While rugby union has never had the same level of TV exposure as football, it seems to become much more popular in recent years. Many people’s memories of rugby are of shivering in the rain at school and praying the big guy doesn’t come anywhere, but it’s a great game to watch from the comfort of the living room! As rugby seems to have better offerings on TV these days, for those who may be new to watching rugby, here are ten things you probably didn’t know about the sport.
1. What is an attempt called?
A try is called a try, because when the game was first played, no points were awarded for touching the ball to your opponent’s end of the field. What did win you over, however, was a try, or attempt, to reach the finish line.
2. The game is named after the British school where it was invented.
When football was played in English schools in the 19th century, there were no formal rules for the game and each school created its own rule book. A boy named William Webb Ellis, who was attending Rugby School, is believed to have invented the game of rugby when he decided to pick up the ball and run towards the goal during a football match. The Rugby Union World Cup is still called the Web Ellis Cup to this day.
3. Rugby balls were first made from pig bladders.
Rugby balls and soccer balls used to be made with a pig’s bladder inside. Unfortunately, pig bladders did not heal very well and often rotted away. The man’s wife, who made the rugby balls at Rugby School in the 19th century, died from the effects of fumes she inhaled from the balls.
4. The current Olympic champions are the USA.
By a quirk of fate, the current reigning Olympic champions in the sport of rugby union is the USA and they have held that title since 1924. The reason is that rugby union was eliminated as an Olympic sport in that year.
5. Two different types of Rugby are played
Just to make it even more confusing for non-experts, there are two types of rugby that are played, rugby league and rugby union. The games are very similar, but the rules are quite different, including a different scoring system.
6. The Big Scores
One of the differences between soccer and rugby that anyone new to the sport will notice is the great scores. The largest score difference ever recorded in an international match was in a game between Australia and Namibia, when Australia won the game 142 points to nil.
7. The centenary whistle of the world cup
At the start of each rugby world cup, the tournament begins when the referee blows a centenary whistle. It is the same whistle that was used for a match played in 1924 between England and New Zealand at the Paris Olympics.
8. The rugby world cup has never been retained by a team
The New Zealand team is the favorite to win the 2015 rugby world cup and if they win, they will be the first to reach a rugby world cup, because the title has never been held by a team since the tournament began. in 1987.
9. A rugby coach invented basketball
James Naismith, a New England rugby coach, is credited with inventing basketball. It is said that he invented basketball so that his rugby team could train indoors when the weather was too bad to train outdoors.
10. The singing of the national anthem at sporting events began with rugby.
The traditional singing of the national anthems before an international sporting event began in rugby. It began when Welsh rugby supporters responded to the New Zealand team’s Maori war dance with their own national anthem in 1905. The singing of national anthems before a match was then officially adopted.
