Eligibility restrictions have stymied any hopes of Sonny Bill Williams joining the Waratahs next year, but the NSW team has not given up hope of luring the All Blacks centre in the future.
After it was revealed yesterday that Williams had stalled on re-signing with the New Zealand Rugby Union and NSW had approached him, it emerged a deal could not go ahead for next year under the Australian Rugby Union laws because the Waratahs have already signed their one senior foreign player for next season - South African halfback Sarel Pretorius.
Williams has an Australian grandmother, and it was hoped that would allow him to bypass the foreign player laws and be considered as a local.
But once a player has represented his country at Test, A-team or Sevens level, he is regarded as a representative of that nation for the remainder of his career.
In Williams's case, his six All Blacks Tests now make it impossible for him to qualify as an Australian player regardless of paternal heritage, passports or residency status. He will always be regarded as a New Zealander in the eyes of the International Rugby Board.
The Waratahs and other Australian provinces are hoping the ARU will change its laws. Aside from the newly established Melbourne Rebels - who receive special dispensation to ensure they are competitive - other Australian teams can have only one senior foreign player on their books.
It appears Williams will now remain in New Zealand and join the Blues or the Chiefs. But given his options, Williams is unlikely to finalise his decision any time soon.
He will be travelling to South Africa with the All Blacks next week, and hopes to receive significantly more game time than the two brief cameos off the bench so far in the Tri Nations.
Waratahs chief executive Jason Allen said that, as the ARU laws stand, his club was powerless to pursue Williams for next season despite their interest. But Allen reiterated his desire to sign Williams if ever the laws are relaxed or when Pretorius comes off contract at the end of the 2013 season.
NZRU boss Steve Tew admitted his concern after confirming yesterday they had not secured Williams's signature for next year.
''No, we haven't, but Sonny Bill has been very kind in public saying he intends to stay in New Zealand. Until he decides where he is going to play his footy [Super Rugby], we won't get pen to paper, and I have been saying that whenever anyone talks to me about Sonny Bill,'' Tew told Radio Sport.
The ARU has resisted loosening its foreign player allowance - introduced in 2008 - so locally produced players have more opportunity. Foreign signings would boost interest in local Super Rugby teams but those players could not represent the Wallabies, which is the ARU's primary concern.
- Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Rugby - Wallabies give Higginbotham first test start
DURBAN Aug 11 (Reuters) - Loose forward Scott Higginbotham will make his first test start for Australia after being named as number eight for their Tri-Nations clash against World Cup champions South Africa in Durban on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who plays blindside flanker for Super rugby's Queensland Reds, was impressive off the bench during the Wallabies' 30-14 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday.
Coach Robbie Deans has also brought in veteran lock Nathan Sharpe in a bid to beef up his pack, which came off second best to the All Blacks at the breakdown. Ben McCalman drops to the bench while Rob Simmons misses out altogether.
"He's earned the start that he has got and he's done well with the time that he has had," Deans told a news conference on Thursday.
"We are looking for him to bring a similar enthusiasm and industriousness with the time he has now. It's a different skill starting at the front-end so there are some realities to deal with as regards to that."
Higginbotham said he was looking forward to finally making his first start.
"I've enjoyed my time off the bench but you don't want to be a bench player, you want to be a starting player and I'm going to make the most of my starting opportunity this weekend and try and hold that spot," he said.
Sharpe, 33, will add some much needed experience to the Wallabies second-row and should help the Wallabies in the key lineout battle.
"Preparation ahead of a game with the Springboks is essential. Victor (Matfield) has been there for a long time. We know each other pretty well," said Sharpe.
"But in terms of getting a result for the team, it is about everyone doing their job and everyone knowing exactly what their job is and our preparation has been really good to that end."
Ben McCalman drops to the Wallabies bench while lock Rob Simmons, who is carrying a shoulder injury, falls out of the squad.
Deans also recalled Radike Samo to the replacements' bench for the match at Durban, almost seven years after the 35-year-old last played for the Wallabies when he came off the bench against Scotland in Nov. 2004.
Samo will be one of five forward replacements on the bench, with scrumhalf Luke Burgess and centre Anthony Fainga'a the only back reserves.
ACT Brumbies prop Salesi Maafu also returns to the bench following his recovery from a broken arm sustained during the southern hemisphere's Super rugby competition.
Australia: 15-Kurtley Beale, 14-James O'Connor, 13-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12-Pat McCabe, 11-Digby Ioane, 10-Quade Cooper, 9-Will Genia; 8-Scott Higginbotham, 7-David Pocock, 6-Rocky Elsom (captain), 5-James Horwill, 4-Nathan Sharpe, 3-Ben Alexander, 2-Stephen Moore, 1-Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16-Saia Faingaa, 17-Salesi Maafu, 18-Sitaleki Timani, 19-Ben McCalman, 20-Radike Samo, 21-Luke Burgess, 22-Anthony Faingaa
The 24-year-old, who plays blindside flanker for Super rugby's Queensland Reds, was impressive off the bench during the Wallabies' 30-14 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday.
