The San Francisco Fog
Rugby Football Club
The Rookie Primer 3.0
The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
ii
Chapter 1 Rugby: The Quick and Dirty Overview
1
Chapter 2 Pitch, Kit and New Meanings for Words You
Already Know
5
Chapter 3 Have We Got a Position for YOU!
8
Chapter 4 Scoring Points
13
Chapter 5 Playing the Game
15
Chapter 6 Kicking
18
Chapter 7 Off-sides
21
Chapter 8 Rucks and Mauls
23
Chapter 9 Restarts: Kickoffs, Scrums, and Lineouts
29
Chapter 10 Penalties and Free Kicks
35
Chapter 11 Fitness for Rugby
39
Chapter 12 Strategic and Tactical Rugby
48
Chapter 13 The World of Rugby Football
57
Chapter 14 Mental Toughness
62
Chapter 15 Rugby Traditions
67
Chapter 16 Development Plan
72
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank
•
Derrick Mirkle who provided the original
Rookie Primer and much of the copy that
went into this Rookie Primer. So many
changes have gone into this one it is tough
to say if there is a principle author, but if
there were, it would be him.
•
Lisa Gardner, who wrote the original Rookie
Primer for Radcliffe Rugby and was the
original inspiration and model for our series.
•
Kevin Waizenhofer, the Fog’s first head
coach and helped the team raise its level of
play very quickly by K.I.S.S.-ing us.
(Keeping It Simple and Showing us).
•
Darryl Kundargi, Parry Wu, Peter “Oz”
Sullivan, David DeAlva and Dave Santos for
introducing the team to many of the
strategic concepts and fitness drills
presented here.
•
Current and former San Francisco Fog
members who have made numerous
suggestions to improve the primer.
•
The rookies. You remind us of our initial joy
in discovering this sport. And you remind
us why we stick with it…
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RUGBY 101:
LEARNING THE
GAME
The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
•
Rugby: The Quick and Dirty Overview
Two additional officials (called “touch judges”) patrol
each sideline (called “touchlines”). They signal when
the ball has gone out-of-bounds. They also help the
ref catch violations of the Laws.
SCORING
To begin our exploration of the world of rugby, we
thought we’d give you the 30,000ft overview first. Most
ruggers know how hard it is to explain how the game is
played. Either the overview is too brief and neglects to
explore key concepts of the game, or the overview is too
long and complicated. So we thought, “Can we explain
how rugby is played in 1000 words or less?” Let’s see….
OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME
The object of the game is to get the ball across the
opposition’s goal line by (1) running it forward, (2)
kicking it ahead, or (3) passing it laterally or backwards
to a teammate (who can then run the ball in). Oh yeah,
you’ll also want to stop the opposing team from doing the
same thing you’re trying to do.
THE SETTING
• There are 15 players per team (8 forwards, 7 backs).
The game consists of two, non-stop 40-minute
halves. We play on a field (called a “pitch”) that is a
little longer and wider than a football field.
• Laws, not rules, govern rugby. The referee (only
one!) is the sole enforcer of those Laws.
• The referee keeps the time on the pitch. Only injury
stops both play and the clock. The ref adds any time
spent attending to injuries (injury time) to the end of
each half.
Here’s how you pile on points:
•
Score a try (5 points)—carry the ball over the goal line
and touch the ball to the ground. (The ball must be
grounded!)
•
Convert a try (add 2 points to the try)—following a try,
you can kick the ball directly through the opposition’s
goal posts for two extra points. The catch: the kick
must be taken out directly in line from where the try
was scored.
•
Score a penalty kick (3 points)—following a penalty,
kick the ball directly through the opposition goalposts
uprights.
•
Score a drop goal (3 points)—kick the ball directly
through the opposition goalpost uprights at any time
during play. Here’s the rub: to count, the ball must
bounce off of the ground before you kick the ball.
PLAYING THE GAME
Here’s the 411 on playing the game:
•
Game starts with a kickoff at the halfway line.
Kicking and receiving teams are decided by a coin
toss before the game.
•
A player must always be beside or behind the ball,
never in front of the ball. Otherwise he is offsides
and not allowed to be involved with the play.
•
To get the ball to the other end of the pitch, you
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
can run with the ball or you can kick the ball
forward.
Forward passes are not allowed.
Accidentally dropping the ball forward is also
prohibited and is called a knock-on.
•
A player stops the opposition player with the ball
by tackling him.
A tackled runner must
immediately release the ball and make it available.
The tackler must immediately release the tackled
player to give him a fair shot to recover the ball.
Neither player can play the ball unless he has
regained his feet.
•
Play is continuous. The clock only stops for injury.
Play only stops:
you must be on your feet). To protect possession of the
ball, the attacking team will often initiate a ruck by
immediately shoving off opposition players away from the
ball.
1. When the ball is taken out-of-bounds by either
kicking the ball or pushing a player in
possession of the ball out-of-bounds.
(The
clock, however, does not stop.)
2. An infringement of the Laws (rules) occurs.
(Again, play stops, but not the clock.)
•
No dangerous play is permitted (no jumping on
other players, no kicking other players, no tackles
that are above the shoulders).
BREAKDOWNS
Breakdowns refer to the situations where the defense has
been successful at stopping attacks. They come in two
flavors: rucks and mauls.
Rucks
Once the ball carrier has been tackled, then the ball
carrier must make the ball available immediately. The
ball becomes fair game for anyone on their feet. (Playing
with the ball while you are on the ground is forbidden—
A ruck has formed. See the ball on the ground? See Red
shoving their opponents over the tackled player away
from the ball? See the scrumhalf about to fish the ball
out?
Once a ruck has formed, players involved in the ruck
cannot use their hands to get the ball. (They can kick it
back though). A player not involved in the ruck (usually
the scrumhalf), will come and fish the ball out of the ruck
to allow play to continue.
Mauls
Sometimes a player will go into contact with the
opposition, but remain on his feet in order to keep driving
forward. His teammates can come in around him to
provide additional push. The opposition will do the same
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to counter the attack. When this happens a maul is
formed.
An example of a scrum
An example of a maul
RESTARTS
Again, play (but not time) will stop when (1) the ball is
taken out of bounds or (2) there is an infringement of the
Laws (rules). So how does play restart?
A lineout restarts play after the ball travels out of
bounds. Forwards from both teams line up beside each
other at the spot where the ball went out of bounds,
forming a tunnel perpendicular to the sideline. The ball is
thrown into the tunnel and both teams jump up,
attempting to tip or catch the ball and win possession for
their team. The team that did not cause the ball to go out
of bounds gets to put the ball into play (and gets the
advantage of knowing where the ball will go).
A scrum restarts play after a minor infringement of the
Laws (rules). Forwards from both teams bind together in
a tight formation. The team that did not commit the
infraction puts the ball into the scrum, and therefore has
the advantage of knowing where the ball will go. Both
teams then attempt to hook the ball back to their sides
with their feet while pushing the opposition back at the
same time. The scrum is over when the ball is picked up
or thrown to another player. Play resumes as normal.
An example of a lineout
PENALTIES
Violations of the Laws (rules) are either major or minor
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•
•
Minor infraction – a scrum is awarded. If the
infringement happened in the scrum, a new scrum
or a free kick is awarded.
Major infraction – penalty kick. After a major
infraction, the non-offending team is given
possession of the ball. The opposition must retreat
at least 10 meters back from where the referee
marks where the infringement happened. The nonoffending team may then kick the ball downfield,
kick or posts, run, pass, or tap the ball and pick it
up.
Repeated violations or serious infringements result in a
yellow card (a.k.a., “sin bin”) and a ten-minute
suspension from the game. Another yellow card offense
would result in a red card—ejection from the game.
That’s it. 993 words—phew! But, as they say, the devil
is in the details….
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The goal lines (called try lines) are 100 meters apart.
Goal posts sit on these lines.
Pitch, Kit: New Meanings for Words
You Thought You Already Knew
In rugby, we play on a pitch. It looks like a field, and it is
a field, but we call it a pitch. You pray that it is green,
grassy and flat, but we take what we can get.
Why the weird terminology? Well, remember rugby was
originally an English game. In fact, rugby is full of quirky
terms like this. We’ll be pointing them out as we go
along.
Moving towards the middle of the field are the 5m
lines (dashed)…
THE PITCH
Let’s talk a bit about the field—er, pitch.
The pitch is boxed in by two sidelines (called the
touchlines) and the dead ball lines. Both sets of lines
mark out of bounds.
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…the 22 meter lines (solid)…
Parallel to the side lines (touchlines) are the 5m and 15m
lines. These lines are only used for lineouts; the restart
formation for getting a ball that has gone out-of-bounds
back into play.
…the 10-meter lines (dashed) and the halfway line (solid)
in the center of the pitch.
That’s the pitch!
KIT: WHAT AND WHAT NOT TO WEAR
Ruggers (folks that play rugby) don’t have “gear.” We
have a kit. And your kit should have some key items:
•
The 10m, 22m and halfway lines are referred to as
“kicking lines,” because they concern themselves mostly
with Laws regarding kicking.
A sturdy rugby jersey (not
one of those cheapo numbers
from Old Navy or one of
those trendier-than-thou
versions from Abercrombie &
Fitch). Think Canterbury,
Kooga and Barbarian.
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have been lost forever in the linty “black holes” of
people's pockets. You’ve been warned…
•
Rugby shorts (keep the
Daisy Dukes at home), socks
and a mouth guard
•
You'll also need a ball - a
rugby ball, of course! It
looks like a fat football with
more rounded ends. Get your
own ball for practice away
from practice. You’ll be glad
you did.
And a quick note about body jewelry: unless you want an
extra nipple, belly button or ear lobe ripped for you
(OUCH!), take your body piercing out when you play.
Okay, got the pitch and kit down. Next stop personnel…
That's it! Well, maybe a little athletic tape for effect, so
you'll look pretty in photographs.
You won’t find half of what you need in your local sports
store, except for socks (soccer socks are a good
substitute) and mouth guards. (Notice we said mouth
gaurds—plural. We recommend you have at least three,
pre-molded mouth guards in your bag. Trust us: you will
lose them). Your best bet is the Internet. Here are some
recommended sites:
•
•
•
Red Rhino (www.redrhinosports.com)
Rugby Imports (www.rugbyimports.com)
Godek Rugby (www.rugbystore.com)
If you need more in-depth help getting your kit together,
consult our Kit Guide, available in the “Getting Started”
section at www.sffog.org.
Some sage advice for rookies: leave your jewelry at
home. Literally thousands of earrings, rings and necklaces
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keeping possession of the ball at scrums, lineouts, rucks
and mauls (these formations will be explained to you
later). Forwards see a lot of close-range contact.
Support Your Local Hooker:
Positions on the Team
The backs (Nos. 9-15) are specialists at passing, running
and kicking the ball. Most physical contact for the backs
happens in open-field play because backs are typically the
guys who are speedy enough to break away and score.
Backs do see a fair bit of close-range contact though, so
they also need to know how to ruck and maul.
In American football, there are positions deemed more
important than others, such as the quarterback or the
wide receiver. There is no “star” position in rugby. Each
position is equally important. Rugby is often called the
ultimate team game because 15 guys have to work
together, anticipating each other’s moves. As you can
imagine this requires a large degree of experience,
anticipation and trust that only comes from spending
hours practicing together.
THE POSITIONS
With 15 players on each team, it can be a bit confusing to
tell what everyone is doing. There are eight (8) forwards,
and seven (7) backs on the pitch, with 7 subs on the
bench ready to come in at any time. Each position
(numbers 1-15) is a specialist position, requiring a unique
set of skills and physical attributes
The number on the back of the jersey can tell you a lot
about the player. The forwards (Nos. 1-8) tend to be the
bigger, slower guys. They specialize in securing and
Traditionally, there’s always been a bit of good-natured
ribbing between the pack (forwards) and the backs. But
the pack vs. back thing is really a bit misleading when
you look at how the team actually functions on the field.
The team is really a collection of small workgroups, what
coaches like to call mini-units. Each mini-unit consists of
a group of positions with a similar job to accomplish to
help the team score.
The team is divided into four mini-units: the Tight Five,
the Back Row, the Halfbacks, and the Threequarters.
Let’s take a closer look at the positions. (And, hey, don’t
worry if you don’t know terms like “scrum” and “lineout”
yet. All will be explained in due time).
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The Tight Five
The Tight Five consists of the two props, the hooker and
the two locks. Their job is to make sure the ball is won at
scrums and lineouts.
Props. There are two props (also
called prop forwards) in each scrum.
In the scrum the props’ main role is
to provide a solid platform and
support the hooker. The loose-head
prop (No. 1) plays on the left-hand
side (loose head=left hand), and the
tighthead prop (No. 3) plays on the
right-hand side. Props are usually
short to average height, stocky and strong, with a short
neck and broad shoulders. These are guys that typically
enjoy contact—they get a lot of it.
Hooker. One of the most skilled roles
on the team, the hooker (No. 2) is
the main ball winner on the team. In
the scrum, the hooker wins the ball
by striking it back to the No. 8—we’ll
spare you the mechanics right now
of how this happens. Players in this
position can be almost any shape or
size, but generally, he’s short to
average height, stocky and has long arms.
Lock. The locks (No. 4 and No. 5) are the engines of the
scrum, providing a stable source of power for the front
row. Typically, they are noted for their height (typically
above 6’2”), which means they are often the players
being lifted at lineouts. Players in this position are usually
the tallest on the team, and possess superior leg
strength.
The Back Row
The Back row consists of the two flankers and the No. 8.
Their job: seek the ball and secure it. It’s non-stop
running, tackling, rucking and mauling for 80 minutes.
Flankers. The flankers (No. 6 and No. 7) are the most
aggressive guys on the team. Typically flankers (also
called wing forwards) are relentless attackers, with
German Shepard instincts. To flankers, every flyhalf (No.
10) may as well have a
bulls eye painted on his
forehead, for this is the
guy a flanker typically
guns for at scrums and at
lineouts. Flankers must
have superior
cardiovascular fitness
(this is not optional—
speed, strength and
stamina are his
trademarks). Their primary job is to be wherever the ball
is and either ensures possession in attack, or tackle and
poaches the ball in defense. Flankers also have to be
good ball handlers because they often find themselves
supporting the backs.
No. 8. The No. 8 is a key position on the team. His
primary duty in the scrum is to keep the ball at his foot
until the scrumhalf is ready to pass it out. The No. 8 has
the option to break off the scrum and pick up the ball and
run it, so he also has to be a tactician, constantly reading
the defense. His physical attributes are similar to those of
a flanker: average to tall height, athletic build, superior
cardiovascular fitness, and good ball handling skills. A
good No. 8 can anticipate attacks and exploit holes in a
defense.
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The Halfbacks
The halfbacks are the scrumhalf, and flyhalf. This duo
comprises the two most critical positions on the team.
These two provide the crucial link between the forwards
and the backs. They are typically the most skilled
persons on the field.
Scrumhalf. The scrumhalf (No.9) is the second most
critical position on the team. As the link between forwards
and backs, he is the pivot around which the
he’s very calm, very clear thinking and very skillful. His
position requires him to be able to read the game and
anticipate holes in the defense. He has to be a superior
tactician. Like the scrumhalf, he has to be excellent at
many skills, particularly handling and passing, managing
contact and tackles and kicking. The flyhalf determines
alignment for the rest of the backs. With the help of the
inside center, he also creates space for the threequarters
to maneuver in. Typically he is average to tall height,
athletic build, very fit and likes contact—he gets tackled a
lot by zealous flankers.
The Threequarters
The threequarters are also known as the finishers. Once
the forwards have won the ball, and the halfbacks have
distributed it, it is up to the threequarters to keep the ball
alive until there is a try. The threequarters are the two
centres, two wings and the fullback.
majority of the attacks take place. He has to be a quick
decision-maker (pass? kick? run?), and the quality of that
decision will affect the entire team. The scrumhalf is also
one of the most skilled positions on the team— he has to
know a variety of passes, kicks and other techniques that
no one else on the team has to master. Physically, he is
typically one of the smallest guys on the team, usually
short to average height. He’s also very fit, as the game
demands the scrumhalf do a lot of running.
Centres. There are two centres. The inside centre (No.
12) typically works with the scrumhalf and flyhalf to
create the platform on which the rest of the backs will
score. The outside centre (No. 13) will usually work more
with the wings and the fullback. In both cases, their main
job is to create space for the remaining backs to score in.
