I'm sorry for the n00b question, but what's the difference in rules between Rugby Union and League?
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Rugby!
- Thread starter d8g3jdh
- Start date
Ahhh I'm a second row too, love the sport, just wish the season over here was longer. Problems are I play for the school, I heard of a program that puts you up against Players all over Montreal and is supposed ta teach ya a lot, my only fear is screwing up too much, at school I'm OK and don't get much slack but I don't want to be "that guy who can't play well" in front of all these more experienced players, hmmm maybe check it out and see if they have a more extensive learnin program for beginners.
BTW exercise your legs and hips a lot, you'll need em for second.
BTW exercise your legs and hips a lot, you'll need em for second.
Union is full contact tackles
Leauge is essentially touch rugby
(I think i got it right, that isnt exactly the differences, but sorta what it is
)I think you maybe made a boo-boo. Check when the original post was made
Whoops
Ya know, I actually checked for that when I posted and decided that it was this year... so double whoops, really
Vorago said:
Union is 15-a-side, league is 13-a-side.
Union has line outs to get the ball back in play when it's gone over the sideline, league just has throw ins (like football).
With union, you keep possession of the ball until either the opposition team wins it legally, i.e. interception, winning it in a maul or ruck, etc. In League the opposition gets the ball automatically if the team in possession gets tackled 6 times.
In union if the player in possession gets tackled he must release the ball, which he usually does behind him so that his team mates can pick it up and get it away. In league the player MAKING the tackle has to get off him, allow him to stand, and allow him to ROLL THE BALL under his foot to the player behind him and play continues.
League is supposed to be faster, but like American Football, it's dull as watching paint dry.
I know a lot of guys that used to play rugby. All of them stopped for the same reason. Injury. All in or before their early 20s.
Looked like a hell of a lot of fun, but man, some gruesome injuries. The keg of beer on the sideline probably didn't help with that.
Looked like a hell of a lot of fun, but man, some gruesome injuries. The keg of beer on the sideline probably didn't help with that.
Back in the day when I played, we didn't have the "league" rules that Komakino outlined. Six tackles? Letting a guy up to roll the ball back to a teammate? Who came up with that junk???
I miss playing, but I sure as heck don't miss the way I would feel the day after a match. My knees still hurt.
I miss playing, but I sure as heck don't miss the way I would feel the day after a match. My knees still hurt.
I remember hearing - when I was younger - that league was invented as a precursor to playing union, from a junior perspective.
Kinda like Tee-Ball/Peewee and Baseball
Let's face it - Union is a pretty technical game.
Union is my fave.
I've played both codes.
I have to admit - League is boring to watch, but I find both fun to play. The only thing I enjoyed as a player about league (more than union) - was the fact that you always knew which direction the hit was coming from. In Union, and more commonly Aussie Rules Footy - a hit can come from almost any direction at times.
And yeah - I stopped due to injury too.......
C'mon Wallabies!
Kinda like Tee-Ball/Peewee and Baseball
Let's face it - Union is a pretty technical game.
Union is my fave.
I've played both codes.
I have to admit - League is boring to watch, but I find both fun to play. The only thing I enjoyed as a player about league (more than union) - was the fact that you always knew which direction the hit was coming from. In Union, and more commonly Aussie Rules Footy - a hit can come from almost any direction at times.
And yeah - I stopped due to injury too.......
C'mon Wallabies!
IIRC, according to the official history, the divided Union and League system comes from class differences in the Britain.
The upper class folks who played Rugby as a leisure activity wanted to keep it as a non-funded amateur sport and continued to play with original Union rules. The working class teams, however, with players of mostly industrial worker background, needed to have some financial support for the players to get off from the work and practice (this was during the 6-day work week) and hence opted for closed rugby fields for gathering some admission cash. To get more spectators, they also changed the rules according to what the working class people wanted to see: faster tackles and grappling for the ball - apparently the 6-tackle rule came to be after the tackled player didn't have to release the ball. The Union continued to be amateur sport for quite a while, the player wages etc. were not completely liberated until 1995!
Actually, the whole amateur perspective isn't anything strange in the world of sports - for example the Finnish Hockey League was all-amateur league until the mid-70's if I recall correctly - despite some professionally managed clubs, the financial benefits/compensation for lost income to the players was strictly limited to certain amount of cash, 2000 dollars per month or so.
The upper class folks who played Rugby as a leisure activity wanted to keep it as a non-funded amateur sport and continued to play with original Union rules. The working class teams, however, with players of mostly industrial worker background, needed to have some financial support for the players to get off from the work and practice (this was during the 6-day work week) and hence opted for closed rugby fields for gathering some admission cash. To get more spectators, they also changed the rules according to what the working class people wanted to see: faster tackles and grappling for the ball - apparently the 6-tackle rule came to be after the tackled player didn't have to release the ball. The Union continued to be amateur sport for quite a while, the player wages etc. were not completely liberated until 1995!
Actually, the whole amateur perspective isn't anything strange in the world of sports - for example the Finnish Hockey League was all-amateur league until the mid-70's if I recall correctly - despite some professionally managed clubs, the financial benefits/compensation for lost income to the players was strictly limited to certain amount of cash, 2000 dollars per month or so.
So, I went to a rugby training today. I have mixed feeling.
Positive
It really is a great sport, very demanding, not only the running but the amount of energy it tackes to turn over a ruck or wrestle against a guy who has 40 lbs on you is huge.
It's very hard tactic-wise, it's no NFL, but there's certain codes, formations, the offside rule etc.
Negative
I expected some kind of 'introduction', how to tackle, take it easy. BUZZZZ, guess again, they explained me some stuff along the way but they basicly pushed a ball in my hand and told me to have a go. Result, completely lossed and hurt my shoulder tackling the wrong way.
