Rugby - A Tough Sport

Rugby is a game or sport with origins in the early 19th century. A good many types of football, of the type known now as soccer, were played in the English school system. In 1823, while playing a game of football at Rugby school, a rule-breaker named William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it toward the goal. This is legend, but is widely accepted. In the years following the running-with-the-ball tactic became common practice. In 1870 Rugby school produced the first set of written rules to formalize the sport of Rugby.

The differences between Rugby and American style football are considerable. The gear is noticeably different. American football players are practically encased in their uniforms, with pads, hard helmets, and face guards. Rugby gear, in contrast has limited padding and protection. Mouth guards are used, and there is a sort of soft padded helmet. Shin guards are worn under socks. Cleated shoes, shorts, and jerseys complete the outfit.

The playing field, called a pitch, is longer and wider than an American football field. The dimensions are 100 meters by 70 meters, or about 110 yards by 75 yards. There is a recognizable H-shaped goal post at each end, with an end zone called the in-goal area. The ball used in Rugby is oval in shape. Compared to the American football, the Rugby ball is more rounded and lacks laces.

The play itself differs greatly from American football. The game is fast-paced. There are fewer pauses for any reason, with no down system, as American football requires. With fifteen players per team, Rugby lacks the specialization that we see in American football, with all the players running, kicking, or passing, more like soccer. Passing, however, is either lateral or backwards, in contrast to the forward pass common in American football. In Rugby, the ball is advanced by kicking or running with the ball.

Rugby is often thought to be more dangerous than American football, as it is a full-contact sport in which much less padding and protection is worn. It certainly sounds rough, with terms like scrum, ruck, and maul. It does sound as if a person could get hurt badly. In practice, however, many claim that while bumps and bruises are plentiful, life-threatening injuries are fewer than in American football. This is due to the different rules for contact and simply fewer contacts in normal play.

The first international Rugby match was between England and Scotland, played on 27 March 1871. Rugby is now a popular sport world-wide. Rugby is played and appreciated in the United States, with the governing body called, appropriately, USA Rugby. The sport has been a feature of the Olympics since the 1900 Paris games. We benighted Americans may not know much about it, but the sport is only increasing in popularity world-wide. The unruly player William Webb Ellis really started something when he picked up the ball to run with it, so long ago in Merry Old England

Sammy did a bit of research on the sport of Rugby because she has grandchildren who play. She thinks gardening is much safer than Rugby, by a long-shot. Sammy does the majority of her shopping online at Garden Harvest Supply. They have a great selection and she doesn't have to drive to Timbuktu to get what she needs. She buys all of her vegetable seeds from GHS and just bought a rat zapper to keep those pesky mice at bay during the winter months. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sammy_Holderman