Both centres are usually average height and lean to
athletic build with very strong shoulders and lower
bodies, the bigger and stronger centre being the inside
center, and the leaner and faster being the outside
center. They have superior handling and passing skills,
and have excellent open-field tackling skills. Centres also
have good peripheral vision, and excellent catching and
kicking skills.
Flyhalf. The flyhalf (No. 10) is the most critical position on
the team. A team with a good flyhalf is blessed because
they are hard to find and even harder to mold. Typically,
Wings. The wings (No. 11 and No. 14) are the fastest
men on the field. They are usually the guys that score the
tries. Wings (a.k.a., wingers, wingmen) must have
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excellent timing. When defending they must constantly
read the other team’s backs for hints of a counterattack.
There are two types of wings, blind-side wing and
openside wing (also called strongside wing). Wings will
play both during a game, depending on where the scrum
is positioned on the pitch (don’t worry about figuring it
out now). Wingers come in all shapes and sizes, but he is
typically on the lean side, but strong in the shoulders and
lower body. Speed and agility are the main physical
requirements for a wingman, as he is often called up on
to chase kicks. They also have superior passing and
handling skills. Chip kicking and grubber kicks (to be
explained later) are also his bread-and-butter.
Fullback. Another key position on the team, the fullback
(No. 15) is the last line of defense. In the modern game,
he has become the surprise element, unpredictably
entering the backline to help penetrate the defense. A
fullback needs many qualities and skills. He has to be
brave because he’ll take most tackles at full speed. He
also has to be able to catch the high kick while under
intense pressure. It is usually the fullback who
catches/retrieves kicks in open play. The fullback is often
the best kicker on the team. He is also very fast. Also,
like centres, he has superior passing and handling skills.
On defense, he’s got to be one of the best open-field
tacklers on the team. Physically, fullbacks are many
shapes, but typically he is short to above-average height
with an athletic build. He needs strong shoulders and
lower body strength.
As you can see, there’s a practically a place for every
type of person on the pitch. Finding the best position for
you will involve some experimentation. Just be open to
trying a position out, even if you’re not so thrilled about it
at first. And don’t worry if you read a description, and it
kinda sounded like you, except for one or two things. The
great thing about rugby is that if you try out a position
and it’s not good for you, there’re fourteen others just
waiting for you!
MATCH OFFICIALS
The referee. The officials are one (1) referee, and two
(2) touch judges. The ref is obviously there to officiate
the match, to ensure that both sides play in accordance
with the Laws of the game.
As you already know, there are no rules in rugby. We
have Laws. This is more than just a semantic point: laws
are general principles left up to interpretation. For
example, the Laws state that a scrum is over once the
ball is out of the scrum. So when is the ball out of the
scrum? When it’s left the No. 8’s foot? When the
scrumhalf has two hands on the ball? Or when the ball
has “daylight” underneath it? Ask three referees and you
may get three different answers.
A good referee will make sure his interpretations of the
Laws are clear to everyone before the match begins. It
never hurts to ask though. On the pitch, the ref’s word
is final. There is no appeal. As you gain more playing
experience, you will learn the discipline of “playing to the
ref.” A good player adjusts his playing style to the ref’s
interpretations to avoid getting penalties.
In rugby, there’s a lot of deference given to the referee.
The only person authorized to speak to the referee during
a match is the team’s captain. Not even the coach can
talk to the ref while the math is being played. If you
keep commenting on how bad the ref is, he can penalize
the team for backtalk. Foul language is verboten, too.
Keep it up and he can throw you out of the game.
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At the beginning of a match the ref will perform a boot
and equipment check. S/He’ll also conduct the coin toss
to determine who gets to kick or receive. The ref also
keeps the official match time (80 minutes, plus injury
time).
HELPFUL TIP: Knowing the referee signals is a big advantage in a
game. That way you don’t have to wait for the ref or your teammate to
explain to you what happened when the ref blew his/her whistle. We’ll
show you the essential referee signals as we go along.
Other match officials. The touch judges are there to help
the ref determine where the ball went out of bounds (or,
in rugby speak, “in touch”). They also report
infringements of the Laws to the referee when they are in
a position to see them.
Major, televised international matches feature the TMO
(Television Match Official). This is a relatively new
development for rugby. At the ref’s request, the TMO
uses slow-motion video replay to determine if a try has
been scored. Slow-motion video replay is only used in
the case of questionable tries. It is never used in openfield play.
That’s it for personnel. Next stop:scoring.
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Referee’s Signal
Scoring Points
The goal of the game is to score more points than your
opposition. There may be fifty ways to leave your lover,
but there are only three ways to score in rugby
METHOD ONE: GET A TRY, CY
Most common way to score points is to GROUND the ball
ON or BEYOND the goal line. This is called a try and it is
worth 5 points.
Just
Try awarded.
Scoring a try gives the team
that scored a chance to kick
the ball through the goal
posts for an additional two
points.
This is called a
conversion
kick
—
it
converts a five-point try
into a seven-point try (5 for
the
try+2
for
the
conversion).
Here’s
the
rub
about
conversions: the ball must be kicked in line from
where it was grounded. If you ground the ball in the
middle of the goal posts, the conversion kick is taken
anywhere on the field in line with the middle of the goal
posts. Score in the corner, and the kick must be taken
inline with where it was scored in the corner.
Score here…
getting the ball across the line isn’t enough. The ball
must be touched to the ground in a controlled manner.
Otherwise it doesn’t count.
…kick here.
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METHOD TWO: DROP KICK A GOAL, COLE
Another way to score points: a drop kick during play. Say
a player is right in front of the goal posts. Rather than
run the ball in, he can perform a drop kick (drop the ball
to the ground, and kick it when it bounces up on the
rebound—quite difficult to master)! If he successfully gets
it through the goal, it’s worth three points.
METHOD THREE: PENALTY KICK, RICK
A third way to score is off a penalty kick. For major
violations of the Laws, the referee will award a penalty
kick. If the penalty kick is within range of the goal post,
a team will often elect to “kick for goal” for three points.
Scoring by kicking may
seem an inefficient way to
pile on points.
But
between equally matched
teams, it can make all the
difference. In the 2003
World
Cup
semifinal
between
France
and
England, France scored
the only try of the match.
Penalty Kick
But English flyhalf (No.
10)
Johnny
Wilkinson
kicked 24 points worth of penalty kicks and drop goals to
win England the match 24-7.
Commentators joked
afterwards that the real match wasn’t England v France,
but Johnny Wilkinson v. France.
Ball gets held up. Say the opposing team is about to
score a try.
If you can manage to get a
hand/leg/arm/body underneath the ball between the ball
and the ground, the ball is not considered grounded
(touching the ground). The referee will not count the try.
But the opposing team attempting to score gets a second
chance to try again. A scrum is awarded to the attacking
team five meters from the try line.
Referee’s Signal
Referee’s Signal
WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPENS TO GOOD ATTEMPTS
TO SCORE…
A couple of things can happen that derails an attempt to
score:
Ball held up
Conversion kick or Penalty kick unsuccessful. Whenever
there is a place kick, such as a conversion kick or a
penalty kick, the touch judges are dispatched to the ingoal area behind the uprights. Their job is to judge
whether a kick is successful or not. If a kick is successful,
the touch judges will raise their flags up. If not the flags
will be down.
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Playing the Game
ATTACKING
Run forward and low! The primary means of attack is
running forward. Remember, the ball doesn’t get across
the try line if you run sideways! If you run sideways, you
also run into your teammates, making it difficult for them
to support you if you are tackled.
Also, when you run forward and you are about to get
tackled, run low. The lower your center of gravity the
harder it is to be tackled. Run forward and low!
Pass the ball correctly! Probably the hardest thing for
rookies to get used to is that the ball CANNOT pass
forward. The ball can be passed laterally or (slightly)
backwards, but never forward.
Resist the urge to pass the ball unless you are sure your
supporting teammate can catch it! All that said about
correctly passing the ball, your best option is often to
hold on to the ball, take the tackle and have your
supporting teammates ruck over you. Like the law,
possession is 9/10ths of the game. Repeat after me:
rugby is about keeping the ball, so you can use the ball,
to score the ball. Repeat: RUGBY IS ABOUT KEEPING
THE BALL, SO YOU CAN USE THE BALL, TO SCORE THE
BALL. You can’t score unless you keep the ball, right?
Create space! A clever way to create gaps in the
defensive line is to take out defenders. No, not with an
Uzi! Try this instead: hold on to the ball as long as
possible to draw defenders to tackle you. At the last
minute, pass the ball to a nearby teammate in support.
The defender is already committed to tackling you and,
thus, gets taken out. This way the ball is still alive, but a
gap is created where the defender (who tackled you) was.
This is called creating space.
Avoid knock ons and forward passes! Sometimes, when
the ball is passed, a player loses control of the ball and
the ball spills forward out of his hands. This is called a
“knock on” or “knock forward.” It happens a lot, even at
the professional level.
Knock-ons and forward passes are considered MINOR
infringements of the Laws. Say the attacking team (we’ll
call them Gold) knocks the ball on. The ref blows his
whistle to signal that an infringement has occurred. The
non-offending team (Blue) gets a chance to take
possession of the ball at the spot where the offense
occurred. The game is restarted with a scrum, with Blue
getting the advantage by being allowed to put the ball in
the scrum. More on scrums later.
Referee’s Signal
Referee’s Signal
Forward pass.
Prepare to scrum
Knock on.
Prepare to scrum
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The concept of advantage
Knock-ons, forward passes and other minor infringements
are so common that if the ref called each and every one,
there would be a scrum every minute. To keep the game
flowing, the ref will sometimes “play advantage”.
Essentially he is delaying calling the law violation to see if
the infringed-upon team (the team that did not cause the
penalty) can gain territory to make up for the offense. If
not, he’ll blow his whistle and call the offense.
Here’s an example. Say Gold knocks the ball on. Rather
than immediately calling the infringement, the ref allows
play to go on. This doesn’t mean he’s letting the
infringement go, but he’s just “seeing what happens.”
But he will let everyone know that he is aware the knockon happened by sticking his arm out towards the nonoffending team (Blue) and stating, “Advantage, Blue” or
simply “Playing advantage.”
Referee’s Signal
If Blue picks up the ball and gains 10m, the ref may
decide that the gain that Blue got made up for the
infringement. He’ll simply say, “Advantage over” or
“Advantage gained” and allow play to continue on.
However, if Blue gains nothing after the knock-on (say,
Gold was able to quickly pick up the ball again), the ref
will blow his whistle. He will mark the spot where the
offense occurred and call for a scrum or a penalty kick.
ACHTUNG!
VERBOTEN!
Certain kinds of tackles are not
allowed in rugby:
- High tackles (tackles above
the shoulders)
- Tackles in the air
- Late tackles (intentionally
tackling someone seconds
after they’ve passed or
kicked away the ball)
- Foot tripping
DEFENDING
Defense means stopping an attack. The best way to stop
an attack is to stop the player who has the ball by
bringing him to the ground. A tackle does this nicely.
Three things you need to know about tackles:
Signaling Advantage. Referee
will point toward the team
gaining the advantage.
1. Tackles must be below the shoulder. A tackle above
the shoulders (i.e. around the neck) is called a “high
tackle” and is considered a major penalty (called a
dangerous play penalty). It hurts, too.
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2. Once the attacking player has been brought to the
ground, both the tackler and the tackled player have
obligations:
• The tackler must release the tackled player and get
straight to his feet.
•
The tackled player must release the ball (push the
ball away from him on the ground, usually in the
direction of his teammates) and roll away from the
ball, to make it available for anyone to pick up.
The ref will give him about two seconds to place
the ball.
COMMON ROOKIE MISTAKES
IN OPEN PLAY
The following is a list of the most common rookie
mistakes in open field play. Some of the things on the
list will be addressed later in the primer; so don’t worry if
you don’t know about rucks yet. If you can avoid doing
these in a game, you are well on your way to shaking the
rookie title.
Not releasing the ball when tackled.
3. If the tackler is on his feet, he can pick up the ball and
run with it. BUT HE MUST BE ON HIS FEET. If you try to
play with the ball while you are still on the ground, it’s a
penalty kick to the other team.
Not rolling away from the player you just tackled.
HELPFUL TIP: Playing the ball on the ground is a common rookie
mistake. DON’T DO IT. If you are lying on the ground, don’t even think
of touching that ball.
Off-sides
What usually happens, though, is just as the tackler is
thinking about getting to his feet, other players arrive and
a ruck is formed. More on rucks shortly.
Diving in rucks. (Loosing your feet in a ruck)
High tackle
Hands in the ruck
Playing the ball on the ground.
HELPFUL TIP: If you tackle a player, get to your feet as quickly as
possible in order to get the ball before the ruck is formed. If the tackled
player doesn’t release the ball to you, it’s a penalty (a penalty kick is
awarded). If the tackled player does release the ball, you can win quick
possession for your team.
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Kicking
Kicking is often an excellent strategy in rugby. Say we’re
deep in our own territory, 10m from our try line. The
other team is about to score. A ruck forms and,
somehow, we win the ruck! The ball gets back to one of
our backs, who positions himself to kick the ball 75m on
the other side of the pitch. Now why did he do that?
A kick like this is a very smart move. (It’s called a
clearing kick). Even though the other team gets the ball
again, they now have 75m to make up to get back to
where they were before (about to score). It buys time
and field position for the defending team.
What happens if our back kicks the ball and it goes
directly “in touch” (out of bounds)? In that case, a
lineout usually occurs. A lineout is a special formation in
rugby designed to get play restarted when the ball goes
into touch. More on lineouts later. For now, just think of
it as a restart, where we get a chance to contest for the
ball. In other words, we have a chance to win the lineout
and gain possession of the ball again.
THE 22m LINE
Remember the 22m line? It’s an important line for
kicking. You will often see the rules around it at work
when a team is in hot water and needs a clearing kick.
Here’s how it works:
22m Lines
o
o
o
If a player kicks the ball from behind his 22m
line, and the ball goes directly into touch, the
lineout is taken from where the ball crossed the
touch line.
If a player kicks the ball in front of his 22m
line, and the ball goes directly into touch, then a
scrum is taken from where the ball was kicked.
Wicked, huh?
If player kicks the ball in front of this 22m line,
BUT the ball bounces on the pitch before going
out, the lineout is taken where the ball crossed
the touch line.
Confused? Yeah, that’s to be expected at first. And it
gets more intricate than this. (For example, if you are in
front of the 22m line and get the ball, you can’t bring the
ball behind the 22m line and then kick for touch). Don’t
worry, though. After seeing these rules in action after a
couple of games, you’ll get it down.
HELPFUL TIP: If a kick lands on the touchline (sidelines), it’s
considered in touch. The lines are included with the area that is beyond
them (touch lines= part of touch, goal lines=part of the in goal area).
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TYPES OF KICKS
As you might have guessed, there are different types of
kicks:
•
•
The Garryowen or the “up-and-under” is a tactical
kick which is popped very high and over a short
distance (like 10m). The high kick and short
distance allows the kicker and his supporting
players to easily run underneath it for recovery.
The kick is intended to put heavy pressure on any
opposition player attempting to catch the ball. It is
called a Garryowen in credit to the Irish club which
originated the kick. This is usually used at kick-off.
Chip kick - a short shallow kick usually delivered
while running at the same time. The kicker aims
the kick just over the head of an onrushing
defender to be quickly retrieved or caught by the
kicker or one of his supporting players. A chip kick
is best utilized in an open field situation by a
runner who is about to be stopped. As a player
cannot be tackled without the ball in hand, a
runner can kick the ball just over an onrushing
defender allowing the runner, or supporting runner,
to go past untouched hoping to recover the kick.
•
Grubber – similar concept as a chip kick, as this
kick is usually delivered while running. However,
the ball is kicked along the ground, usually in a
space between the oncoming defenders, instead of
over their heads. The kicker assumes he can use
his momentum to rush past the oncoming
defenders to recover the ball ahead of him.
•
Drop kick - When a team is putting good pressure
on the opposing side's tryline, a player can decide
to attempt a drop kick at goal for three points. The
ball must be dropped and touch the ground before
being kicked through the goal posts to get the
three points.
•
Punt – Just like American football, the ball is
dropped from the hands and kicked while still in
the air. You see this most often in open field play
when a player is kicking quickly for touch to gain
field position.
THE 10m LINE
Like the 22m line, the 10m line purely concerns itself with
kicking. In this case, it is used solely for determining
whether a kick off is good or not. All kicks from kick offs
must travel at least 10 meters. If the ball does not travel
at least 10m, the receiving team has the choice of a
repeat kick off or a scrum at the center of the pitch. (The
penalty is also the same if the ball goes directly into
touch from the kick off).