Plus, I'm in the A team, so I have to be there for every game, on location as well, despite the fact that I'm completely useless. Plus, I don't have time to rehearse on saturday, and be at games on sunday
But, there's gonna be a university rugby team, which will take a somewhat more gradual approach I think, so I'm probably just gonna join that team and leave the one I played with today.
I'm 1.85 meter (6 ft) but I was the smallest and the lightest on the pitch Quite scary when you see a guy a head taller than you and 40 lbs heavier storming at you. But, very cool when you stop him.
Oh yeah, on impact, make sure your arms are around the opponent. Not between you and the other guy, that way you'll hurt your shoulder/tricepstendom. Believe me, I learned it the hard way.
Positive
It really is a great sport, very demanding, not only the running but the amount of energy it tackes to turn over a ruck or wrestle against a guy who has 40 lbs on you is huge.
It's very hard tactic-wise, it's no NFL, but there's certain codes, formations, the offside rule etc.
Negative
I expected some kind of 'introduction', how to tackle, take it easy. BUZZZZ, guess again, they explained me some stuff along the way but they basicly pushed a ball in my hand and told me to have a go. Result, completely lossed and hurt my shoulder tackling the wrong way.
Plus, I'm in the A team, so I have to be there for every game, on location as well, despite the fact that I'm completely useless. Plus, I don't have time to rehearse on saturday, and be at games on sunday
But, there's gonna be a university rugby team, which will take a somewhat more gradual approach I think, so I'm probably just gonna join that team and leave the one I played with today.
I'm 1.85 meter (6 ft) but I was the smallest and the lightest on the pitch
Quite scary when you see a guy a head taller than you and 40 lbs heavier storming at you. But, very cool when you stop him.Oh yeah, on impact, make sure your arms are around the opponent. Not between you and the other guy, that way you'll hurt your shoulder/tricepstendom. Believe me, I learned it the hard way.
What a coincidence I just played the first game of the school year today, it was freakin awesome, I'm usually 2nd row but I played hooker this time! So much more fun and I got complimented on my playing too (I leveled one guy that had a breakaway ). Problem was we lost because we had too many holes in our defense, us experienced players knew what we were doing but we had some newbies that were younger and lacked knowledge (the other team had some really experienced players), but it was an exhibition so it was OK. Next game in two weeks!
). Problem was we lost because we had too many holes in our defense, us experienced players knew what we were doing but we had some newbies that were younger and lacked knowledge (the other team had some really experienced players), but it was an exhibition so it was OK. Next game in two weeks!I expected some kind of 'introduction', how to tackle, take it easy. BUZZZZ, guess again, they explained me some stuff along the way but they basicly pushed a ball in my hand and told me to have a go. Result, completely lossed and hurt my shoulder tackling the wrong way.
Plus, I'm in the A team, so I have to be there for every game, on location as well, despite the fact that I'm completely useless. Plus, I don't have time to rehearse on saturday, and be at games on sunday
Sounds too familiar! It's been exactly the same situation for me, I've been around the local team for bit over a year now and I'm still trying to get a hang of the things - I missed most of the summer's games, though, because of crappy work shifts. I'm also 183cm/80kg's, so I'm one of the lightest guys on the field
It's like this with the smaller clubs. Most of the players have been around for a while, the coach guys don't have much time for the new guys since they're trying to run the XV, so any newcomers are expected to pick it up as they go. I suppose the easiest way to overcome it is just to play as much as possible - the learning curve is steep, but what can you do. Lifting weights and running on your free time helps a bit.
Let me guess.. they play you as a blind-side flanker?
More like inside center I think, back that is
I'd like to play a lot of games, but I just don't have the time for it. I'm gonna join the university squad though.
I'd like to play a lot of games, but I just don't have the time for it. I'm gonna join the university squad though.
More like inside center I think, back that is
Yeh, my situation is that I'm not fast enough to be a back nor big enough to be a forward, so back row it is
I actually like the blindside flanker position. I'm the last guy to join the attack move before the tight five gets involved, so there's a bit less running. Mostly defensive duties near the scrums and rucking.
I really need more strength in my shoulders, they really took a beating yesterday.
I'm gonna focus a bit more on military press I think.
I'm gonna focus a bit more on military press I think.
I don't know if you play League a bit different to how we do in Aus, but it is a pretty tough game, especially when compared to American Football, which has all the padding and helmets etc, and takes all day to play ( yaawwwn)
In Aus we have seen recently , quite a few of our International teams numbers bolstered by poaching Top League players, who claim there is very little difference in skill level or toughness of each code.
I played Rugby through High school and in first year Uni at Full back position and after getting years of smashing from forwards, while trying to get a clearance (kick the ball forward) i eventually was forced out because of two injuries in my last season with a Burst Tendon and a Torn Ligament in the right Knee ( due to being brought down while the leg is out front and copping the full weight of a 120 Kilo forward on it) I was a small player at 5' 8" and about 60 kilos, and although I was fast couldn't avoid every tackle, plus there was a lot more kicking in the game back in those days.
In Aus we have seen recently , quite a few of our International teams numbers bolstered by poaching Top League players, who claim there is very little difference in skill level or toughness of each code.
I played Rugby through High school and in first year Uni at Full back position and after getting years of smashing from forwards, while trying to get a clearance (kick the ball forward) i eventually was forced out because of two injuries in my last season with a Burst Tendon and a Torn Ligament in the right Knee ( due to being brought down while the leg is out front and copping the full weight of a 120 Kilo forward on it) I was a small player at 5' 8" and about 60 kilos, and although I was fast couldn't avoid every tackle, plus there was a lot more kicking in the game back in those days.
