Rugby is a form of football developed in England and played by thousands of players across the world. A similar game using a ball was played by the ancient Greeks and another version by the Cornish in the Bronze Age.
Rugby became a national pastime back in the mid 1700’s but without the same rules as today. Back then, as many as one hundred players could be on the field at once creating a confusing and hectic game. It was 1845 before the first written rules were penned and the game became a sports phenomenon.
Today the game of Rugby is administered by the Rugby Union on a global level by the Rugby League International Federation. Along with the amateur and professional rugby games that take place in various countries around the world, there are two major professional competitions that attract worldwide attention; the National Rugby League of Australia and the European Super League.
The popularity of rugby is seen by the fact it is the national game of New Zealand, South Africa and Wales. The old saying is that football is a gentleman’s game played by ruffians and rugby is a ruffian’s game played by gentlemen.
There are two main variances on rugby; Union and league play. League play has been modified over the years to make it quicker paced and they play with 13 players. Union play involves 15 players. There are also many other versions of rugby such as tag rugby, and the third most popular Rugby Sevens. Regardless of which version you play, rugby is definitely one of the most popular sports in the world.