HELPFUL TIP: It’s to the kicking team’s advantage to kick the ball
high and short (just over 10m). A Garryowen gives the kicking team
enough time to rush to where the ball will be and contest for it. For this
reason, kickoffs are considered an offensive (attacking) move that gives
the advantage to the kicking team, because the kicking team knows where
the ball is going to land.
CATCHING A KICK
Catching a kick often requires courage and smarts. It’s
difficult enough to catch a ball in the air. To catch it
knowing 15 guys are gunning for you…..you get the
picture.
Fortunately, if you are behind your 22m line, you call for
a fair catch, meaning no one can tackle you. To do this,
yell, “MARK!” just as you’re catching the ball. If the
opposition touches or tackles you, it’s a penalty.
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However, if you call “MARK!” you can’t run the ball. Your
only option is a kick from behind the 22m line (called a
22m drop out).
THE 22m DROP OUT
The 22m drop out happens only in two situations.
1. A fair catch is called (“MARK!”), as explained
above.
2. The ball is touched down in the defending team’s
“try zone,” called the “in-goal area”, where you
score points. (The details on what to do in this
situation are explained in the next section.)
The main distinction about a 22m drop out kick is that it
is a free kick (explained in detail in the chapter “Penalties
and Free Kicks). With free kicks, the ball cannot go
directly into touch. If it does, a scrum forms where the
kick was taken (ouch!). With this type of kick, what you
will often see a kicker do is try to kick the ball very close
to the touchline, so that it bounces first on the pitch, then
into touch.
DEFENDING AGAINST A KICK
Charge downs. Any kick can be charged down, that is,
running toward the kicker and blocking the kick. A
charged-down kick that deflects off a defender’s arms is
not considered a knock on.
Ball lands in-goal. What if Gold kicks the ball ahead and
lands in the Blue in-goal area?
• Say Gold kicks the ball ahead and the ball lands in
the Blue in-goal area. All Gold has to do is touch
the ball and it is a try.
• Let’s say Blue and Gold race to the ball, but Blue
wins the race and touches the ball down. In this
case, Blue gets a free kick at the 22m line. Gold
gets the put-in at the lineout, but has to work to
get back to a scoring position again.
This is a very tricky, highly risky kick. At the recreational
level, what you will often see is the kick kicking the ball to
himself. Basically, the ball leaves the kicker’s hands, and
the kicker gently kicks the ball to himself so that it lands
back into his own hands. This counts as a free kick, and
the game is back on. At this point, the kicker can then
pass the ball so that his team can run it. Or, even better,
pass the ball to another player so he can kick it out into
touch to gain territory. Remember, the free kick has
been made to himself. Any kick after the free kick is not
subject to the free kick restrictions. The ball can go
directly into touch. Clever, huh?
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you ran into), and award a scrum to the opposition.
(Many, many people have called for the elimination of this
Law, but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears).
Off-sides
Here’s an experiment: ask ten ruggers, “So how do you
know when you’re off-sides?” Chances are most of them
will tell you, after some weak explanations about being in
front of the ball, “I don’t’ know, I guess when the ref tells
me!”
The offsides laws in rugby are a source of unnecessary
confusion and anxiety. Generally, any player ahead of
the ball is technically offsides. You are offsides if you are
ahead of the player who last played the ball.
BEING offsides will not immediately result in a penalty
necessarily. The penalty for offsides results from the
ACTIONS you take to influence play, intended or not.
A ref will allow play to continue (1) if the offsides player is
not influencing the play that is going on (generally not
within 10m of the ball and moving away from the ball)
and (2) the player that is offside is attempting to get
onsides. So, if you find yourself offsides, don’t interfere
with the opposition’s ability to play the ball and attempt
to get onsides as quickly as possible.
ACCIDENTAL OFFSIDES
An often-frustrating offsides situation: you get the ball
and accidentally run into one of your players ahead of
you. You didn’t intend on doing it. There was no
opposition in front of him. Even though he didn’t do
anything, and there was no opposition, the ref will likely
call an accidental offsides infraction (against the player
WHEN YOU PUT YOUR
TEAMMATES OFF-SIDES
In some situations it’s up to
you to get your teammates
onside as quickly as possible.
A common example of getting
your teammates onside: say
you kick the ball ahead. Any
of your teammates that are
ahead of you are offsides. The
quickest, easiest and most
logical way for them to get
back onsides is for YOU to run
ahead quickly and put them all
back onsides. It makes no
sense for seven or eight guys
run backwards to get onsides,
only to turn back around and
run forwards towards the ball,
right?
In this situation there are other ways you can be put back
onsides:
1. When an opponent runs 5m with the ball, he puts you onside.
2. When an opponent plays the ball - kicks it or passes it or just
plain drops it, he puts you onside.
3. When an opponent intentionally touches the ball but doesn't
catch it, he puts you onside.
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THE 10m LAW
One of the most confusing and frustrating offsides laws
also concerns kicking ahead. Say your teammate behind
you kicks the ball head of you, toward an opposition
player 5m in front of you. Can you just stand in place
and wait for your teammate behind you to put you on
side?
and your guy INTENTIONALLY puts himself offsides by
running between you and the opposition player coming
towards you. Not only is he offsides, he is blocking a
player from tackling you. This is okay in American
football, not okay in rugby. In rugby, it is called
obstruction; a major infraction of the Laws and a
penalty kick will be awarded to the opposition.
No, you can’t. You must retreat back until you are 10m
away from him before. The following illustration shows
the point:
Notice that this is different from the accidental offsides
law. It comes down to a question of intent. With
accidental offsides, the player with the ball unintentionally
runs into one of his teammates. With obstruction, either
the player with the ball intentionally runs into his
teammate when he could have avoided him, or his
teammate runs in front of him, to block the player with
the ball from being defended.
OBSTRUCTION
Let’s say in open play, a teammate passes the ball to you
Referee’s Signal
Obstruction
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must release the ball and move away, the Solid team is
vulnerable to losing the ball.
Breakdowns: Rucks and Mauls
In this situation, Solid’s best option is to form a ruck.:
Rucks and mauls are a strategic part of rugby play.
Some would argue that they are most of the game. As
you know, rucks and mauls usually happen when you run
out of good options to pass, kick or run the ball. The
attack is stopped; there is a breakdown in open field play
(hence the term “breakdown,” the general term for rucks
and mauls). For the attacking team, initiating a ruck or a
maul gives them the opportunity to hold on to the ball.
For the defending team, a ruck or a maul is an
opportunity to get the ball back.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at rucks and mauls.
RUCKS
A ruck happens when the ball is on the ground and at
least two players from opposing sides, and on their feet,
engage in physical contact with each other over the ball.
. Each player is trying to clear out the opposing player,
away from the ball, so that his teammates can pick up
the ball behind him.
Notice we have (1) at least two players on their feet over
the (2) ball on the ground. They are contesting the ball.
No. 9 (scrumhalf) is about to fish for the ball to
redistribute it.
This is not a ruck:
Take a look at the picture on the next page. Here’s what
happened just before the picture was taken:
Solid has the ball, and Stripes tackles him. The Solid
player (tacklee) with the ball must release the ball and
move away. The Stripes tackler must release the tacklee
and try to quickly get to his feet. Since the Solid player
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Forming the Ruck. In a purely academic world, the
formation of the perfect ruck would look like this:
Let’s take a step-by-step, academic look at the ruck:
(1)
Attacking player takes the ball
into contact. Notice the ball is
away from the defender.
(2)
(3)
Ball carrier goes to ground. His
first supporting teammate is not
far behind.
(4)
First supporting teammate clears
out defenders. Two more
supporting teammates arrive to
provide extra power.
The attacking team wins the ruck.
The ball is cleared, ready to be
picked up again by a member of
the attacking team.
We don’t live in that world. The start of a ruck usually
looks like this:
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All of this happens very quickly, like within five seconds.
If you watch an international level match, the rucks are
even quicker, usually under three seconds.
Contesting for the ball. It is crucial that you understand
that rucks are contests for the ball. If you can push
your opponents away from the ball so that the ball ends
up on your side of the ruck, you can win the ruck. But
there are Laws to abide by.
For example, players on the ground cannot touch the ball.
Players on the ground cannot push around the ball on the
ground to their side once the ruck has formed.
HELPFUL HINT: You will often see a player get tackled and then
push the ball on the ground, positioning it just as the ruck is forming.
This is totally legal. The tackled player can position the ball towards his
IM-MED-DI-ATE-LY upon being tackled—about two or three seconds.
But it has to be in one movement, as he is going to ground, without
letting go of the ball. He can’t position himself on the ground, get
comfortable, and then position the ball. That’s playing the ball on the
ground.
Similarly, once the ruck is formed, players involved in the
ruck cannot use their hands to get the ball. If you are
part of the ruck, and you try to get the ball with your
hands, the ref will call “hands in the ruck” and award the
other team a penalty kick.
There is no limit to the number of people who can join a
ruck to help win it. But, once a ruck is formed, you can
only join the ruck from behind the last man’s foot
on your side. If you enter the ruck from the side, it’s an
offense (entering from the side).
HELPFUL HINT: When should you join a ruck? While there is no
limit to the number of people in a ruck, a smarter player will stay out of
rucks with two or more of his teammates already in them. Why? Well,
often a ruck is won within the first two seconds of the ruck. If your team
clearly has lost the ruck, there is no need for you to join it. If you do,
that’s one less man that your team has available to quickly defend against
an attack. If your team has won the ruck, you will only get in the way of
your scrumhalf quickly getting to the ball to redistribute it. Use your
head to decide whether it is a good idea to join a ruck or not.
What happens if the ball gets stuck in the ruck? The
Laws give the scrumhalf some degree of leeway to fish
out the ball. Plus those involved in the ruck can push the
ball back with their feet—gently! If there is an opposing
player blocking the ball from coming out, the opposing
player is in for some unpleasant raking—scraping his
body with cleats until he rolls away from the ball which is
totally legal because he’s not rolling away from the ball
like he is supposed to. And if it’s still not coming out? In
that case, the ref will blow up the ruck and award a
scrum to the attacking team (the team that brought the
ball into the ruck) to restart play.
It is to the attacking team’s advantage to get the ball out
as quickly as possible, not only because the ref could
blow up the ruck, but because it gives the defense less
opportunity to reset. We’ll talk about this more, but
rucking done quickly and well (stable platform, ball
presented so that the scrumhalf doesn’t have to fish to
get it) will create holes in the defense you can exploit
Finally, you cannot “lose your feet” (fall down). If a
player involved in a ruck falls over the tackled player with
the ball, it’s called “diving over the ball” (a penalty kick)
Poaching the ball. Say your teammate is in front of you
and gets tackled. Your first instinct is to initiate a ruck.
But there’s no opposition there. What should you do?
Step over the tackler and tacklee and POACH THE BALL!!
Remember, as long as you’re on your feet you can play
the ball. If the tacklee tries to hold on to the ball, the ref
will call a penalty in your favor.
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MAULS
A maul happens when a player ON HIS FEET with the ball
runs into an opposition player, turns to face his players,
and his players come in around him, binding together.
(1)
backs.
(2)
Here’s what the end result looks like:
Attacking player goes into contact
with tackler.
(3)
Attacking player turns around to
face his supporting teammate who
immediately comes to secure the
ball between them
(4)
The next player comes in to seal off
the left side. Another player (not
pictured here) will come in to seal off
the right side
The next player will join with his
head in between the hips of the
players in front of him, aiming his
shoulders for both buttocks.
(5)
The ball gets moved to the
back of the maul. Legs are
moving forward the entire
time. The scrumhalf arrives
to take the ball from the back
of the maul to deliver to the
A maul continues to be a maul as long as the players stay
bound, on their feet and moving forward. If the maul
becomes stationary for five seconds or more, the ref
blows it up and awards a scrum to the opposing team.
The opposition cannot bring the maul down. If they do, it
is a penalty (collapsing the maul).
Laws and tactics concerning mauls. The Laws and tactics
involving mauls are similar to rucks. Like rucks, there
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must be players from both sides involved to form the
maul.
HELPFUL HINT: Listen for the referee at the start of both rucks and
mauls. The ref will almost always tell you when a ruck or maul has
formed (“It’s a ruck” ‘Maul formed”).
Both rucks and mauls are contests for the ball. Unlike
rucks, a team can give itself an advantage in the maul by
adding players to the formation. Why? Remember a
maul stays moving. Simple laws of physics: the side with
more players pushing, will usually have more power.
Once a maul starts going, it’s very hard to stop.
Players joining both rucks and mauls must (1) enter from
behind the last man’s foot and (2) must bind on to the
ruck or maul with his full arm (shoulder to hand).
Keep that maul moving! As long as the maul is moving,
the ball is moving. It is imperative, however that the
team that brought the ball in get the ball to the back as
soon as possible, so that the scrumhalf as the option to
dish the ball out should the maul stop moving forward. If
the ref determines the ball is not moving forward, he will
penalize the team who brought the ball in by awarding a
scrum to the opposition. (The opposite of what happens
when the ball gets stuck in a ruck. Go figure, huh?)
THE BIG MISTAKES REFS LOOK FOR
Refs cite the following as the most common rookie
mistakes in rucks and mauls:
o Rucks
Staying on their feet (diving)
Hands in the ruck
Playing the ball on the ground
o
Mauls
Collapsing the maul
Entering from the side.
PHASES OF PLAY
In American football, play is broken up into downs. Each
side gets four downs to advance the ball at least ten
yards. If the team can’t do that, the ball is turned over.
Being a continuous-play game, rugby has no such
structure. The closest concept though is called “phases of
play.” Any time there is a breakdown, a new phase of
play starts.
Another way to think about phases of play would be to
say that you have an unlimited number of “downs” until
you lost possession of the ball or gave away a penalty.
Each tackle, ruck or maul (breakdown) counts as a
“down.” That’s how phases of play work in rugby.
For example, Blue kicks off the ball. Gold catches it and
starts its attack. Blue tackles, a ruck is formed, Gold
wins the ruck and passes the ball to another Gold player.
(Phase 1). Blue tackles Gold again, another ruck is
formed. Gold wins the ruck again and distributes the ball
to another Gold player. (Phase 2). Blue tackles Gold
again, ruck forms. This time Blue wins the ruck. Gold
tackles blue, another ruck is formed. Blue wins ruck and
pass the ball to another Blue player (Phase 1—count
starts over because Blue is now the attacking team).
Blue pass the ball, but the ball falls forward out of Blue’s
hands—knock on! The ref blows his whistle and calls for
a scrumdown for the infringement. Play is stopped
because of the infringement.
Phases of play can be used strategically, too. It’s a
proven fact that the team that can sustain more than five
or six breakdowns is likely to score. Most defenses
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cannot sustain more than three or four breakdowns
without creating holes in the defensive line that the
offense can exploit. It becomes a question of fitness as
to whether an attacking team can keep up a high level of
play over five or six phases of play. But a team that is fit
enough to maintain possession over five or six
breakdowns will run rings around its opposition.
As you can see, breakdowns are an inevitable and natural
part of the game. They provide a sense of structure and
flow to a contest that seems more like unorganized
chaos. The team that better masters the management of
breakdowns usually wins the match.
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
Restarts: Kickoffs, Scrums and
Lineouts
There are only three times in rugby when play stops (but
not the clock).
1. a violation of the laws has occurred
2. the ball as gone into touch
3. a try has been scored
So how do you restart the game after one of these
occurrences? With a kickoff, a scrum or a lineout.
KICKOFFS
Kickoffs occur at the halfway line. The kick off starts
each half, and restarts the game after each try. Players
on the kicking team must be behind the kicker before the
kick is made.
line. If the ball does not go 10m AND the receiving team
haven’t touched it, the receiving team can choose to
either (1) have a kick again or (2) have a scrum at the
center of the field, with the receiving team’s put in.
Here’s a tough concept for fans of American football: for
the kicking team, a kickoff is an OFFENSIVE move. The
team kicking off knows where the ball is going to be
kicked. So the kicking team will often kick the ball very
high to buy time for their guys to rush to where they
intend for the ball to land (a Garyowen kick). This allows
them to at least contest for the ball.
Three things usually happen at kickoffs:
1. The receiving team catches the ball and keeps
possession of the ball. But they are usually so
deep in their own territory that the smartest thing
to do is kick the ball from behind the 22m line to
the other side of the field for touch (clearing kick).
2. The receiving team fumbles the catch (or doesn’t
catch the ball at all). The kicking team recovers
the ball. At this point the receiving team’s
defenses are so disorganized that the kicking team
can take advantage of the situation and gain even
more territory. Scoring often happens in this
situation.