Coach Robbie Deans has also brought in veteran lock Nathan Sharpe in a bid to beef up his pack, which came off second best to the All Blacks at the breakdown. Ben McCalman drops to the bench while Rob Simmons misses out altogether.
"He's earned the start that he has got and he's done well with the time that he has had," Deans told a news conference on Thursday.
"We are looking for him to bring a similar enthusiasm and industriousness with the time he has now. It's a different skill starting at the front-end so there are some realities to deal with as regards to that."
Higginbotham said he was looking forward to finally making his first start.
"I've enjoyed my time off the bench but you don't want to be a bench player, you want to be a starting player and I'm going to make the most of my starting opportunity this weekend and try and hold that spot," he said.
Sharpe, 33, will add some much needed experience to the Wallabies second-row and should help the Wallabies in the key lineout battle.
"Preparation ahead of a game with the Springboks is essential. Victor (Matfield) has been there for a long time. We know each other pretty well," said Sharpe.
"But in terms of getting a result for the team, it is about everyone doing their job and everyone knowing exactly what their job is and our preparation has been really good to that end."
Ben McCalman drops to the Wallabies bench while lock Rob Simmons, who is carrying a shoulder injury, falls out of the squad.
Deans also recalled Radike Samo to the replacements' bench for the match at Durban, almost seven years after the 35-year-old last played for the Wallabies when he came off the bench against Scotland in Nov. 2004.
Samo will be one of five forward replacements on the bench, with scrumhalf Luke Burgess and centre Anthony Fainga'a the only back reserves.
ACT Brumbies prop Salesi Maafu also returns to the bench following his recovery from a broken arm sustained during the southern hemisphere's Super rugby competition.
Australia: 15-Kurtley Beale, 14-James O'Connor, 13-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12-Pat McCabe, 11-Digby Ioane, 10-Quade Cooper, 9-Will Genia; 8-Scott Higginbotham, 7-David Pocock, 6-Rocky Elsom (captain), 5-James Horwill, 4-Nathan Sharpe, 3-Ben Alexander, 2-Stephen Moore, 1-Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16-Saia Faingaa, 17-Salesi Maafu, 18-Sitaleki Timani, 19-Ben McCalman, 20-Radike Samo, 21-Luke Burgess, 22-Anthony Faingaa
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Rugby Global reach
Rugby union has established itself as a popular sport for both spectators and participants, particularly in Australia, Argentina, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, New Zealand, Niue, Namibia, Romania, Samoa, Scotland, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tonga, and Wales.
Other places with lasting traditions in rugby football, as a minority sport in most cases, include Andorra, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Latvia, Malaysia, Moldova, Morocco, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, the United States, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In April 2010 Lithuania broke the record of consecutive international wins previously held by New Zealand and South Africa,which was 17 consecutive wins against tier 1 nations, with their 18th win in tier 2 in a match against Serbia.
The United States are the most recent Olympic gold medalists; an American team stacked with American football players won the event at the Paris Olympics in 1924, which was the last year rugby union was played at the games. Large numbers of players are active in North America, and the USA regularly qualify for World Cups, while Canada has participated at every World Cup.
Japan, also a country with many registered players, will host the 2019 World Cup. It will be the first country outside the Commonwealth and France to host the event, and is viewed by the IRB as an opportunity for rugby union to extend its reach, particularly in Asia. Previously, Japan unsuccessfully bid to host the 2011 tournament, narrowly losing to selected host New Zealand.
The International Rugby Board (IRB), founded in 1886, governs the sport worldwide and also publishes the game's laws and rankings. There are currently 95 full members and eight associate member countries. According to IRB figures, rugby union is played in over 100 countries spanning six continents by men and women of all ages. The IRB controls the Rugby World Cup, the Women's Rugby World Cup, Rugby World Cup Sevens, IRB Sevens World Series, Junior World Championship, Junior World Trophy, Nations Cup and the Pacific Nations Cup. It holds votes to decide where all of these events shall be held, except in the case of the Sevens World Series. For that competition, the IRB contracts with several national unions to hold individual events.
Other places with lasting traditions in rugby football, as a minority sport in most cases, include Andorra, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Latvia, Malaysia, Moldova, Morocco, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, the United States, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In April 2010 Lithuania broke the record of consecutive international wins previously held by New Zealand and South Africa,which was 17 consecutive wins against tier 1 nations, with their 18th win in tier 2 in a match against Serbia.
