgoes into touch and on any otherissues as required by the referee. Thetouch judges also adjudicate on thesuccess or otherwise of kicks at goal.

Foul play is anything a player doeswhich is contrary to the letter and spiritof the Laws of the Game, includingobstruction, unfair play, dangerousplay and misconduct. The referee mustsanction appropriately for foul play.

Before the match, the referee will usually speak to the front row players (the propsand the hookers) from both teams, to run through the scrum engagementprocedure. This helps to focus the minds of all concerned on this essential phaseof the game. The referee then organises the coin toss with the captains prior tothe match to decide who kicks off. During the match itself, the referee is the solejudge of fact and of Law. It is essential that all players respect the referee’sdecisions at all times.

Touch judges

Foul play

For anyone who is not familiar with the finer points of the Laws of Rugby it can sometimes be hard to tell why thereferee has stopped play for an infringement. Here we look at some of the most common reasons why the whistlemay have blown. Alongside is the signal you’ll see the referee make when each circumstance occurs during play. Thesignals for penalty and free kick are shown on page 9.

Why did the whistle blow?

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Joining ruck/maul from the sideWhen joining a ruck or maul, allplayers must do so from behind thehindmost foot of their hindmost teammate.

If they join from the side, they are inan offside position and taking part inthe game, and this will immediately bepenalised with the award of a penaltyto the opposing team.

Failure to roll awayAny players on the groundwhen a ruck or maul is formedmust immediately roll awayfrom the ball, so as to allowcontinuity of play for the teamin possession.

Failure to do so will result inthe award of a penalty to thenon-offending team.

Failure to release player or ballAfter a tackle, the tackler mustimmediately release the ballcarrier, and the ball carriermust immediately release theball.

Failure on either of thesecounts limits a fair contest forpossession. If release does notoccur within a reasonabletime frame, the referee willaward a penalty to the non-offending team.

Forward pass or knock onSometimes an attackwhich seems to beheading towards the tryline will be stopped bythe referee’s whistle.

If a pass has goneforwards, or a handlingerror has resulted in aknock-on, a scrum willhave been awarded to the non-offending team.

Advantage being playedAdvantage can be applied to eitherminor infringements (e.g. knock-on), oroffences which would result in apenalty (e.g. offside). The decision hasto be made by the referee as towhether there may be more benefit tothe non-offending team if playcontinues. If no advantage occurs, thereferee will blow the whistle and bringplay back to the place of the originalinfringement which occurred prior to advantage being played.

Unplayable ball at ruck or maulIf the ballbecomesunplayable at aruck e.g. underplayers who areon the ground,the referee willaward a scrumto the team going forward before the ball became unplayable.For a maul the scrum goes to the team not in possession whenthe maul began.

Forward pass

Failure to release player

Unplayable at ruck Unplayable at maul

Failure to release ball

Knock on

A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

Becoming acoach

The coach

Becoming a coach, andthereby helping others toenjoy the Game, can be afulfilling way to be involved inRugby.

Most people who entercoaching are either formerplayers who want to givesomething back to Rugby or parents who want to help their children experienceRugby.

Coaching can be a rich andsatisfying experience, but it isalso a responsibility not to betaken lightly.

Young people in the care oftoday’s coaches are the nextgeneration of players, refereesand volunteers, and theattitudes they learn from theirexperiences can affect manyaspects of their lives. As a coach,you could help to give them theconfidence to succeed, not onlyin Rugby but also in life.

Your club, regional body ornational Union will be able tohelp you start on the path tobecome a coach. A good placeto start is with the Rugby Readyprogramme (see page 2) andyou could move from there to aLevel 1 Coaching qualification -this takes just one day and givesyou a grounding in the basics ofcoaching.

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The role of the coach varies greatly depending on the level at which theteam operates. At grass roots level it’s about developing players - technically and personally - while at international level the coach isresponsible for team selection, performance and results.

A coach takes on many interchangeable roles, such as leader, manager, teacherand organiser. The coach needs to have a knowledge of the Game and its Laws,motivation, physical fitness and an understanding of how to coach and improveplayers.