10m Lines
3. The kick goes awry and goes out directly into
touch. When this happens a scrum can be taken at
the center of the field, where the kickoff took place.
Remember the 10m line? The line 10m from the halfway
line? At kickoffs the ball must travel at least to the 10m
SCRUMS
For some reason, everyone seems fascinated by scrums.
The scrum is perhaps the most talked about aspect of
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
rugby. It looks menacing, complicated, and hard to
master but it isn’t really any of those things.
A scrum is simply a unique rugby formation involving the
forwards from each team, plus their scrumhalves. This is
what it looks like:
A scrum is a way of restarting the game when
• a minor offense (knock on, pass forward, etc.) has
occurred.
• the ball is not coming quickly out of a ruck
• the ball is stationary in a maul (not moving
forward).
1. The hooker (No. 2) calls his props (No.1 and No. 3)
to bind onto his sides. These three players are
called the Front Row.
2. Next, the hooker calls “Seconds in!”. This is the
cue for the two locks (No. 4 and No. 5) to bind in
behind the front row. These five players (also
known as the Tight Five) form the engine (power)
of the scrum.
How the scrum is formed.
Here’s how it’s formed:
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
How the scrum works
Here’s how the scrum works:
3. Lastly, the flankers (No. 6 and No. 7) bind on, to
the side of the locks and behind the props. The
No. 8 binds in behind the locks. These three are
known as the Backrow or “loose forward” (opposite
of Tight Five). They are called loose forwards
because they are the first to break from the scrum
when it is over.
1. To start the scrum, the referee will “set the mark”
(stomp his heel where the offense occurred). The
hookers line up half meter from the mark, across
from each other.
2. The hooker calls his Front Row in, then his Second
Row. The Back Row binds in last.
3. The referee calls, “Crouch!” Both teams bend at
the waist ready.
4. The referee calls, “Hold..” Both sides get steady
themselves and get ready. The ref makes sure
everyone is in a safe position.
5. The referee calls “Engage!” This is usually followed
by a loud, collective “UGH!” as the front rows “butt
heads.” (Actually, they are putting their heads in
the “shoulder space” across from them).
6. The hooker from the team putting in taps the
shoulder of the prop to let his scrumhalf know that
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
he’s ready to strike the ball. The scrumhalf puts
the ball in the “tunnel,” in the space between the
two front rows. The scumhalf must throw the ball
in straight so that both sides have a chance to get
to the ball.
7. Next, the hooker “hooks” (strikes) the ball back
with his feet to the back of the scrum. A good
hooker will be able to do this in a split second.
8. The ball usually arrives at the foot of the No. 8.
It’s the No. 8’s job to keep the ball in the scrum
(ahead of his feet) until the scrumhalf is ready to
use it.
At this point there are three options:
• The scrumhalf can pick up the ball and dish it out
to the backs.
• The scrumhalf can pick up the ball and run with it.
• The No. 8 can break off from the scrum and run
with it. (The No. 8 is the only person in the scrum
that can break off and pick up the ball).
The ball is out when
• The ball is past (behind) the No. 8’s foot, OR
• The scrumhalf has two hands on the ball.
(CAUTION: refs vary greatly on this point. You
always want to talk to the ref before the game to
be clear about the his interpretation of when a ball
is “out of the scrum”)
The scrum is a contest!
The advantage in a scrum is always to the non-offending
team. They get to put the ball in. They know when the
ball is going into the scrum.
Even though the non-offending team gets the advantage,
the scrum is still a CONTEST for the ball. Once the ball
enters the scrum, both sides can push to try to get
possession of the ball. BUT NO HANDS ALLOWED! In the
scrum, you can only use your feet to hook the ball back.
Scrums are the site of all kinds of trickery, especially on
the Front Row. Often if a prop can get the prop opposite
him off balance, a scrum can be won. But WARNING: if a
front row player stands up to try to get his opposite off
balance, this is illegal. A penalty will be awarded to the
other side.
Scrums can also be won if the scrum rotates over 90
degrees. This is called wheeling the scrum. If a scrum is
wheeled, a new scrum is awarded to the team that did
not put the ball in.
The 5m Line
Remember the 5m line? The line 5m from the in-goal
area? This is line is important for scrums
• If Gold bring the ball into the in-goal are and tries to
score, But Blue thwarts the score by preventing Gold
from grounding the ball (“holding up the ball”). The
ref will award a scrum to Gold at the 5m line.
• Say Gold kicks the ball into the in-goal area and races
to the ball to try to score. But Blue beats Gold to the
ball and touches it down in the in-goal area first. The
ref will award a 5m scrum to Gold.
The backs job in scrums
What are the backs doing? If attacking: Getting ready for
their next play. If defending: Getting ready to tackle the
player with the ball.
The backs need to be keenly aware of the offsides line in
the scrum. The last man’s foot determines offsides at a
scrum. This is especially important when defending. For
scrumhalves, the ball determines the offsides line.
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WHAT REFS LOOK FOR AT SCRUMS
Refs look for these things at scrums
•
* Safety. The ref will speak to both teams before the
game. At the scrum, the ref controls the cadence,
“Crouch, hold,….engage”
* Back row staying bound
*Ball being put in straight
LINEOUTS
A lineout the unique rugby formation for restarting play
when the ball goes into touch (out-of-bounds) a lineout is
formed where the ball went into touch. The touch judge
marks this spot.
To form a line out, the forwards from each side form a
two-line tunnel, one meter apart, perpendicular to the
touchline(sideline) where the ball went out.
The lineout usually has all of the forwards involved.
However, a lineout can have as few as two. The exact
number of forwards is up to the team throwing the ball in.
Any players not involved in the lineout must be at least
ten meters back from where the lineout is taking place.
They must stay ten meters back until the lineout is over.
How the lineout works
Here’s how the lineout works:
• Both team’s forwards line up perpendicular to where
the ball went into touch. The forwards must line up
•
between the 5m and 15m lines that run parallel to the
touchlines. PICTURE
A thrower (usually the hooker) stands in touch, on an
imaginary line that goes halfway through the tunnel
(called the “line of touch”). He throws the ball in
straight into the tunnel. (The ball must be thrown in
straight. If it is not thrown in the straight, a scrum is
awarded to the non-throwing team.)
Players on each team will “support” a jumper in the air
to compete for the ball. (When the Laws say you can
“support” a player but not “lift” him—but really
everyone knows you’re lifting the player).
Once the ball is secured, a couple of things usually
happen:
o The jumper is brought to the ground and a maul
is formed.
o The ball is quickly tapped back to the scrumhalf,
who then distributes the ball to the backs
When the lineout is over
It is crucial that the backs know when the lineout is over
and be ready to go instantly. The ref will usually tell
everyone, (“Lineout over!” lowering his arm) but in
practice they forget to about 50% of the time. The
lineout is over when the ball leaves the line of touch (the
imaginary line that goes the halfway down the middle of
the lineout tunnel) or goes past the 15m line. A few
examples:
• The jumper taps the ball back to his scrumhalf. The
ball has been tapped away from the line of touch
LINEOUT OVER.
• The ball is brought down into a maul, but the maul is
does not move. LINEOUT IS NOT OVER until the maul
moves.
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
•
The ball is thrown past the 15m line. Technically, it
hasn’t left the line of touch, BUT it has left the lineout
area. LINEOUT OVER.
The quick throw-in
If the ball goes into touch, the team that did not put the
ball into touch does not have to wait for a lineout to form
to get the ball in. The Laws allow the non-offending team
to do a quick throw-in at any point where the ball crossed
the touchline and that team’s goal line. The ball has to
go in straight and it h as to travel at least five meters.
This has to occur after the ball has gone into touch and
before any of the opposition players arrive.
WHAT REFS LOOK FOR AT LINEOUTS
What refs look for at lineouts: REF SIGNALS
*Not straight- the hooker did not throw the ball in to the
lineout straight.
*Numbers – the defending team has more players at the
lineout than the attacking team.
*Barging – the defending team launches its defense
before the jumpers feet have landed.
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
Penalties and Free Kicks
DISCIPLINE YOURSELF AROUND THE REF
One of the hallmarks of rugby is the remarkable amount
of discipline and self-control in an ostensibly violent
game.
chance to retreat the full 10m. If that happens, guess
what? The ref will penalize the retreating team (original
offenders) by awarding an additional 10m to the attacking
team, plus a penalty kick. A quick way to gain territory.
Now you know why people SCREAM “BACK 10!!!” at a
penalty—they’re trying to avoid another one.
Referee’s Signal
Listen for the referee. In the modern rugby game,
referees communicate a LOT. The ref will often warn you
that you are in an offending position and give you a
chance (albeit a small one) to get into a non-offending
position. They do this to keep the game flowing and not
blow a whistle every five minutes.
The ref’s word is final. You cannot argue with the ref. In
fact, if you argue with the ref, he can award another
penalty against you (back talking). The only person who
can talk to the ref during the game is the captain. Not
even the coach can talk to the ref during the game.
PENALTY KICKS
Penalty kicks MUST BE TAKEN THROUGH THE MARK.
That is, you must kick the ball at the place where the
offense took place. The referee will let you know where
the mark is by marking it with his heel (stamping the spot
with his or her foot) and standing by it.
At a penalty, the offending team must IMMEDIATELY
retreat 10m. A quick thinking player will often get the ball
and “quick tap” at the mark (kick the ball to himself--ball
must clearly leave the hands, though), catching the
retreating team on their backfoot, before they’ve had a
Penalty Kick. Notice the arm is at a 45° angle. If the arm was
straight up, the ref would be signaling a try.
Teams must be strategic about penalty kicks.
If a team is within range of the goal posts (their best
kicker has a good shot at kicking the ball), kicking for
points is a smart move.
If the team is not within range of the goal posts,
kicking for touch is a good option. In the case of
penalties, it does not matter if the kicker is ahead of
the 22m line or behind it—a lineout is awarded where
the ball goes into touch. Moreover, because it was a
penalty, the kicking team gets to put the ball in at the
lineout. Brutal!
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
If the team is close to their goal line, they will often
quick tap the ball through the mark and toss the ball
to a big forward to crash through the defense to score
the try.
There’s always the option of a scrum any time a
penalty is awarded. This is sometimes the better
option when you are close to your goal line and your
team is dominating the scrums.
THE FREE KICK
A free kick is awarded for a minor infringement, such as a
hooker having his foot up in the scrum. If a free kick is
awarded, the kick cannot go directly into touch. Nor can
you kick through the goal posts for points. Often, a team
will take a quick tap off of a free kick and have a forward
crash the ball to gain a few meters.
We’ll give you a shortcut. Here are the most common
offenses rookies (and vets!) do in a match.
Offense
Consequence
•
Penalty kick.
•
•
•
•
•
Not releasing the tackled player in a
tackle (not rolling away).
Tackled player not making the ball
available after at tackle/not releasing
the ball.
Playing the ball on the ground.
Off-sides
Accidental off-sides
•
Diving over the ball in a ruck/not
staying on your feet in a ruck.
Scrum collapsing
•
•
Obstruction
Repeated offense by player
•
•
•
Repeated offense by team
Collapsing a ruck, maul or scrum
Knock-on
•
Forward pass
•
Lying on the ball or lying on a player
with the ball (sealing)
Referee’s Signal
Penalty kick..
Penalty kick
Scrum to the nonoffending team
Scrum to the team
moving forward.
If the ref can
determine the
offending team,
penalty kick.
Otherwise, reset the
scrum.
Penalty kick
Penalty kick, then
sin bin if the same
offense is repeated.
Penalty kick
Penalty kick
Scrum to the nonoffending team
Scrum to the nonoffending team
Penalty kick
DON’T DO THESE!!! PLEASE?
Free kick. Notice the arm is bent
THE LEAST YOU NEED TO KNOW
Very few players have ever read the Laws book. Frankly,
it’s hard to read and it’s boring.
Penalty kick
Remember:
• Minor Laws infringement = scrum
•
Major Laws infringement = penalty kick
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
•
Deliberate infringements or repeatedly infringing =
yellow card= 10 minutes in the “sin bin” (10 minute
suspension)
•
Deliberate or repeated infringement of a previously
yellow carded offense = red card=end of the game for
that player.
37
RUGBY 201:
ADVANCED
CONCEPTS
38
Fitness for Rugby
TWO TYPES OF FITNESS
We figured you were smart enough to realize that you
need to get pretty fit to play this game. What
surprises most guys is the kind of fitness needed.
We often get guys who have played other sports—
softball, running, snowboarding, water polo. They are
shocked that when they start playing rugby. It feels
like they’ve never worked out at all!
This is because rugby places a premium on two types
of fitness:
1. aerobic
2. anaerobic
Aerobic fitness is the fitness of endurance and
stamina. It uses the slow-twitch fibers in your
muscles, which primary use oxygen as its fuel.
Because the oxygen being used is coming from what
you breathe in, you can sustain aerobic exercises for a
very long time. Long distance running, swimming,
and water polo are examples of sports that place a
premium on aerobic fitness.
Anaerobic fitness is the fitness of power, strength
and quickness. It uses the fast-twitch fibers in your
muscles.
Anaerobic fitness is comprised of two energy
subsystems. The alactic energy subsystem is your
most powerful energy system. It uses two substances
in your muscle stores, ATP and creatine phosphate,
and can supply a tremendous amount of energy very
quickly. It allows you to produce explosive
movements like tackling and sprinting. However, you
can only sustain alactic energy for 5 to 15 seconds.
After that the lactic energy system takes over. Ever
feel that burning sensation in your muscles when you
sprint or lift weights? That’s the lactic energy system
taking over. Your muscle starts to use the glucose
(sugar) in your muscles for energy. However, the
supply of sugar in your muscles is limited and will
deplete in 2-3 minutes. And that burning sensation?
That burning sensation is lactic acid, a waste product
produced when the lactic energy system is being used
to burn the sugar in your muscles. It causes muscle
fatigue. Sprinting and sports like softball and
baseball, place a premium on anaerobic fitness.
FUEL MIX CONDITIONING
Rugby relies on what is called “fuel mix” conditioning.
During a rugby match, anaerobic fitness is taxed
heavily. The player’s body needs the alactic and lactic
energy systems constantly and repeatedly—tackles,
sprints, rucks, maul happen incessantly with very little
time in between to recover. You can’t catch your
breath like you can in softball or baseball after
sprinting to first base.
What typically happens in players who are not fit is
that they are able to sustain this for about 5, maybe
10 minutes. At that point the muscles are to fatigued
to keep using the anaerobic subsystems for energy.
The body slows down the muscles so that the muscle
39
can rely on aerobic fitness, switching over to use
oxygen not creatine or glucose (sugar) as fuel.
(Runners call this “the bear” or “hitting the wall”). The
player feels like he can barely jog, like he’s walking
through molasses, and he’s breathing heavily. That’s
why you see unfit folks walking on the pitch halfway
into a match. They do not have a proper foundation of
fuel mix conditioning.
As the name implies, fuel mix conditioning means
conditioning your muscles to use both energy
systems, not just one or the other. You can condition
to your body to become more efficient at using the
aerobic and anaerobic systems so that you can sustain
anaerobic capacity for longer periods of time before
you switch over to aerobic capacity. This is what we
call being rugby fit.
There are two types of fuel mix conditioning that will
get you rugby fit.
1. General fuel mix drills. This is a mix of aerobic
and anaerobic (lactic energy) drills. They
involve keeping your heart rate around 75% 85% of you maximum heart rate, the body’s
aerobic-to-anaerobic transition zone. Sessions
composed of fartlek and threshold runs are
examples of general fuel mix training.
2. Specific fuel mix drills. These are purely
anaerobic drills, using the lactic and alactic
energy systems. They involve keeping your
heart rate between 85% -95% of your
maximum heart rate. Sessions composed of
sprinting, agility runs and plyometrics are
examples of specific fuel mix drills.
The good news is fuel mix conditioning sessions
usually last between 20-40 minutes. At the
recreational level of rugby, you can get fit enough in
20-30 minute sessions. But it will require you to put
in some extra work outside of rugby practice. You
need to commit to fitness regimen of at least
three, 20-30 minute fitness sessions in addition
to rugby practice. Rugby practice alone isn’t
sufficient to get you fit enough to last a game. The
purpose of this section is to give you some basic drills
you can do that will get you fit enough, with the
minimum amount of time commitment.
You will come to understand that fitness is actually
a tactical part of rugby. No matter what level of
rugby you play, the team that is fitter almost always
wins the game. If a team knows it is fitter than
another, the fitter team will simply play a game of
“tire them out, then score.” Repeatedly. We cannot
underscore enough how important your own fitness
contributes to the success of the team.