The United States are the most recent Olympic gold medalists; an American team stacked with American football players won the event at the Paris Olympics in 1924, which was the last year rugby union was played at the games. Large numbers of players are active in North America, and the USA regularly qualify for World Cups, while Canada has participated at every World Cup.
Japan, also a country with many registered players, will host the 2019 World Cup. It will be the first country outside the Commonwealth and France to host the event, and is viewed by the IRB as an opportunity for rugby union to extend its reach, particularly in Asia. Previously, Japan unsuccessfully bid to host the 2011 tournament, narrowly losing to selected host New Zealand.
The International Rugby Board (IRB), founded in 1886, governs the sport worldwide and also publishes the game's laws and rankings. There are currently 95 full members and eight associate member countries. According to IRB figures, rugby union is played in over 100 countries spanning six continents by men and women of all ages. The IRB controls the Rugby World Cup, the Women's Rugby World Cup, Rugby World Cup Sevens, IRB Sevens World Series, Junior World Championship, Junior World Trophy, Nations Cup and the Pacific Nations Cup. It holds votes to decide where all of these events shall be held, except in the case of the Sevens World Series. For that competition, the IRB contracts with several national unions to hold individual events.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Rugby Governing bodies
The international governing body of rugby union (and associated games such as sevens) is the International Rugby Board (IRB). The IRB headquarters are located in Dublin, Ireland.
Six continental associations, which are members of the IRB form the next level of administration; these are:
Confederation of African Rugby (CAR)
Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU)
North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA)
Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur – Association Européenne de Rugby (FIRA-AER)
Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU)
Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby (South American Rugby Confederation) (CONSUR)
SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) is a joint venture of the South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union, which operates the Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions.
National unions oversee rugby union within individual countries. These are affiliated both to the IRB and with their respective regional association.
Six continental associations, which are members of the IRB form the next level of administration; these are:
Confederation of African Rugby (CAR)
Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU)
North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA)
Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur – Association Européenne de Rugby (FIRA-AER)
Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU)
Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby (South American Rugby Confederation) (CONSUR)
SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) is a joint venture of the South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union, which operates the Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions.
National unions oversee rugby union within individual countries. These are affiliated both to the IRB and with their respective regional association.
Rugby Equipment
The most basic items of equipment for a game of rugby union are the ball itself, a rugby shirt (also known as a "jersey"), rugby shorts, socks, and boots, which have soles with studs to allow grip on the turf of the pitch. The studs may be either metal or plastic but must not have any sharp edges or ridges.
Protective equipment is optional and strictly regulated. The most common items are mouthguards, which are worn by almost all players, and are compulsory in some rugby-playing nations. Other protective items that are permitted include a scrum cap; thin (not more than 10 mm thick), non-rigid shoulder pads, and shin guards; which are worn underneath socks. Bandages or tape can be worn to support or protect injuries; some players wear tape around the head to protect the ears in scrums and rucks. Female players may also wear chest pads.
Fingerless gloves (grip gloves) are sometimes worn to improve players' grip on the ball.
It is the responsibility of the match officials to check players' clothing and equipment before a game to ensure that it conforms to the laws of the game.
Protective equipment is optional and strictly regulated. The most common items are mouthguards, which are worn by almost all players, and are compulsory in some rugby-playing nations. Other protective items that are permitted include a scrum cap; thin (not more than 10 mm thick), non-rigid shoulder pads, and shin guards; which are worn underneath socks. Bandages or tape can be worn to support or protect injuries; some players wear tape around the head to protect the ears in scrums and rucks. Female players may also wear chest pads.
Fingerless gloves (grip gloves) are sometimes worn to improve players' grip on the ball.
It is the responsibility of the match officials to check players' clothing and equipment before a game to ensure that it conforms to the laws of the game.
Rugby Laws
Rugby union is played between two teams – the one which scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try, scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area, is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points; a successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years.
Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field. During the match, players may be replaced (for injury) or substituted (for tactical reasons). A player who has been replaced may not rejoin play unless he was temporarily replaced to have bleeding controlled; a player who has been substituted may return temporarily, to replace a player who has a blood injury, or permanently, if he is replacing a front-row forward. In international matches, up to seven replacements are allowed; in domestic or cross-border tournaments, at the discretion of the responsible national union(s), the number may be increased to eight, of whom three must be sufficiently trained and experienced to provide cover for the three front row positions. Players in a team are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league) and seven backs. Forwards are generally bigger and stronger, and take part in the scrum and lineout, while backs are generally smaller but faster, more agile and often the main points scorers for the team.
The field of play on a rugby pitch is as near as possible to a maximum of 100m long, and 70m wide. There are several lines crossing it, notably the half way line, the goal line/try line (on which the goal posts are located), the "twenty two", which is 22m from the goal line, and the dead ball line, which ideally is at least 10m but not more than 22m behind the goal line.