As well as the 15 players in the starting line up, a team can also have substitutes.The coach can make a pre-agreed number of substitutions, for tactical reasons,during the course of the game. Players can also be replaced when injured, eithertemporarily while a player receives treatment, or permanently if a player is unableto continue playing.

Another important role of the coach is to instill team spirit into the players. This isespecially important at levels where the players take part for the fun ofparticipation rather than the aim of winning.

Replacements & substitutions

Team spirit

WatchingRugbyThe pace and power ofmodern Rugby have made itone of the most excitingspectator sports around.Indeed, several aspects of theGame have evolved as a resultof this mass audience appeal.

Large screensMany stadiums now have largescreens on which replays can beseen just moments after theaction has taken place.

Television match officialTelevised matches have anofficial who uses replays toadvise the referee on decisionsaccording to what the replaysshow.

However you choose to watchthe Game, don’t just focus onthe ball, try concentrating onthe alignment of attackers anddefenders and the positioningof certain players, e.g. fly half,number 8 and full back.

A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

Team tactics

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A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

The source of endless debate, controversy and acclaim alike, developing theright tactics can make or break a team’s performance. Far from an easyproposition, but get it right, and you’re the world’s greatest Rugby visionary- to your players, at least.

Developing tactics requires a thorough understanding of your team’s strengths.These tactics will be in part forward dominated and power based, and also relianton the creation of space and use of pace. As important, is an awareness of the teamand individuals you’re up against - and the tactics they are likely to employ.

Creating space

Using the physical strength of theforwards, in scrums and rolling mauls,can result in significant territory gain.Forward players can ‘pick and drive’(gather the ball and take it forwardwith the support of team mates) untilthe moment is right to release it tothe backs.

Using power

As such, Rugby’s holy grail lies in thecreation of space. There are many tactics geared towards this, but primarily it’sabout winning quick ball to move the passage of play away from a concentrationof players whilst injecting pace and creativity in attack to make space for a playerto score.

For all its many complexities, Rugbyremains a simple game in essence.Points will be scored when a player isput into space and when an attackingteam out-numbers those in defence.

Rugby’s Laws:an evolution

Rugby Sevens The Olympic dream

The World Rugby Law Book ispublished each year. It isavailable online atworldrugby.org/laws whereyou can download the Laws inPDF format and take a test tocheck your Law knowledge.

The Laws of Rugby aredeveloped with two centralprinciples in mind: firstly, toallow players to play within theSpirit of the Game, andsecondly, to protect the welfareof all players.

Sometimes World Rugby trialschanges to the Laws, beforedeciding whether thosechanges should beimplemented on a global basisand accepted into full Law. Law trials may applyonly in a certain region or, forexample, only the northern orsouthern hemisphere.

Any change in Law creates achallenge for players andcoaches alike, providingopportunity for teams to adjusttheir tactics to take advantageof any freedom or restrictionbrought about by the change.

Keep in touch with Lawdevelopments atworldrugby.org/laws

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Demands of RugbySevens

Rugby Sevens is played on a full size pitch by teams of seven players ratherthan fifteen. The game is shorter in duration, with each half lasting sevenminutes during the pool stages of a tournament, and increasing to ten forthe final.

Aside from the duration, the Laws vary very little from the 15-a-side game, though, ofcourse, because of the amount of space available on the pitch, it is a very differentgame to watch. One characteristic of Rugby Sevens is that sometimes teams willchoose to retreat towards their own try line initially, drawing the opposition towardsthem, in an attempt to create space in other areas to then go forward in attack.

Rugby rejoins the OlympicProgramme at Rio 2016™ whenRugby Sevens makes its eagerlyawaited debut.

Rugby is a perfect fit for the OlympicGames; it reinforces the Olympicmovement’s ideals thanks to itslongstanding ethos of fair play andfriendship while the vibrant andexciting format of Rugby Sevensappeals to both existing followers ofthe sport and a wider sports-lovingaudience worldwide.