FITNESS NEEDS VARY BY POSITION
A prop, a flanker, a fly half, a center and a wing, do
not have the same game. They all spend a match
doing different things. Props and flankers spend a
considerable amount of time rucking and tackling, and
sprinting over shorter distances. Centers and wings
do more sprinting over longer distances and open field
tackling. Flankers and fly halves spend most of the
game doing rucking, tackling, and sprinting over short
and long distances.
Fitness training should vary for by position as well.
Generally speaking:
40
Tight Five
Back Row
Half backs
Threequarters
General Fuel Mix
Training
70% of time
50% of time
50% of time
30% of time
Specific Fuel Mix
Training
30% of time
50% of time
50% of time
70% of time
Your specific needs may vary. It’s always a good idea
to run a proposed fitness regimen by your coach.
Your team may include a fitness segment in its
practice, which will reduce the number of fitness
practices you’ll need to do on your own.
EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED
There are some pieces of equipment that will be
helpful for you when doing fitness drills on your own.
You don’t have to buy these things, but these things
will make the process of becoming rugby fit faster and
easier.
•
A heart rate monitor is an essential tool when
doing fitness on your own. It monitors your heart
rate as you exercise so that you can stay at the
level of intensity you chose. You can get a basic
model for under $50, but it’s best to buy a model
(like the Polar A3, about $90) that can display your
heart rate as a percentage of your maximum heart
rate. Once you use one, you’ll never know how
you exercised without one. Sports Basement
carries many of them. You can often find them on
the Internet (eBay in particular) for cheap prices.
•
A set of cones is helpful for marking distance and
setting up circuit courses.
•
Okay, a track isn’t necessarily equipment in the
strictest sense, but it’s a great venue for doing this
kind of fitness work. Kezar Stadium and McAteer
High School (now called SOTA, School of the Arts)
both have tracks available for public use
•
A stopwatch or a watch with a stopwatch
function. (Most heart rate monitors come with
this function.)
ABOUT HEART RATES
We will frequently refer to heart rates in this section.
It’s the best way to describe the level of intensity at
which you should be exercising. The levels are
described as a percentage of your maximum heart
rate (MHR).
MHR varies by person, and is most accurately found
through a treadmill test conducted under the
supervision of a doctor. You can guestimate you MHR
by subtracting your age from 220. So if you are 29
years old, your maximum heart rate is around 191
(220-29). This is not the best way to figure your MHR
out, but it works for our purposes.
The body functions differently at various heart rate
levels:
50%-60% MHR…
60%-70%MHR
The body is barely taxed by
the exercise. This is the level
of a moderate walk or a slow
jog.
A moderate, very comfortable
level of exercise, at the pace
of a slow jog or a brisk walk up
a hill. This zone is ideal for fat
burning as it allows the body
just enough time to convert fat
into energy for muscles. (Now
41
70%-80%MHR
A rugby training
zone
80%-90%MHR
A rugby training
zone
90%-100%MHR
A rugby training
zone
you know why you see all
those big bodybuilders at the
gym walking on treadmills.)
The aerobic zone. The body is
using oxygen to convert
carbohydrates (mainly glucose
or blood sugar) into energy.
You will see cardiovascular
improvements, as the size and
strength of heart increases
along with the amount of blood
pumped with each heartbeat.
Endorphins released at this
level.
Lactic energy zone. Work in
this zone improves tolerance
to lactic acid. This zone is for
high performance training, and
is where most of your rugby
fitness training should occur.
Alactic energy zone—the
redline zone. This is the zone
your heart beats at when it
does an all out sprint or a
series of tackles. Fitness
training in this zone should be
used in conjunction with ample
rest periods.
GENERAL FUEL MIX CONDITIONING DRILLS
Threshold Runs (20-40 minutes)
This is perhaps the “easiest” type of conditioning to
undertake. Essentially, this is straight running, at race
pace. The aim is to run continually for up to 40
minutes (half of a rugby match) at a high-intensity
pace. It’s called a threshold run because you’re
working out at the threshold of the line between the
aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.
Initially, you may want to start off at 83%- 86%MHR
for 20 minutes. After a few weeks, up the ante to
85%-90% of MHR. This is where you want to conduct
the run most of the time. Gradually add a minute or
two to your time until you work up to 40 minutes.
A treadmill is a tremendous aid in doing threshold
runs. Most treadmills at gyms work with heart rate
monitor straps. You can also program the treadmill to
stay at a particular heart rate level—it will
automatically adjust the incline to keep you at the
desired level. If you don’t have a heart rate monitor
strap, you can use the sensors on the treadmill to read
your heart rate at specific intervals.
Threshold runs are hard to do. At first, you may even
feel the constant burning of lactic acid building up in
your muscles. This is EXACTLY what you want. The
more you exercise in this zone, the more your muscles
get better at staying in this zone for longer periods of
time. This zone is perfect for training for rugby. If
you did nothing but threshold runs three times a
week, you would become fit enough to play
rugby within six weeks.
Never do back-to-back threshold runs.
The body
needs at least one day in between runs to recover. It
is also not advisable to do a threshold run the day
before or the day of a match.
42
Fartlek Runs(25 minutes)
A variation on the threshold run is the fartlek run.
(Fartlek is Swedish for “speed play”). This is best
done with a heart rate monitor (it is more precise),
but this drill can be done with out one. This can be
done on a track, an off-road path or a rugby pitch.
You will need a stopwatch or a watch with a stopwatch
function.
With the heart rate monitor:
Minutes
Moderate, steady run to warm up
0:00 – 3:00
(65%-75% MHR)
3:00 – 23:00
fartlek training:
• Run at almost full speed until the
heart rate monitor reaches 90%
MHR
• Slow down to a VERY slow jog or
a walk until the heart rate monitor
reaches 80%-85%MHR
• Repeat the process
23:00 – 25:00
Jog slowly at between 60% and 70%
MHR to cool down.
Without a heart rate monitor
Minutes
Moderate, steady run to warm up
0:00 – 3:00
3:00 – 23:00
Fartlek training:
• Run at almost full speed for 3:00
minutes
• Slow down to a VERY slow jog or
a walk for 2:00 minutes
• Repeat the process 4 times
23:00 – 25:00
Jog slowly to cool down.
Pyramid Intervals (20 minutes)
This drill simulates the work-and-rest periods typical
of a rugby match. You do not need a heart rate
monitor for this drill. You will need a track, a pitch or
a field with two cones about 100m apart.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Run for 3:00 at a moderate pace to warm up
and then stretch
Run the length of a pitch (or 100m on a track)
and back, then again and back (total of 400m or
four lengths)
Rest for 40 seconds
Run the distance three times (up, back and up
again, total of 300m)
Rest for 40 seconds
Run the distance up and back (total of 200m)
Rest for 40 seconds
Run just the length (100m)
Rest for 40 seconds
Run the distance up and back (total of 200m)
Rest for 40 seconds
Run the distance three times (up, back and up
again, total of 300m)
Rest for 40 seconds
Run the length of a pitch (or 100m on a track)
and back, then again and back (total of 400m or
four lengths)
Rest for 40 seconds
Run for 3:00 at a moderate pace to cool down
and then stretch
It should not take you more than 20 minutes to
complete this sequence. As you advance (get fitter)
you and do the whole sequence 1.5 to 2 times.
43
SPECIFIC FUEL MIX CONDITIONING DRILLS
Hill Training (20-30 minutes)
Pick a hill with gradient over 7 degrees—pretty easy to
find in San Francisco! Use your cones to mark out a
distance 60-70m long.
• Start out at the bottom of the slope and
accelerate from it, up the hill, at full speed.
Focus on powerfully driving your arms and legs.
• Walk down the hill. Once you reach the bottom
of the hill, rest for 2:00 minutes.
• Repeat. 8-12 times.
233s (20 minutes)
Use a track and mark out a distance of 233m. This is
an all out sprint from start to finish.
Rest 3:00
minutes. Repeat 5 times.
Fair warning: if you are doing this right, the lactic acid
build up in your legs will feel horrific.
Shuttle runs (20 -30 minutes)
On a field, space two cones 30m-40m apart.
• Starting at one cone, run to the other cone at
full speed. Touch the cone. Then run back and
touch the cone you started at. Repeat. (Total
of four lengths between cones.)
• Rest for 1:00 minute
• Repeat 6 – 12 times.
Timed Sprints (20 -30 minutes)
On a field, track or similar flat surface (i.e. tennis
court), space two cones 40m-50m apart.
• Set your stopwatch to 0:00. Be ready to start
your stopwatch at the beginning of your first
sprint.
• Start at one cone. Sprint at all out full speed to
the next cone. It should not take you more
•
•
•
•
•
•
than 5 seconds if you are a back row player or a
back, 6 if you are in the Tight Five.
At that cone, look at the stopwatch. Mentally
note how fast your time was, but DO NOT STOP
THE STOPWATCH, though. You have until the
watch turns to the 0:30 mark to rest
At the 0:30 second mark, start at the cone you
stopped at and sprint back to the cone you
started at. Note your time. (Are you getting
slower or faster? Try to maintain a consistent
time).
You have until the watch read 1:00 to rest.
Repeat this pattern for minutes 2:00, 3:00 and
4:00.
At minute 5:00 take one full minute to rest.
Reset your stopwatch.
Repeat 4-6 times.
RECOVERY TIME
Rest time is a crucial part of becoming fit. Without the
proper amount of down time, the body has not time to
repair or heal itself.
“Active rest” may seem like an oxymoron, but it can
be beneficial for those who need to be consistent
about their routines. What is meant by active rest is
exercise that is taken at a very leisurely, moderate
intensity. It could be a slow, 30-minute jog (a
recovery run), a light game of tennis or a 30-minute
bike ride. Active rest is often beneficial to help flush
out lactic acid build up in the muscles.
Many of the guys on the team find yoga and pilates to
be a perfect compliment to rugby on their active rest
days. They are ideal for building flexibility and core
(trunk) strength (especially pilates).
44
Then again, you could just take the day off and do
nothing. Nothing wrong with doing that on your off
days.
Tight Five
Monday
Choice of :
•
Threshold
Run
•
Fartlek Run
•
Pyramid
Intervals
That said, given a choice between cardio work vs.
strength training, we’d encourage you to prioritize
cardio work. Those big, strong muscles are useless if
you can’t last 80 minutes in a match.
Tuesday
Recovery Run
or Active Rest
(Sprints at
rugby practice)
If you do choose to do the gym in addition to your
cardio work, be sure to emphasize the right kind of
work. No more than a warm up set, plus 1-2 sets
done at a high weight to failure, within 5-8 reps. Only
2-3 exercise per body part.
Wednesday
Choice of :
•
Threshold
Run
•
Fartlek Run
•
Pyramid
Intervals
Recovery Run
or Active Rest
(Sprints at
rugby practice)
WHAT ABOUT THE GYM?
If you have a regular gym routine, by all means, keep
at it! We certainly don’t want to discourage you from
building muscles.
Some guys prefer to do a fully body routine twice a
week. (Sunday and Wednesdays are popular, since we
have practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays and
matches on Saturdays). Others (including the author)
combine the cardio and weight training by doing a split
routine:
• Monday: quads, glutes and hamstrings + Timed
Sprints
• Tuesdays: chest and forearms + Threshold Run
• Wednesdays: back and traps + Recovery run
• Thursdays: shoulders and calves + Fartlek Run
• Fridays: biceps and triceps+ Recovery Run or
day off from cardio
SETTING UP A SCHEDULE
The following can give you an idea of how to set up a
schedule for cardio fitness for yourself:
Back Row and
Halfbacks
Choice of :
•
Hill
Training
•
223s
•
Shuttle
Runs
•
Timed
Sprints
Choice of :
•
Threshold
Run
•
Fartlek Run
•
Pyramid
Intervals
Recovery Run
or Threshold
Run/Fartlek
Run
Friday
Recovery Run
or day off
Choice of :
•
Threshold
Run
•
Fartlek Run
•
Pyramid
Intervals
Recovery Run
or day off
Saturday
Sunday
MATCH
Recovery Run
or Active Rest
MATCH
Recovery Run
or Active Rest
Thursdays
Threequarters
Choice of :
•
Threshold
Run
•
Fartlek Run
•
Pyramid
Intervals
Recovery Run or
Active Rest
(Sprints at rugby
practice)
Choice of :
•
Hill Training
•
223s
•
Shuttle Runs
•
Timed
Sprints
Recovery run or
Active Rest
(Sprints at rugby
practice)
Choice of :
•
Hill Training
•
Timed
Sprints
MATCH
Recovery Run or
Active Rest
WEIGHT AND RUGBY
Let’s dispel a popular fallacy right now: a “rugby build”
is not a euphemism for a guy with a few extra pounds
around his belt. It is true that size can be an asset in
rugby. But carrying too much weight can only slow
45
you down in a game that values quickness and agility
as well.
Take a good look at the international-level players.
These are not guys with a “few extra pounds.” They
are height-weight proportionate guys.
Even the
stocky props are more muscle than fat.
We don’t say this to discourage our bigger brothers.
We bring this up as advice for EVERYONE: losing the
extra weight you’re carrying. All it’s doing is slowing
you down and making it harder for you to achieve
your fitness goals. However you do it (Atkins, low-fat,
South Beach, Zone, or just plain old common sense
eating and portion control), endeavor to be a weight
that is healthy for you and helpful for you to achieve
your fitness goals.
SUPPLEMENTATION
Eager rookies often ask if they
supplements. Both illegal and legal.
should
use
First, let us discourage you as much as possible from
taking steroids or other quick (and illegal) chemical
methods for building muscle mass. If you’ve ever
looked around a gym, you’ve seen the effectiveness of
these drugs. Maybe you yourself have done a cycle or
two. Aside from the rather dramatic side effects (bitch
tits, back acne, heart anomalies), there’s a very
practical reason why most rugby players don’t juice
up.
When you lift weights naturally, the ligaments that
connect the muscles to the bones strengthens at the
same time. When the muscles enlarge from steroid
use, the ligaments aren’t affected. Therefore they
don’t strengthen at the same rate. Next thing you
know, Juiced-Up Joe is on the pitch and pulls a muscle
in a rucking drill. His muscles were too strong for his
ligaments. He’s out for three months, minimum.
However, there are two supplements rugby players
widely use: protein and creatine. We’re sure you’ve
heard of both of these before.
Protein is an essential macro-nutrient. The body uses
protein for a variety of things: building muscle tissue,
creating antibodies to fight off infection, and to repair
cuts, bruises and wounds. These are precisely the
reasons rugby players often supplement with protein.
Ruggers also supplement often with creatine. It has
been clinically prove to work by numerous scientific
studies. You may recall that the primary anaerobic
energy system, the alatic system, uses creatine as its
fuel to create explosive movements. Creatine occurs
naturally in meats, but in very small amounts that the
body can absorb. Creatine supplementation “tops off”
your muscle cells with the maximum amount of
creatine they can absorb. The result: the body is able
sustain explosive activity (rucks, tackling, sprinting)
for longer periods of time.
There are also
corresponding strength gains.
Ruggers who
supplement with creatine often see fuller muscles and
an increase ability to lift more weight for longer
stretches.
The choice to supplement or not is always an
individual choice. As a Club, we can not officially
endorse supplementation. We can only tell you what
we have observed over the years of those who chose
to supplement. Our best advice is to educate yourself
as much as possible about the pros and cons. There
are tons of sites on the Internet (both good and bad)
46
as well as books written about supplementation.
Ultimately, you are responsible for the choice you
make, and the risk you take, regarding what you put
in your body.
47
Strategic and Tactical Rugby
THE TWO ESSENTIAL RUGBY STRATEGIES
Volumes have been written about rugby technique.
But for a game that requires so much thinking and
strategy, the tomes are pretty thin.
Which is quite remarkable given that the essence of
strategy in rugby comes down to two concepts.
• In attack, the aim is to disrupt the defensive
line so that “holes” are created to allow territory
to be gained.
• In defense, the aim is to keep the defensive line
so that no territory is gained
Remarkably simple, isn’t it? Break the line in attack,
keep the line in defense.
Of course, in actual play there seems to be an infinite
variety of tactics. And it seems that everyone says
the only way you can learn them is by playing the
game years and years.
Bullshit. True, in order for the lessons to stick, you
need to experience them in practice and in play. But
we believe you’ll learn them faster by being made
aware of the tactics used to implement the two rugby
strategies AND experiencing them at work in practices
and matches. Kids, this is the stuff veterans wish
someone had written down for us, instead of having to
learn it the hard way.
