Rugby Union is one of the three versions of rugby football, a fast-paced collision sport played by two teams. The other versions are Rugby League and Rugby Sevens. For general information on Rugby Union and its history, see Rugby football.
Rugby Union developed in England in the early 1800’s and soon spread to Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. It later became popular in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and France, and is played in over 100 countries.
The field and equipment.
The field is a maximum of 69 meters (75 yards) wide and 144 meters (157 yards) long. The goal lines are 100 meters (109 yards) apart. An area called the in-goal extends up to 22 meters (24 yards) beyond each goal line. A halfway line parallel to the goal line divides the field in half. The field is further divided by two 22-meter lines, which lie 22 meters from each goal line, and two 10-meter lines, which are 10 meters (10.1 yards) from the halfway line. 
Two goal posts stand on each goal line. The posts are 5.6 meters (6.1 yards) apart. They are connected by a crossbar that is 3 meters (3.4 yards) above the ground.
The ball is an inflated oval rubber bladder encased in leather. It measures from 28 to 29 centimeters (11 to 11 1/2 inches) in length and weighs between 400 and 450 grams (14 to 16 ounces). Smaller balls are used at youth levels.
The officials.
A referee and two touch judges officiate a match. The referee controls the game. The referee’s judgment is final. The touch judges signal when and where the ball goes into touch (out of bounds), and they indicate whether a kick at goal is successful. They also inform the referee of any foul play that he or she may have missed. The rules of rugby are technically referred to as “laws.”
The team
consists of 15 players—8 forwards and 7 backs. The forwards attempt to win possession of the ball. The backs then advance the ball toward the goal by running, passing, or kicking. Forwards also run and pass and may kick the ball, though not as frequently as backs.
Scoring.
A team can score a try, a conversion, and a goal. A try is scored when any player touches the ball down on the ground in the opponent’s in-goal area. A try counts for 5 points. After a try is scored, a player on the scoring team attempts to convert the try. To convert a try, the player place-kicks the ball over the crossbar from a point in-field, parallel to where the player’s team scored the try. A player makes a place kick by placing the ball upright on a plastic tee or in a small hole dug with the heel of a boot. Defensive players stand behind their own goal line during the attempted conversion but can rush up to block the attempt upon the kicker’s forward motion. A successful conversion scores 2 points for a total of seven with the try.
There are two kinds of goals, a penalty goal and a dropped goal. Each counts for 3 points. A player scores a goal by drop-kicking—dropping the ball and kicking it on the first bounce—or by place-kicking the ball over the crossbar on a penalty kick. A penalty kick is awarded when the opposing team breaks certain laws. A player scores a dropped goal by drop-kicking the ball over the crossbar while the ball is in play.
How to play Rugby Union.
Rugby Union matches are divided into two 40-minute halves separated by a halftime rest period of no more than 15 minutes. A kickoff starts the match and also starts play in the second half. A player restarts play after either team has scored by drop-kicking from the center spot. The receiving team is positioned behind its 10-meter line.
Advancing the ball.
The team with the ball tries to move it toward the opponent’s goal line by running, passing, or kicking the ball. Players are not allowed to pass the ball forward (toward the opponent’s goal). The ball can only be passed laterally (sideways) or backward. Players also cannot knock on (hit the ball toward the opponent’s goal line with their hand or arm). Catching the ball cleanly is important, because a drop often results in knock on being called, which turns the ball over to the other team.
Players can tackle any opponent who is carrying the ball. The ball carrier avoids a tackle by dodging opponents, passing the ball to a teammate, or by kicking the ball down the field. The ball carrier also may avoid a tackle by handing off the opponent by an action called a fend—that is, the player may push the opponent away by using the palm of the hand. However, no player is allowed to strike or punch any opponent. If a player is tackled, the player must release the ball. Any player may pick up the ball and run with it or kick it.
A player can advance the ball by kicking it over the touch line (sideline) in certain circumstances. A player may kick the ball directly over the touch line only from behind the 22-meter line of the player’s team. A player can kick the ball over the touch line from in front of the 22-meter line only if the ball bounces before going over the touch line. In such cases, the opposing team uses a lineout to throw the ball in from the point the ball went into touch—that is, a player throws the ball with both hands overhead to a teammate on the field. For more on this restart, see “The lineout” below.