Because Rugby Sevens is played on afull size pitch, players need to be ableto cover a lot of ground during amatch. This means that participantsneed to be incredibly fit and haveplenty of speed, skill and stamina. Asa result, Rugby Sevens players areoften backs or loose forwards inFifteens Rugby.

The basics of Rugby - running,passing, tackling and decision-making - are key components ofRugby Sevens, as are creating spaceand keeping possession of the ball.

Sevens and the Olympics

Finding aclub

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The ethos of Rugby embracesinclusion, and you’re sure tofind a warm welcome at yourlocal Rugby club or indeedany club anywhere in theworld.

Whether it’s for your owninvolvement, or because you’dlike to introduce your son ordaughter to the Game, yournearest club is the best place tostart. Your national Union will beable to provide a list of clubs inyour country.

Volunteering in RugbyOne of the most rewarding waysto be involved in Rugby is as avolunteer. There are a widerange of roles for the volunteer,ranging from organisation andsecretarial work through toground care and assistingcoaches and players.

A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby Union

There are various modified forms of the Game which are designed to allowanyone to play in any circumstances with gradual development of Rugbyskills, such as running, handling, evasion and support play.

Examples of these variations include Tag, Touch, Tip, Flag and Beach Rugby. As anexample, in Tag, players wear tags which hang from a belt. Removal of one ofthese tag constitutes a tackle, and the ball carrier must then pass within threeseconds.

One of the key attractions of these versions of Rugby is that the non-contactnature means that people of all ages, both sexes and of any fitness level can playtogether on a variety of surfaces, without the fear of getting hurt.

In addition, the simple rules for all formats of modified Rugby, as well as the needfor minimal equipment, make the different game variations an ideal introductionfor beginners wishing to get involved in the sport.

Even after moving to a 15-a-sidegame, there are still certain Lawmodifications which smooth thetransition to the full version of Rugby.Details of U19 Law variations can befound in the World Rugby Law Book oron worldrugby.org/laws.

Other variations & small-sided games

U19 & age-grade

Modified Rugby A Game for all

A Beginner’s Guide to Rugby UnionWORLD RUGBY

World Rugby House, 8-10 Pembroke Street Lower, Dublin 2, IrelandTel. +353-1-2409-200 Web. worldrugby.org

Copyright © World Rugby 2015. Permission is granted to reproduce this work for personal and educational use only. Copying,

hiring, lending or distribution of the work for any commercial purpose is prohibited.

If you want to know more, contact your local club or national Union or go to worldrugby.org

World Rugby Training and EducationWhere to go from hereWorld Rugby operates a range oftraining and education programmesdesigned to help players, coaches,match officials and all stakeholderslearn more about Rugby Union andbecome more involved in the Game.

For more information, go toworldrugby.org/passport

AdministratorsPassport

Competency-based accreditation

Coaches Match officials

Administrators

Talent-identifiedcoaches and

match officials

Education workforce

Medicalpractitioners

All stakeholders

FifteensLevels 1, 2, 3

FifteensLevels 1, 2, 3

TalentOptimisationProgramme

SevensLevels 1, 2

SevensLevels 1, 2

Strength and conditioningLevels 1, 2

Coaching of match officials

Levels 1, 2

Educator & Trainer• Coach • Match Official • S&C • Medical

First Aid In RugbyLevel 1

Immediate Care in RugbyLevels 2, 3

Rugby Ready

worldrugby.org/rugbyready

Be prepared • Manage the risks

First Aid in Rugby

worldrugby.org/firstaidinrugby

Know how to respond

Concussion Management

worldrugby.org/concussion

Recognise and remove

Coaching

worldrugby.org/coaching

Technical • Planning

Officiating

worldrugby.org/officiating

Match observation • Panels

Strength & Conditioning

worldrugby.org/sandc

Understand physicality

Laws

worldrugby.org/laws

Know the Game

Keep Rugby Clean

worldrugby.org/keeprugbyclean

Tackle Doping - Keep Rugby Clean

World Rugby Passport - interactive learning websites from World Rugby