But first, let’s be clear about our terminology. A
strategy is the overall goal. As we mentioned there
are only two strategies in rugby: break the line or
keep the line intact. Tactics are the “tools” (plays and
techniques) used to implement the strategy. Not to
be nitpicky, but we should be clear about the
difference. You’ll hear people say something like,
“Their strategy is to attack wide.” Attacking wide is
tactic, not a strategy.
THE PRINCIPLES OF PLAY
All tactics used to implement the two rugby strategies
conform to what are known as the principles of play.
The four principles of play are the same for attack and
defense. They are:
•
•
•
•
Keep or regain possession
Go forward
Apply pressure
Support the player in attack (create options) or
defense (limit options)
All tactics fall into one of these four categories.
To break a line (attack), we use tactics that allow us
to
• Keep continuous possession of the ball (i.e.
winning scrums and lineouts, rucks, mauls)
• Go forward (i.e., running straight, crash plays)
• Support the player with the ball (i.e., running in
support, positioning)
• Pressure (i.e., use multiple phase play, use the
team’s fitness to tire out the defense)
To keep a line (defend), we use tactics that allow us to
48
•
•
•
•
Regain possession (i.e., poach the ball, strip the
ball, wheel scrums, win rucks and mauls)
Go forward (i.e., use defensive patterns (manon-man defense, slide defense, zone defense)
that contain the attacking team to one area)
Support our teammates so that the line is held.
Apply pressure (i.e., seal off options, seek to
progressively minimize the space the attack has
to play with)
TACTICAL LEVELS
Tactics are implemented at one of three levels:
1. Unit level. The tactics used by backs or by
forwards (plays used at lineout, scrums,
kickoffs)
2. Mini-unit level. Tactics used by the Tight Five,
Back Row, Halfbacks, or Threequarters, or as a
random, small group of three or four players in
open field play for rucks and mauls
3. Individual level. As one or two players in open
field play
Our examination of game tactics will look the
principles of play in the context of each of these
levels.
UNIT LEVEL TATICS
Attacking
Unit tactics to keep possession/continuity
• Forwards, need to win scrums every time
• Forwards, need to win lineouts every time.
• Forwards, always attempt to regain possession
of the ball that you kick off.
Unit tactics to go forward in attack
• Learn to read defensive patterns. If a team sets
up for a type of defensive pattern, implement a
play that exploits weaknesses of that pattern.
• Forwards, use crash plays to disrupt defensive
lines.
o A common, but effective ploy is the
crash-crash-out pattern. Two crashes are
performed, then the ball is spun out to
the backs.
• Backs, use various backline plays to advance
the ball:
o Looping plays help to create overlaps
o Skip plays help to get the ball out to the
wings quickly (attacking wide), where
there is more likelihood of a one-on-one
situation.
o Switch/scissors plays, help change the
direction of attack, an effective way to set
up a crash play that disrupts the
defensive line for later exploitation.
o Switch/scissors plays are great for
drawing defenders and creating holes in
the defense.
o Use the fullback as an element of
surprise. Insert him at any place in the
backline.
o Use the blindside wing as an element of
surprise.
o Don’t forget about kicking. Scan the
pitch for undefended patches and kick
over an advancing team towards that
spot, then chase your ball. You have a
better chance of recovering the ball
because you don’t have to turn around to
chase the ball like the defenders do.
49
Unit tactics to support an attack
• Forwards, disengage from set plays quickly so
that you can provide support for the backs.
• Forwards, STAY OUT OF THE PASSING LINE
BETWEEN THE SCRUMHALF AND THE FLYHALF,
especially in 2nd and 3rd phase
• Backs, realign quickly, especially after crashes
by the forwards in open play.
Unit tactics to apply pressure in attack
• Execute set plays quickly if the other team is
stronger in lineouts and/or scrums.
• Execute set plays slower if the other team has a
weak forward pack.
o Set up mauls after the lineout thrown is
received. Use your forward pack’s
strength to set up a rolling maul, which,
once started, is hard to defend against.
o If you have superior scrums, use your
strength in the scrum to drive the other
team on its back foot, keeping the ball in
the scrum at the base of the No. 8’s foot.
• Judiciously use the quick throw-in when the ball
goes into touch. Forwards should get in the
habit of getting to the where the ball crossed
into touch (indicated by the touch judge)
quickly, to take advantage of a less fit team
who does not set up the lineout quickly.
• Always contest for the ball at kick off.
• Weather can be a factor. In wet conditions,
play a forwards game (lots of crash ball), and
keep the back alignment tight, to minimize
slipped up passes and handling errors.
Defending
Unit tactics to regain possession
• Size up your opposition; figure out quickly if it is
worth the effort to contest every scrum or
lineout.
o Especially at lineouts, it is often better
defensively, not to try to steal the ball,
but to set up to breach the offense
quickly.
o However, if you have a better forward
pack than the attacking team, definitely
contest for the ball!
o This is a judgment call. Read your
opposition.
• Remember that the kickoff is an attacking
move. Be sure to line up your forwards with
their forwards, your backs with their backs
Unit tactics to go forward in defense
• Implement the correct defensive pattern for the
situation
o Man-on –man defenses work when the
back lines are equally matched.
o Slide defenses are good for creating
defensive overlaps in the backline.
o Zone defenses are effective against
switch plays.
o Backs should be agile enough to switch
from one defense to another, depending
on the offensive alignment.
Unit tactics to support a defense
• Backs, always move as line together. This acts
to contain the space the opposition has to work
with.
50
o
o
Be sure you are always flat, against the
last man’s foot in the scrum. Don’t
defend an inch more ground than you
have to.
Get in the habit of yelling, “Earwax!” If
you are flat enough, you should be able
to point to the earwax in your teammates
ears
Unit tactics to apply pressure in defense
• Aim to keep the offense on its back foot.
Pressure is most effectively applied if the
attacking team is losing ground.
MINI-UNIT TACTICS
Attacking
Mini-Unit tactics to keep possession/continuity
• Use small groups of a ball player with support
on both sides to keep the ball in play
Mini-Unit tactics to go forward in attack
• Implement multiple phases repeatedly and
quickly. Repeated use of crash plays of groups
of 3-4 players helps to do this nicely.
• In rucks, the ball carrier should drive forward
before going to ground, to gain territory. This
also help buy time for support to arrive to help
se the proper platform for a ruck. As support
arrives, they should be yelling “Go to ground!”
to indicate that they are ready to set the ruck.
Mini-Unit tactics to support an attack
•
•
When rucking, set solid and strong platforms. If
the scrumhalf has to fish the ball out, a proper
platform has not been set.
When rucking and mauling, communicate your
intentions. If you see a chance to clear out a
man for a ruck, yell, “CLEAR!” so that you don’t
butt heads with you teammate who is about to
do the same thing!
Mini-Unit tactics to apply pressure in attack
• Deliver quickly from rucks. This keeps the
defense from realigning quickly. This disrupts
the line and creates holes.
• Quick, multiple phase play draws in defenders.
As defenders pile into rucks, there are fewer
defenders on the lines, getting the defense on
its backfoot and creating holes. This requires a
high degree of fitness.
Defending
Mini-Unit tactics to regain possession
• Contest and win rucks
• Contest and win mauls. Keep the player with
the ball from going to ground to form a ruck.
Keep the maul stationary for five seconds (at
which point a maul must be blown up and a
scrum awarded to the defending team).
Mini-Unit tactics to go forward in defense
• Look at the make up of your opposite mini-unit.
Given their make up, who are they likely to use
more often than not? How will you counter
their attack as a mini-unit?
• At set plays, attacks typically happen with three
mini-units: the back row (especially at scrums),
the halfbacks, or the halfbacks-inside center.
Try to figure out each mini-unit’s preferred
51
means of attack in the first 10 minutes of the
game and counter it.
Mini-Unit tactics to support a defense
• After set plays, the Tight Five needs to make
every effort to be at the second breakdown.
• The Back Row (flankers and No. 8) should
always be the first mini-unit off of a scrum.
They need to be at the first breakdown to
provide rucking support for any backs that
tackle the attacking team’s back. This will
temporarily create an overload that may result
in regaining possession of the ball.
• Halfbacks should help direct the loose forwards
to the spot they are most likely to be needed.
• Threequarters should be ready to ruck should
the ball get out wide quickly to the opposing
wing. They should also be alert for any signs
that the attacking team will kick the ball.
Mini-Unit tactics to apply pressure in defense
• Defend against your opposite mini-unit. Be
constantly aware of where they are at on the
pitch and always be in their face.
• Seal off options at rucks. Forwards should
defend rucks tightly and on both sides.
o Use the lead/scrape defense pattern.
Lead should be right next to the ruck or
maul. Scrape is a meter outside of him.
• Get out of rucks and mauls quickly and reset
the defensive line. A defense that resets the
line quickly after each ruck and maul will not
cede an inch.
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL TACTICS
Attacking
Individual tactics to keep possession/continuity
• When being tackled, place the ball towards your
team only after your whole body has landed on
the ground.
• Do not throw away possession! Pass only if you
have a good pass. Don’t thrown in a panic.
When in doubt, hold onto the ball.
Individual tactics to go forward in attack
• When ever possible, run onto the ball at full
speed.
• Evasive running is an effective technique.
However, this does not mean running at odd
angles on the pitch. Always run FORWARD. If
you run sideways, you actually cut into the path
of your teammates and decrease the space you
have to attack in. You can evade a runner by
juking (side-stepping) him or peeling away from
him (turning around as he tries to tackle you, so
that he gets a firm grip on nothing).
Individual tactics to support an attack
• If you’re do not have the ball, your job is to
support the guy with the ball.
o Anticipate where the ball is likely to go
and move in that directions. As you get
more practice, this will become almost a
sixth sense.
52
o
o
o
Support from depth so that you can run
onto the ball at full speed if the ball is
thrown to you.
Support both left and right. If there is
support on the left, try to get over to the
right side to support, and vice versa.
Communication is absolutely essential.
Let the guy with the ball know where you
are. Communicate your position,
especially where you are, LOUDLY!
(“Left!” or “With you right!”)
Individual tactics to apply pressure in attack
• Run forward at full pace.
• Be there to support in numbers. It’s hard to
beat an overload. A 2-on-1 wins every time.
Hustle to get in support.
• Be fit!!
Defending
Individual tactics to regain possession
• Every time you tackle, get to your feet as
quickly as possible to poach the ball.
• Stripping the ball is allowed! If you can get your
hands on the ball, rip it out of the opposition’s
hands.
Individual tactics to go forward in defense
• Your primary defensive role is to make sure
your opposite number is checked.
• Make your tackles! Apart from regaining
possession of the ball, making all your tackles is
your best defense.
Individual tactics to support a defense
• If you are inside or outside of a tackler, make
sure your position is such that you can either
•
(1) help the tackler get the ball carrier to the
ground, (2) poach the ball from the ball carrier
as the tackler gets the ball carrier to the
ground, or (3) seal off options for the ball
carrier to off-load the ball to the ball carrier’s
support players.
If you are out flanked by the offense (especially
out wide on the wings), call for support (“Joe,
slide right!”). Yell out numbers and names.
Individual tactics to apply pressure in defense
• Always be sure that if your opposite number
gets the ball, you are right in his face to stop
him and seal off his attacking options.
• The more space you allow for a tackle
(especially when making open field tackles).
Put pressure on the guy you are tackling by
going to him. Don’t wait for him to come to
you. By going to him, you limit the space he as
to evade you.
GAME PLANS
You’ll often here the term “game plan” used as a
synonym for “strategy.” All a game plan is, really, is
the collection of tactics a team decides to use to
implement both of the two rugby strategies. A game
plan is nothing more than the set of tactics the team
has practiced for their attacking game and their
defensive game.
The coach is responsible for creating the team’s game
plan, taking into account the team’s strengths and
weaknesses in terms of personnel. It will vary from
game to game, but generally not much. A
comprehensive game plan addresses all of the
principles of play at every level.
53
TACTICAL DECISION MAKING
A crucial part in the development of a rugby player is
not only knowing the tactics, but when to implement
them. When you get the ball, how do you know what
is the correct thing to do? This is the skill call decision
making. Every player must develop it.
The best way to do this is to play as many games as
possible. What does your opposite numbers body
language say? What directions are his shoulders and
hips pointing? Shoulders and hips often are telltale
signs of the direction the ball carrier wants to take the
ball, especially at rucks.
Everyone being on the same page informs decision
making. This is why developing a team game plan (a
repertoire of tactics the team employs over and over)
is crucial to developing decision making skills. The
“correct” decision in attack is always for the ball
carrier to react to the defensive alignment and for his
support to read his reaction correcting and react
accordingly. This kind of common understanding of
how our team approaches rugby tactically can only be
learned through repeated practicing together. This is
why attendance at practice is so important.
The second best way is to watch as many games as
possible, trying to predict what the players will do with
the ball. Make a game out of it; keep track of how
many predictions you made and how many you got
right. Make a drinking game out of it; every time you
predict correctly, take a swig of beer. Re-read this
chapter before you watch the match. What tactics
described here did you see implemented in the match?
Every practice should include some element of game
simulation. This gives you an opportunity to see the
way the team approaches reading the game, and gives
you a chance to practice doing it with them. The
objective of practice is to eventually get you to the
point where you are making decisions and reading the
game the same way everyone else on the team is at
game speed.
READING THE GAME
Get in the habit of thinking two or three plays ahead—
where could the ball go? If Joe has the ball, what is
he likely to do with it? If the opposition has the ball,
what could they do with it? What are the two or three
things they are likely to do? How can I best position
myself to defend.
PARTING WORDS
The pages in this chapter contain the tactical
knowledge that any rugger with three or more years
under his or her belt knows from sheer experience.
Once you integrate these tactics into your game, you
will have mastered 70% of what there is to know
about this game.
It takes time. There are a lot of concepts here. Most
of them won’t make sense to you until you’ve played a
few games. A good strategy is to re-read this section
every month or so. You’ll be surprised how many of
the tactics have become old hat to you after a while.
We also encourage you to read this chapter before you
go to bed the night before a match, and to review it a
couple of hours before a match. If you are new to the
game, just focus on the individual level and mini-unit
level tactics.
54
RUGBY 301:
THE WORLD OF
RUGBY
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The Tao of Rugby
THE RUGBY BROTHERHOOD
THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVITY AND
CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SPORTSMANSHIP
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The Rugby World
International tests and the Rugby World Cup
Annual tournaments
The Stadiums
Rugby is the world’s third most popular sport (after
soccer and baseball). This section is meant to give
you an idea of how our team is connected with local,
national and international teams and governing
bodies.
RUGBY LEAGUE V. RUGBY UNION
The first thing you should know is that –SURPRISE!—
there are TWO types of rugby played in the world.
The vast majority of folks in the world play rugby
union. Rugby union is the game we play.
Rugby league is distinct, but not that different, from
rugby union. Rugby league play differs in that
• only 13 people are on a team (no flankers/wing
forwards), not 15
• there are fewer scrums and no lineouts.
Scoring is also different:
• a try is 4 points (not 5)
• a penalty kick is 2 points (not 3)
• a drop-kick goal is 1 point (not 3).
A major difference is there is no rucking or mauling.
When a player is brought down in possession of the
ball, he has to be allowed to stand up face-to-face
with an opponent and attempt to tap the ball back to
his own teammates with his foot. Hence it is a much
faster game, higher scoring and more entertaining to
watch. Scrums may delight forwards, but as a
spectator watching them over and over, it gets old
quick.
Rugby League Football came about in 1903 -1906.
Due to the strict amateur code in those days, a player
getting expense money was not acceptable under the
Union code. Thus Rugby League arose to provide elite
players a chance to get paid for their playing. So,
Rugby League grew to be considered the
"professional" game, and Rugby Union, the amateur
game.
Well things have changed! In 1997, Rugby Union
became an "open" game, meaning players can now be
paid to play rugby union. So, now the only thing that
separates the two games are the way they are played.
The three principal rugby league countries are
Australia, England and New Zealand. Ian Roberts, the
first openly gay professional rugby player (and quite
the hottie—ay papi!) played rugby league for an
Australian team.
THE INTERNATIONAL RUGBY BOARD
The International Rugby Football Board (IRB) is
the final authority on rugby in the world. Based in
Dublin, Ireland, the IRB is the ultimate arbiter of
things rugby worldwide. The IRB is constantly
reviewing the Laws of rugby and is always revising the
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laws to keep the game fair and flowing. The IRB has
eight voting members and associate members (the
rest of the members).