The scrum.
A contest for the ball called a scrum restarts play after one of the teams has committed a minor violation, such as a forward pass. In a scrum, the two opposing sets of forwards link themselves together, bending forward from the waist to form a tunnellike formation. The scrum half from the team not responsible for the violation “feeds” the ball into the tunnel. The two sets of forwards push from opposite sides as soon as the ball enters the scrum. Each side attempts to move the scrum into a position that allows a central forward called a hooker to heel the ball back through the hooker’s own scrum to gain possession. The hooker takes a position in the front and center of the front row of the forwards in the scrum, between two players called props.
The lineout.
A play called a lineout restarts the game after the ball has gone into touch. A player from the team not responsible for putting the ball into touch throws the ball in bounds between two opposing lines of forwards. Each set of forwards tries to outjump the other and secure possession of the ball for its backs. Taller players from each team are typically lifted by other players, creating an airborne competition for the ball.
Players also gather in formations called a ruck and a maul. Forwards are often more involved in these areas of play than backs. Both formations continue play without interruption after a tackle. In a ruck, players close in around the ball after the ball carrier has been tackled and the ball has gone to ground. The forwards attempt to heel, or ruck, the ball back for their backs to continue play. A maul occurs when several players surround the ball carrier during a tackle and the tackled player remains standing. The opposition players in the maul attempt to stop the offense’s forward momentum or wrestle the ball from the ball carrier.
Replacements and substitutes.
In international matches, a union (governing body) may allow up to eight replacements or substitutes. A replacement is a player who takes the place of an injured teammate. A substitute is a player who replaces a teammate for tactical reasons. For other matches, individual unions decide the number of substitutions and replacements.
Rugby Sevens.
Rugby Union can also be played by teams of seven players each in a version called Rugby Sevens. In Rugby Sevens, the game consists of two halves that are played for 7 minutes each. The rules for Rugby Sevens are mostly the same as those for standard rugby. However, with fewer players on each side, Rugby Sevens is a faster game. Because of the fast pace and shorter halves, sevens matches are generally played in a tournament style, with multiple matches on the same day.
Organization.
Unions control the game in different geographic areas around the world. For example, in England it is controlled by the Rugby Football Union; in New Zealand, by New Zealand Rugby; and in Australia, by Rugby Australia. All of these organizations, as well as many others, field national teams. The national teams compete in the Rugby World Cup.
Competition.
The most important Rugby Union competition is the World Cup. The Rugby World Cup began in 1987. It is held every four years. Twenty-four teams will earn the right to compete in the 2027 World Cup, determined either by performance in a qualification process, or by past performance at the previous World Cup. The hosting nation is given an automatic bid. Teams that qualify are split into pools, with the top teams advancing to the knockout round. The single-elimination process continues until one team remains and is crowned the World Cup Champion. 
Six teams—England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy—take part in the annual Six Nations Championship. Each team plays the other five teams, two games at home and two games away. The side that wins the most matches takes the championship. Within this competition, the four home international teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales play for the Triple Crown.
The United Kingdom and Ireland together field a touring team of players selected from each of the four home teams. This team, named the British and Irish Lions, travels to compete against other top nations, including Australia and New Zealand. Teams from those countries make return visits to the United Kingdom and Ireland. A team known as the Barbarians is made up of specially invited players who play matches against top touring teams and club teams.
Rugby Union is the national game of New Zealand. Teams compete from 26 provincial rugby unions. New Zealand has two annual competitions for provincial teams, the Heartland Championship and the Bunnings NPC (National Provincial Championship). New Zealand’s provincial teams also compete for a challenge trophy called the Ranfurly Shield. To win the shield, a challenger must defeat the holder of the trophy in a single match.
Teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands play each other in the Super Rugby Pacific contest. The Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia have local Rugby Union teams.
Australia and New Zealand both field national teams. Australia’s team is called the Wallabies. New Zealand’s team is called the All Blacks because of the team’s black jerseys, shorts, and socks. 
In 2016, Rugby Sevens debuted as a new sport at the Summer Olympic Games in Brazil. That same year, the Professional Rugby Organization, known as PRO Rugby, became the first professional Rugby Union league in North America. It was replaced in 2017 by Major League Rugby as North America’s lone domestic professional league.
