Learn to play rugby

Duration:
The Rugby match is played over two halves of 40 minutes each with injury time added on at the end of each half.At tournaments this time may be reduced to accomodate playing more games.

The aim of the game:
No it is not to cause as much damage as possible to the opposition it is simply to score more points than the opposition through tries, conversions, drop goals and penalties.

Players
Each team is made up of 15 players, the 15 are then split into two groups, eight forwards and seven backs. The forwards are the big ugly guys who do all the hard work and the backs are the pretty boy quaterback types who get all the glory. (There are also seven and 10-man versions of rugby union, played almost exclusively at tournaments.)
No. 1 & 3 - Props
No. 2 - Hooker
No. 4 & 5 - Second Row or locks
No. 6 & 7 - Flankers or Wing-forward
No. 8 - The eight man, or simply 'No.8'
No. 9 - Scrumhalf
No. 10 - Flyhalf
No. 11 - Wing
No. 12 - Inside center
No. 13 - Outside Center
No. 14 - Winger
No. 15 - Fullback


Officials
There is one referee (hated by all) assisted by two touch judges, who mark where the ball goes out of play,adjudge kicks at goal and inform the referee of faul play. These guys are always right (even when they are wrong).

Passes
All passes in rugby must travel backwards.

Tackling
Only a possession of the ball can be tackled. American football-style blocking is not allowed. A tackled player must release the ball after he hits the ground. It is illegal to high tackle above the shoulders, or to "spike" a player by deliberately upending him onto his head.

Other terms:
Blindside/Weakside: The narrow side of the pitch in relation to a scrum or a breakdown in play.

Openside:
The broad side of the pitch in relation to a scrum ora breakdown in play.

Scrum
The eight forwards from each team bind together and push against each other. The scrum-half from the team that has been awarded possession feeds the ball into the center of the scrum from the side most advantageous for his hooker. The ball must be fed straight down the middle of the tunnel and the hookers must not contest for the ball until it is put in.
Lineout:
A maximum of seven and a minimum of three forwards line up parallel with each other between the five-meter and 15-meter lines. The hooker of the team is possession throws the ball in. All players not involved in the lineout, except the scrum-half, must retire 10 meters. The ball must be thrown in straight down the middle of the lineout. Jumpers can be lifted by their team-mates below the waist.

Scoring
The object of the game is to score more points than your apponents. There are a number of ways to achieve this.
Try:
A try is worth five points. It is scored when a player places the ball on the ground with downward pressure in the in-goal area between the try line and dead ball line of the opposition's half. So you cannot cross the try line and spike the ball, this does not count!!

Conversion:
If a team scores a try, they have an opportunity to "convert" it for two further points by kicking the ball between the posts and above the crossbar - that is, through the goal. The kick is taken from a point level with where the try was scored.

Penalty kick:
If a side commits a serious offence,a penalty is awarded and the opposition can take the option of a place kick at goal from where the infringement occurred. If successful, it is worth three points.

Drop goal:
A drop goal for three points is scored when a player kicks the ball from hand through the opposition's goal. But the ball from hand through the opposition's goal. But the ball must touch the ground between being dropped and kicked.

Knock-on/Knock-forward
The ball goes forward off the hands or arms of a player and hits the ground or another player. Results in a scrum with the put-in to the opposition.

Forward pass:
The ball fails to travel backwards in a pass, Scrum to the opposition.
Offside:
Hideously complicated. Basically, players not involved in rucks, mauls, scrums or lineouts must remain behind the back foot - that is, behind the last attached player.

Penalty:
Penalties are awarded for serious infringements like dangerously play, offside and handling the ball on the ground. It is signalled by the referee with a straight arm raised in the air. Players can also receive red and yellow cards, as in football.
The offending team must retire 10 meters for both penalties and free kicks. A team can either kick for goal, run the ball or kick directly into touch with the resulting line-out awarded to them.

Free kick:
This is a lesser form of the penalty. A team cannot kick for goal (unless it is a drop goal). The normal 22m rule applies for kicking for position free kick. It is signalled by the referee with a bent arm raised in air.