THE UNION STRUCTURE
Every rugby-playing nation has a national union to
which every local rugby club belongs. For example, all
clubs in England belong to the national rugby union,
called simply enough, the Rugby Football Union. (Hey,
they were the first one, so they don’t have to call
themselves the English Rugby Football Union).
In Great Britain, they take the term nation, quite
literally. Each of the traditional nations of Great
Britain have their own national rugby union: Scotland,
Wales, and England.
Nations". Since 1996 several other “international"
leagues have sprung up: Tri Nations, the Super 12,
Pacific Rim are examples.
The USA national team, the Eagles compete in the
Pacific Rim competition. And just like in soccer,
another game America has come to late, we suck.
But each year we get better.
One other significant international competition: the
Olympics. Rugby was again accepted as an Olympic
Sport in April 1998. However, due
to politics, it is up in the air if rugby will be played in
Athens in 2004. The last time rugby was played in the
Olympics was 1928. The last gold medal team is—and
you’ll never believe this one—the United States, made
up of mostly Stanford University ruggers (sorry Cal).
So the current Olympic rugby champion is the US.
Teams in the United States belong to USA Rugby,
America’s national union. In addition to the national
union, local teams belong to territorial Unions and
their local area union, comprised of the teams the club
play locally.
International Competition
Six Nations
England, France, Ireland, Scotland,
Wales and Italy
Tri Nations
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
Pacific Rim
Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, United
States Eagles, Fiji, Western Samoa,
The Competitions.
To explain the various competitions, we are going to
separate competitions in two levels- International and
National.
International Level. This level has competitions
between countries. The most prominent is the Rugby
World Cup. The Rugby World Cup occurs every 4
years. Believe it or not, it’s a relatively new
competition, first held in 1987. It was last held in
1999.
There are also several international "league
competitions" that happen yearly. There are several
prominent ones - the oldest is called the "Five
Super 12
(professional
teams)
ACT Brumbies (Australia), Auckland
Blues (New Zealand), Canterbury
Crusades (New Zealand), Natal
Coastal Sharks (South Africa), Wales
Waratahs (Australia), North
Transvaal Bulls (South Africa),
Orange Free State Cheetahs (South
Africa), Otago Highlanders (New
Zealand), Queensland Reds
(Australia), Wellington Hurricanes
(New Zealand), Waikato Chiefs (New
Zealand), Western Stormers
(Australia)
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International Competition
Others
Rugby World Cup, FIRA Youth Rugby
World Cup, European Cup, National
Provincial Championships (NZ),
Currie Cup (South Africa), Epson Cup
(Pac Rim nations)
Territorial
Unions
South
Local Area Unions
Midwest
National Level. Each country has its levels of
competition. They are separated by sex and age
group. In the United States we have 5 basic levels
(men's club , women's club, collegiate men, collegiate
women, youth). USA Rugby, the governing body for
rugby in the United States, divides up governance of
rugby clubs into territories governed by Territorial
Unions (TU). Each Territorial Union, in turn, is divided
up into several local area unions. Clubs must belong
to a Local Area Union, a Territorial Union and to USA
Rugby—and gets to pay dues to all three!!
USA Rugby offers national championships in Men's
Club (1st, 2nd and 3rd division), Women Club, Men's
Collegiate (1st and 2nd division), Women Collegiate (1st
and 2nd division), Military, and High School. Each
USARFU Territory and/or Local Area Union offers
competitions in some or all of these levels. Each of the
territories provides some playoff method to determine
the representatives to the regional level playoffs. The
winners of each region will then compete in the FINAL
FOUR competitions.
Territorial
Unions
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Local Area Unions
Metropolitan New York RU, New
York State RU, New England RU
Eastern Penn RU, Potomac RU,
Virginia RU
West
Pacific Coast
Independent (No
TU affiliation)
Deep South RU, Florida RU,
Georgia RU, North Carolina RU,
Palmetto RU, Southeast
Collegiate Conference
Allegheny RU, Chicago Area RU,
Illinois RU, Indiana RU, Iowa RU,
Michigan RU, Mid-South RU,
Minnesota RU, Ohio RU,
Wisconsin RU
Eastern Rockies RFU, Great Plains
RU, Heart of America RU,
Missouri RU, Ozark RU, Rio
Grande RU, Texas RU
Arizona RU, Great Basin RU,
Northern California RU, Pacific
Northwest RU, Southern
California
Alaska RU, Hawaii State RU,
Idaho, Montana RU, North
Dakota
There is also a "Super League" competition between
the top men clubs in the nation. For several years this
competition was not affiliated with the USA Rugby,
mainly because of USA Rugby’s tendency to
micromanage. In May 2000, Super League reaffiliated with USA Rugby.
The Super
League
Boston RFC , Chicago Lions , Kansas City
Blues , Life University , Old Blue RFC ,
Philadelphia-Whitemarsh , Potomac
Athletic Club , Washington RFC , The
Gentlemen of Aspen, Belmont Shore RFC ,
Dallas Harlequins , Denver Barbarians ,
Golden Gate/San Francisco RFC , Old
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Blues RFC (NY) , Old Puget Sound Beach ,
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club
The Northern California Rugby Union
The San Francisco Fog is a member of the Northern
California Rugby Union (our local area union) and the
Pacific Coast Rugby Union (our territorial union), and
USA Rugby (our national union).
The Northern California Rugby Union (NCRU) is the
nation’s premier local rugby union, and its largest,
with over 3000 members. To give you an idea of how
good this union is:
•
The Berkeley All Blues (women’s club team) is the
national champion for the past five years.
•
The UC Berkeley Men’s Collegiate team has been
the national champion 19 of the past 20 years.
•
Hayward Griffins (men’s club team) finished 2nd in
the nation last year in its division (Division I).
The NCRU has four divisions for men’s club teams:
Super League, Division I, Division II, and Division III.
Super League is the most elite level, with teams
comprised almost completely of professional-quality
players. Division I is for teams that choose to play at
a highly competitive level, where teams are composed
of a high level of elite rugby players and lots of
foreigners. D1 teams typically field three to four sides
and have huge clubs (usually 60 actively playing
members). In Division II, teams play at a
competitive, but social level. D2 teams usually field
two sides, a competitive and a social side. Division III
is a social and recreational level, and usually field only
one side. This is the division in which new teams
enter the Union. Fog Rugby plays in Division III. We
are aiming to move into Division II within five to seven
years.
Currently, NCRU has only one division for women’s
club team. Men’s and women’s collegiate teams
compete in Division I and Division II.
Here are all the teams in the NCRU.
Super
League
D1 Clubs
D2 Clubs
D3 Clubs
Women’s
Clubs
Men’s
Collegiate
Women’s
Collegiate
San Francisco/Golden Gate RFC, Old
Blues/Hayward RFC
San Francisco/Golden Gate, Olympic Club,
Sacramento, San Jose Seahawks, San Mateo
Fresno, Mission, Olde Gaels, Santa Rosa
Aptos Beach Dogs, Bay Area Baracus, Chico
Wild Cats, Colusa, Stanlislaus Harlots,
Humbolt, McGeorge, Oakridge, Petaluma,
Redding, Reno, San Francisco Fog, Solano
BASH (Bay Area She Hawks), Berkeley All
Blues, San Francisco/Golden Gate, Surf City
Sirens
California Maritime Academy, Chico State, CSU
Monterey Bay, Humboldt State, Sacramento
State, San Jose State, Santa Clara, St. Mary’s,
Stanford, University of San Francisco, UC
Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, University
Nevada-Reno, University of the Pacific
Chico State, CSU Monterey Bay, Humboldt
State, Sacramento State, San Jose State,
Santa Clara, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis,
UC Santa Cruz, University of Nevada-Reno
Gays in Rugby and Gay Rugby Teams
The San Francisco Fog is the nation’s second gay
men’s rugby club, founded October 14, 2000. The
first gay men’s American rugby team to establish itself
is the Washington Renegades, founded in October
1998. The very first gay male rugby team in the world
is the Kings Cross Steelers of London England,
founded in 1995.
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The reception of gay rugby teams has been warm by
the rugby community. Rugby, especially in the United
States, is largely a sport full of people who fiercely
guard their individuality, and respect for the individual
is a common trait. Moreover, women’s clubs have
long been a haven for lesbians. In many ways,
lesbians who have been in the game for many years
paved the way. When the gay male teams first
appeared, ruggers had long been used to dealing with
gay issues and gay people. In fact, Rugby Magazine,
the nation’s authoritative voice on rugby ran an article
on the Renegades, praising them for being better
organized than most rugby teams, and predicting that
in a few years, the team would be a great success.
The San Francisco Fog is a charter member of the
International Gay Rugby Association and Board
(IGRAB). IGRAB is a network of international gay
rugby teams. IGRAB's mission is to bring together gay
rugby teams from around the world to promote the
sport.
The IGRAB sponsors a single, biennial event: a
tournament whose champion receives The Mark
Kendall Bingham Memorial Trophy, also known as The
Bingham Cup. The tournament is named for Mark
Bingham, a member of the San Francisco Fog and
former member of the championship University of
California (Berkeley) rugby team.
The list of member teams to the IGRAB is growing all
the time. They include mostly teams in the USA but
teams from other places on the globe are being added.
For the latest listing of member teams, go to
http://www.igrab.net/members.php.
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Mental Toughness
THE BASICS OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS
"I would define mental toughness as being able to
continue the pursuit of your goals irrespective of
what's happening around you. If there is one
characteristic that, in my eyes, is needed by someone
if they want to be a winner, it would be persistence."
JOHN EALES
Australian rugby union captain John Eales is
recognized across the rugby world as one of the
greatest forwards ever to play the game. A colossus of
the Australian scrum throughout the 1990s, Eales was
a part of the Wallaby XVs that won the World Cup in
1991 and 1999. Apart from his supremacy in the
lineout and inspiring leadership of both Australia and
Queensland, Eales is also an outstanding goalkicker.
He has been the Australian captain since 1996, but
had to fight back from a severe shoulder injury in '99
to achieve his goal of lifting the World Cup trophy later
in that year.
An important factor to consider in your overall training
is the mental training that parallels your physical
training. For many ruggers, the 'mental toughness'
side of rugby is the "spiritual" side of rugby. Create
planned mental skill workouts to develop a level where
you are able to maximize training sessions and
achieve peak performances consistently in
competition. Frankly, right now, you don't do that as
well as you could.
Excellence in rugby performance is a combination of
your skill and total rugby fitness - physical and mental
- accompanied by optimal recovery strategies, fluid
and nutrition. No secret. That's the formula.
Do you notice that your performances fluctuate week
to week/game to game?
To manage this fluctuation, you need to manage your
physical abilities and potential with appropriate
psychological skills. Achieving consistency and
performing to your limit is heavily reliant on your
mental state, which, like physical skills, can be
developed through training.
Reaching the ideal performance state - physically and
mentally is your ultimate goal.
Our practices aim to enhance our skills and increase
our rugby fitness. You must find your own way to
increase your mental preparedness and toughness.
Four components of mental toughness:
•
•
•
•
Commitment
Confidence
Control
Concentration
COMMITMENT
Committed players work on all aspects of their game techniques, tactics, physical fitness and mental skills.
Possessing the desire to achieve is a trait that
characterizes elite players, who understand what they
are trying to develop and do so without constant
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supervision or persuasion. There are 3 phases in
establishing absolute commitment:
•
•
•
Determine your aims and ambitions
Identify conflicting interests
Convert aims into goals
If you are ambitious as a player, you probably dream
about what you want to achieve in rugby! Of course it
is different for each of us and that's totally cool.
Aims and Ambitions
Discussing aims and ambitions with friends and
coaches, and writing them down is in itself a form of
commitment. Consider all elements linked to your
rugby playing performance and highlight strengths and
areas in need of improvement.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I want to be more aggressive --> I will make two
tackles in the next game.
I want to get a bigger chest --> I will bench press
225lbs by Dec 15, 250lbs. by Jan 15.
CONFIDENCE BUILDING
Confidence is highly related to realistic and achievable
goals. As well as goal setting, confidence may be
enhanced by:
•
Identify Conflict
To have realistic aims and ambitions you need to
consider other issues in your life such as work, school,
family, partner/boyfriend and other sports and
hobbies. Competing for time and energy is not ideal so
manage your interests carefully and decide what is
important in the short-term. I understand it is
difficult for most of us to manage work and rugby and
dating and/or boyfriends and the socials and all the
events with the Fog. Don't burn out. Your experience
with the Fog, ultimately, should be fun and rewarding.
Goals
Transferring aims and ambitions into goals is a
systematic method proven to facilitate commitment.
Specific
Measurable
Accepted
Realistic
Time phased
Exciting
Recorded
•
•
•
Watching others perform skills successfully (live
or on video)
Watch yourself performing successfully (video)
Asking questions
Positive self-talk
Focus on the positive aspects of your
weekly performances- write them down!
Talking to one's self can be a form of persuasion
that promotes confidence. How often do you find that
you are talking to yourself? The mental skill of selftalk aims to reduce negative talk with positive
statements such as replacing, "I can't do it!" with "I
can do it!" This prevents you 'doubting' your abilities
and can help prevent anxiety.
As well as promoting confidence, trigger words are
also great for promoting correct technique, thus
triggering actions. Some players on our Team scream
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as they make a tackle, for example. Here are other
trigger words for certain tasks:
Task/Trigger Word
Tackling - "Crush!" "Wrap!" "Fucker!"
Kicking - "Smooth"
Catching - "Soft Hands"
Sprinting - "Punch Arms"
Your body language is another way of
persuading yourself to be energetic! Never bend
over too often with hands on knees during a
game - don't show the opposition that you are
tired! They will focus on and attack YOU. (No
comment Bill).
CONCENTRATION
There are basically 3 aspects to the mental skill of
concentration:
•
•
•
Focusing on appropriate cues
Staying focused
Aware of changes as they take place
Examples of appropriate cues in rugby are the ball and
the opposition, while an inappropriate cue is the
crowd, worrying about losing or bitching about the
Referees or the weather. It snows in Reno. Deal with
it. Refs suck. Concentration is improved by
participating in the drills that we perform during
practice. Get in the zone - maximize attention and
minimize distractions. Listen to the Coaches - don't
yap about work or boys or past performance during
practice - that's what Socials are for. Think about the
task at hand. Get into that routine now.
By simply creating or recreating an experience in your
mind, you are able to practice and reinforce correct
processes. Then concentrate on those movements or
components and execute. In time correct
behavior becomes natural.
External imagery is when you visualize yourself
performing from the outside, while internal imagery
involves viewing from the inside. An example of
external imagery is a goal kicker recollecting a
successful kick, as if watching himself on a
video, while internal imagery is, for example, when a
hooker imagines the feel of the ball and the movement
of throwing into a lineout and seeing it reach the
target.
During games it is important to stay aware of
changes. Where are you on the Pitch? Where are you
in relation to the ball, your teammates, the
opposition? Are you listening for "balls out"?
Where are you looking? Is there a gap being created
as you move? As you see a gap, yell "Gap" or
"Support" if defending, find weaknesses or gaps if on
offense. Understanding where you should be in
relation to other players is a skill that comes in time
and experience. Watch other players in your position.
What do they do? Where are they during different
scenarios?
During practice, take the time to concentrate and
execute your skills correctly. Visualize.
CONTROL
Controlling the potentially disruptive emotions of
stress and anxiety will have a positive effect on your
playing performance.
Your challenge is to maximize the positive effects of
stress and anxiety and prevent the disruptive effects.
Creating Mental Images helps with concentration.
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The first step in addressing the stress element of your
performance is to identify and recognize an experience
that was particularly stressful:
•
•
•
•
Recall a particularly stressful experience while
playing
What did you think during this event?
What emotions and physical reactions did you
feel?
How did you react to the situation?
Some players thrive when 'the going gets tough' while
others will shy away.
The 'thinking' outcome often controls the 'feeling' and
'reaction' outcomes. You have control over what you
think so you are potentially capable of managing your
feelings and actions. The continuum along which the
positive and negative outcomes run is determined by
arousal.
Arousal is a level of intensity and includes responses
such as muscle tension, a racing heartbeat and
butterflies.
Watch out for the following aspects of behavior the
night before a game, the morning before, during the
warm-up and post match:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Heart rate
Butterflies
Negative self-talk
Sense of lack of control
Muscle tension
Breathing rate
Sweating rate
Monitor these characteristics over a period of weeks
and include training sessions. Compare and contrast
arousal symptoms between successful performances
and poor performances.
Outcomes of over-arousal may lead to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Poor communication on the pitch
Over-eager - going for the 'big hit' or tackling
high
Arguing with fellow players and officials
Committing penalties
Dirty play
Loss of concentration
Technical and tactical mistakes
Strategies to deal with under-arousal:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduce cheering and yelling! Roll Fog, Roll!
Increase breathing rate - short and deep
Play loud 'pumping' music in your car on the
way to the Pitch
Increase exercise tempo
Cold shower
Consider strengths of opposition
Set a goal
Strategies to deal with over-arousal:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stretch to relax muscle
Get a massage - see Brian
Focus on slow technical drills
Slow breathing with deep breaths
Focus on the task
Stop negative thoughts and discuss issues
unrelated to performance
Play relaxing music
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PRE-GAME ROUTINE
Find a routine that suits your individual needs both on
Friday night and pre-game. Relax. Go see a movie.
Drink lots of water. Stretch. Meditate. Visualize what
you have learned to date, your previous experiences.
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Rugby Traditions
you know it, it doesn’t even register in your brain that
you’re half naked as you change into your kit. Do a
zulu, and the only thing that will be shocked are your
freezing balls.
Rugby Songs
THE THIRD HALF
If there is one thing that sets rugby apart from all the
other sports you've seen or played, it is that after a
match, you lay all differences aside and party. This is
traditionally called the Third Half.
The Third Half is the embodiment of the traditions of
rugby. There are the rugby songs—incredibly
misogynistic songs, but they are part of the tradition
nonetheless. Then there are the drinking traditions
(like “shoot the boot”). Let’s give some idea of what’s
in store for you.
The Zulu
One tradition that every rookie must know is the zulu.
Strictly speaking, it’s part of the game. You are
REQUIRED to do a zulu when you score your very first
try. At that point, you must run the length of the
field. Naked. Yep, kids, you read that right. So don’t
be bragging about your 10” dick. We’ll get to see the
proof of that on your first try.
Really, it’s not that big a deal. Nudity is an accepted
and common part of the rugby. Guys change into
their kits on the field all the time, at practices and at
games. And the French and the Aussies are notorious
for streaking at matches with packed stadiums. Many
guys on the Fog Rugby team change on the field
before practice—you get used to it, and quicker than
There are literally thousands of rugby songs.
Traditionally, you’d sing these songs in a bar after
practices or during the Third Half. A team will usually
adopt (or adapt) three or four songs they expect every
player to know.
Rugby songs are not for the politically correct. They
are characteristically base, ribald and juvenile. And
you’ll love every minute of singing them.
You might have some questions about some odd
behavior that occur when we sing these songs:
Everyone seems to be forming a circle...
Yep, that usually happens at when someone gets the
songs started. Either that, or someone is about to zulu
(oops! Rookies aren’t supposed to know that zulus
aren’t just for when you score your first try!). No real
rugby party is complete without a zulu and a couple of
rugby songs.
He's holding his cup/beer bottle to his head...
He's asking for his turn. Most rugby songs have many
verses. He's holding that cup to his head to signify
that he wants to be the leader, and will choose or sing
the next verse.
They all seem to be pointing to him with their
elbows...
Even after you put that cup to your head, it's not a
given that you get to pick the next verse. Everyone in
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the circle will point to you with his elbow to tell you
that you are the leader.
the kind of rugger I would wed
would be a rugby .....
Here are the most often-sung rugby songs—with a Fog
Rugby twist, of course:
(team points to the props. Props put beer on head)
PROPS: Prop sir!
If I Were the Marrying Kind (a.k.a,The Rugby Song)
(This song is required knowledge by every rugger.
Practically every team sings it, usually tweaking it to
fit the team’s personality. Obviously not every verse
is sung, because the song would be way too long, but
we wanted to give you an idea of the variations.
We’ve made this one a little more “Foggy.”)
GROUP:
If I were the marrying kind
Which thank the lord I'm not, sir
the kind of rugger I would wed
would be a rugby .....
(team points to the hooker. Hooker puts beer on top
of head)
HOOKER: Hooker sir!
GROUP: Why sir?
HOOKER:
'cause I'd swipe balls
and you'd swipe balls (points to the a prop)
we'd all swipe balls together
we'd be alright in the middle of the night
swiping balls together
GROUP:
If I were the marrying kind
Which thank the lord I'm not, sir
GROUP: Why sir?
PROPS:
'cause I'd support a hooker
and you'd support a hooker (points to the other prop)
we'd all support a hooker together
we'd be alright in the middle of the night
supporting hookers together
(For the following verses change "Prop" with the first
line
and "support hooker" with the second. You'll get the
idea.)
2nd Row : grab Crotch, sniff Butt
Flanker: get off quick
No. 8: hold until you come
Scrumhalf: put it in, grab balls
Flyhalf: whip it out, call shots
Centers: look for the hole, pass out
Wing: go hard, never get it, come too fast, spread it
wide
Fullback: kick balls, get fucked, find touch
Any Forward: get stripped
Any Back: get laid
Scrum: go down
Rule Book: get violated
Shorts: go up your butt
Halftime Orange: get sucked
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Mouth guard: get licked, get sucked
Spectator: get to watch
Spectator on a rainy day: come in rubber, be wet
Spectator on a sunny day: come again
Goal Posts: get split, stand erect
Cleats: get screwed
Groundskeeper: trim bush, do lines
Whistle: get blown
Boot:: come in boxes, get tied up
Ball: strapped in leather, get touched, get pumped
Pitch: grow weed, be hard
Team from far away: come for hours
Team on a bus: get off
Drunk Team: get fucked up
I Used To Work In Chicago
(Soloist are chosen by the team captain pointing at
them. Everyone sings words in capital letters. Tune is
similar to “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”)
I USED TO WORK IN CHICAGO AT AN OLD
DEPARTMENT STORE,
I USED TO WORK IN CHICAGO I DON'T WORK THERE
ANYMORE
A young man came in for some paper
SOME PAPER FROM THE STORE?
Paper he wanted, a ream he got
I DON'T WORK THERE ANYMORE!
I USED TO WORK IN CHICAGO AT AN OLD
DEPARTMENT STORE,
I USED TO WORK IN CHICAGO I DON'T WORK THERE
ANYMORE
A young man came in for some jewelry
SOME JEWELRY FROM THE STORE?
Jewelry he wanted, a pearl necklace he got
I DON'T WORK THERE ANYMORE!
And similarly:
Carpet he wanted, shag he got
Nail he wanted, screw he got
Fishing rod he wanted, my pole he got
Meat he wanted, sausage he got
Beef he wanted, porked he got
Coffee he wanted, my cream he got
Helicopter he wanted, my chopper he got
Camel he wanted, hump he got
Stamps he wanted, licked he got
KitKat he wanted, four fingers he got
Fuck he wanted, fucked he got
The Days of the Week
Oz, the Fog’s principle flyhalf, usually leads this song
Oz: Today is Monday!
TODAY IS MONDAY!
Oz: Monday is a wanking day
MONDAY IS A WANKING DAY!
Oz: Is every body happy?
YOU BET YOUR ASS WE’RE HAPPY!!
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Oz: Today is Tuesday!
TODAY IS TUESDAY!
Oz: Tuesday is a fisting day
TUESDAY IS A FISTING DAY!
Oz: Monday is a wanking day
MONDAY IS A WANKING DAY!
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The San Francisco Fog R.F.C. Rookie Primer 3.0
Oz: Is every body happy?
YOU BET YOUR ASS WE’RE HAPPY!!
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Oz: Today is Wednesday!
TODAY IS WEDNESDAY!
Oz: Wednesday is the nah-nah
(holds finger in a V-shape to mouth, simulates
cunnilingus)
WEDNESDAY IS THE NAH-NAH!
Oz: Tuesday is a fisting day
TUESDAY IS A FISTING DAY!
Oz: Monday is a wanking day
MONDAY IS A WANKING DAY!
Oz: Is every body happy?
YOU BET YOUR ASS WE’RE HAPPY!!
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Oz: Today is Thursday!
TODAY IS THURSDAY!
Oz: Thursday is the drinking day
THURSDAY IS THE DRINKING DAY!
(Everyone pauses, takes a sip of beer)
AH!!!
Oz: Wednesday is the nah-nah
(holds finger in a V-shape to mouth, simulates
cunnilingus)
WEDNESDAY IS THE NAH-NAH!
Oz: Tuesday is a fisting day
TUESDAY IS A FISTING DAY!
Oz: Monday is a wanking day
MONDAY IS A WANKING DAY!
Oz: Is every body happy?
YOU BET YOUR ASS WE’RE HAPPY!!
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Oz: Today is Friday!
TODAY IS FRIDAY!
Oz: Friday is the fuckin’ day
FRIDAY IS THE FUCKIN’ DAY!
THURSDAY IS THE DRINKING DAY!
(Everyone pauses, takes a sip of beer)
AH!!!
Oz: Wednesday is the nah-nah
(holds finger in a V-shape to mouth, simulates
cunnilingus)
WEDNESDAY IS THE NAH-NAH!
Oz: Tuesday is a fisting day
TUESDAY IS A FISTING DAY!
Oz: Monday is a wanking day
MONDAY IS A WANKING DAY!
Oz: Is every body happy?
YOU BET YOUR ASS WE’RE HAPPY!!
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Oz: Today is Saturday!
TODAY IS SATURDAY!
Oz: Saturday’s a RUGBY DAY!
SATURDAY’S A RUGBY DAY
Oz: Saturday’s a RUGBY DAY!
SATURDAY’S A RUGBY DAY!!
Oz: I said, SATURDAY’S A FUCKIN’ RUGBY DAY
SATURDAY’S A RUGBY DAY!!!
Oz: Friday is the fuckin’ day
FRIDAY IS THE FUCKIN’ DAY!
Oz: Thursday is the drinking day
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THURSDAY IS THE DRINKING DAY!
(Everyone pauses, takes a sip of beer)
AH!!!
Oz: Wednesday is the nah-nah
(holds finger in a V-shape to mouth, simulates
cunnilingus)
WEDNESDAY IS THE NAH-NAH!
Oz: Tuesday is a fisting day
TUESDAY IS A FISTING DAY!
Oz: Monday is a wanking day
MONDAY IS A WANKING DAY!
Oz: Is every body happy?
YOU BET YOUR ASS WE’RE HAPPY!!
TUESDAY IS A FISTING DAY!
Oz: Monday is a wanking day
MONDAY IS A WANKING DAY!
Oz: Is every body happy?
YOU BET YOUR ASS WE’RE HAPPY!!
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
Doo-do-do-do Doo, Doo, Doo
You also shoot the boot when you mess up a song
verse.
(Reverently and kneeling)
Oz: And today is Sunday.
TODAY IS SUNDAY
Oz: And Sunday is the Lord’s Day
SUNDAY IS THE LORD’S DAY
Oz: But Saturday’s a RUGBY DAY!
SATURDAY’S A RUGBY DAY!!
Oz: I said, SATURDAY’S A FUCKIN’ RUGBY DAY
SATURDAY’S A RUGBY DAY!!!
Oz: Friday is the fuckin’ day
FRIDAY IS THE FUCKIN’ DAY!
Oz: Thursday is the drinking day
THURSDAY IS THE DRINKING DAY!
(Everyone pauses, takes a sip of beer)
AH!!!
Oz: Wednesday’s the nah-nah
(holds finger in a V-shape to mouth, simulates
cunnilingus)
WEDNESDAY’S THE NAH-NAH!
Oz: Tuesday is a fisting day
When you shoot the boot, the traditional chant
everyone sings to “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” as
you chug is:
Shoot the Boot
Another common rugby tradition is “shoot the boot.”
This is a rugby tradition that takes place after a
rugger’s first try. The player, to celebrate his first try
score, must drink beer from the largest and dirtiest
shoe on the team. Yep, you do a zulu AND you shoot
the boot.
Why were you born so beautiful
Why were you born at all
You're no fucking use to anyone
You're no fucking use at all
You should be publicly pissed on,
You should be publicly shot (bang, bang),
You should be tied to a urinal,
And left there to fester and rot.
So, DRINK, DRINK… (chant lasts until he finishes)
Did we mention one of our locks is 6’7” and has a size
15 boot?
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•
So What Next?
It’s never quite clear when exactly you graduate from
being a rookie to an experienced player. Generally it
takes a few months for you to get the hang of the
game, then another couple of years to master the
more strategic aspects of the game. As you practice
more and gain match experience, pieces of the game
start to come together for you. You start to marry
skill with tactics. Your decision-making in game
situations improves.
Some people have a sort of kinetic intelligence that
allows them to master rugby fairly quickly. For most,
though, it helps to be aware of what things they
should concentrate on, and at what point they should
concentrate on it. That’s why we wrote this section.
THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The following is a development plan based on our
experience of how rookies develop into experienced
players.
FIRST MONTH
• Concentrate on mastering the basic skills of
rugby: passing, handling the ball (picking up the
ball and placing the ball after a tackle), tackling,
rucking and mauling. Make a concerted effort
to master tackling, rucking and mauling.
Read the chapter on “Strategic and Tactical
Rugby.” Focus on mastering the individual level
tactics.
MONTHS 2-3
• Continue to master the basic skills of rugby:
passing, handling the ball (picking up the ball
and placing the ball after a tackle), tackling,
rucking and mauling. Continue to emphasis
tackling, rucking and mauling. Add kicking to
your repertoire.
• Re-read the chapter on “Strategic and Tactical
Rugby.” Focus on continuing to master the
individual level tactics as well as the mini-unit
level tactics.
• By now you should have a good idea you’re
your position on the team will be. Read up on
your position. Ask questions. If you are
hooker, prop, flanker, scrumhalf, flyhalf of
fullback, you have specialized skills you have to
master.
MONTHS 3-6
• Start to think about positioning, knowing where
you should be at any moment during open play.
Constantly ask yourself, “Is this where I should
be?” or “Am I in the best position to support my
teammate with the ball?”
• Re-read the chapter on “Strategic and Tactical
Rugby.” Focus on continuing to master the
individual level tactics and mini-unit level
tactics. Add mastering unit level tactics to the
mix.
• By now you should have a good idea you’re
your position on the team will be. Read up on
your position. Ask questions. If you are
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hooker, prop, flanker, scrumhalf, flyhalf of
fullback, you have specialized skills you have to
master.
Pre-season (12 weeks)- Strength
training. Ramp up anaerobic conditioning.
o In-season training Periods 1 and 2 (24
weeks). Maintain strength training and
fuel mix conditioning.
Start to think about the more strategic aspects
of the game. By this point you should have
been well versed in the tactics employed at the
unit, mini-unit and individual level. Can you
think of others?
Continue to focus on improving your decisionmaking skills.
Master positioning—knowing where you should
be at any moment during open play—to the
point where it becomes second nature.
Master reading the game. Get in the habit of
thinking two or three plays ahead—where could
the ball go? If Joe has the ball, what is he likely
o
MONTHS 6-12
• Start to focus on improving your decisionmaking skills.
• Continue to work on positioning.
• Learn to read the game. Concentrate on really
getting the all the tactics of the game down
•
YEAR 2
• Mentor a rookie. Make an effort to make him
feel welcomed and part of the club. (Note:
mentoring does not mean coach. Resist the
urge to coach a new player. Leave the coaching
to the coaching staff. If he has a question
about something on the pitch, direct him to a
coach.)
• Periodize your fitness and strength training.
Periodization is essentially breaking up the year
into discrete training periods of 6 or 12-week
periods, with specific goals in mind. Generally
these periods coincide with off-season, preseason, and in-season periods. Here’s and
example:
o Off-season Period 1 (6 weeks)- Build
muscle. Maintenance aerobic fitness
(moderate runs only). Optional summer
touch rugby or sevens tourneys. 1 week
off at end of period.
o Off-season Period 2 (6 weeks) – Build
muscle. Maintenance aerobic fitness with
one threshold or interval run per week.
Optional summer touch rugby or sevens
tourneys. 1 week off at the end of period.
•
•
•
YEAR 3
• Review your Year 2.
What worked?
What
didn’t. What goals do you have to become a
better player?
• The pattern you set this year will set the pattern
for your subsequent years playing rugby. Focus
on mastering the game and acquiring new skills.
Learn a new position to improve your versatility.
Review the laws the game.
• Consider getting actively involved in the running
of the club. Volunteer to help run a committee
or run for an officer’s position.
RECOMMENDED READING
There are some great rugby books out there—not very
many, but what’s there tends to be very good.
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Fog Development Guides
Rugby: Steps to Success
Total Rugby
Think Rugby
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