At the beginning of the game, the captains and the referee toss a coin to decide which team will kick off first. Play then starts with a drop kick, with the players chasing the ball into the opposition's territory, and the other side trying to retrieve the ball and advance it. If the player with the ball is tackled, frequently a ruck will result.
Forward passing (throwing the ball ahead to another player) is not allowed. The ball can be passed laterally or backwards, but cannot be thrown forward. The ball tends to be moved forward in three ways—by kicking, by a player running with it and passing it to a teammate who continues the run, or within a scrum or maul. Unlike in American football, "blocking" is not allowed, so only the player with the ball may be tackled or rucked. When a ball is knocked forward by a player with his/her arms, a "knock-on" is committed, and play is restarted with a scrum.
When the ball leaves the side of the field, a lineout is awarded against the team which last touched the ball. The lineout is usually awarded at the position where the ball left the field of play but if the ball is kicked directly into touch from outside the "twenty-two", or if a team plays the ball back into its own "twenty-two" and the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is awarded at a point opposite where the ball was kicked. To form a lineout, players from each team line up in parallel lines, at least 1m apart and at least 5m from the sideline; a player (usually, but not necessarily, the hooker) from the team that was awarded the lineout throws the ball down the gap between the two lines of players, who can jump or be lifted in an attempt to secure possession of the ball. Lineouts are one of the chief differences between the two rugby codes, as they do not occur in rugby league.
Games are divided into 40-minute halves, with a break in the middle. The sides exchange ends of the field after the half-time break. Stoppages for injury or to allow the referee to take disciplinary action, do not count as part of the playing time, so that the elapsed time is usually longer than 80 minutes. The referee is responsible for keeping time, even when—as in many professional tournaments—he is assisted by an official time-keeper. If time expires while the ball is in play, the game continues until the ball is 'dead', and only then will the referee blow the whistle to signal half-time or full-time; but if the referee awards a penalty or free-kick, the game continues.
Tries are scored between the goal line and the dead ball line. The goal line is treated as part of the in-goal area and a try can be scored if the ball is grounded with any part of it touching the goal line. The dead ball line is out of play, and a ball that touches or crosses the dead ball line, or that is held by a player who touches or crosses the dead ball line, is out of play.
Rugby goalposts are H-shaped, and consist of two poles, 5.6m apart, connected by a horizontal crossbar 3m above the ground. Unlike some other sports there are no goalkeepers, and the section underneath the crossbar has no special meaning. The original pitch dimensions were in imperial units, but have since been converted to the metric system.
There are three match officials: a referee, and two assistant referees. The latter, formerly known as touch judges, had the primary function of indicating when the ball had gone "into touch"; their role has been expanded and they are now expected to assist the referee in a number of areas, such as watching for foul play and checking off-side lines. In addition, for matches in high level competitions, there is often a television match official (TMO; popularly called the "video referee"), to assist with certain decisions, linked up to the referee by radio. The referees have a system of hand signals to indicate their decisions.
Common offences include tackling above the shoulders, collapsing a scrum, ruck or maul, not releasing the ball when on the ground, or being off-side. The non-offending team has a number of options when awarded a penalty: a "tap" kick, when the ball is kicked a very short distance from hand, allowing the kicker to regather the ball and run with it; a punt, when the ball is kicked a long distance from hand, for field position; a place-kick, when the kicker will attempt to score a goal; or a scrum. Players may be sent off (signalled by a red card) or temporarily suspended ("sin-binned") for ten minutes (yellow card) for foul play or repeated infringements, and may not be replaced.
Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field. During the match, players may be replaced (for injury) or substituted (for tactical reasons). A player who has been replaced may not rejoin play unless he was temporarily replaced to have bleeding controlled; a player who has been substituted may return temporarily, to replace a player who has a blood injury, or permanently, if he is replacing a front-row forward. In international matches, up to seven replacements are allowed; in domestic or cross-border tournaments, at the discretion of the responsible national union(s), the number may be increased to eight, of whom three must be sufficiently trained and experienced to provide cover for the three front row positions. Players in a team are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league) and seven backs. Forwards are generally bigger and stronger, and take part in the scrum and lineout, while backs are generally smaller but faster, more agile and often the main points scorers for the team.
The field of play on a rugby pitch is as near as possible to a maximum of 100m long, and 70m wide. There are several lines crossing it, notably the half way line, the goal line/try line (on which the goal posts are located), the "twenty two", which is 22m from the goal line, and the dead ball line, which ideally is at least 10m but not more than 22m behind the goal line.
At the beginning of the game, the captains and the referee toss a coin to decide which team will kick off first. Play then starts with a drop kick, with the players chasing the ball into the opposition's territory, and the other side trying to retrieve the ball and advance it. If the player with the ball is tackled, frequently a ruck will result.
Forward passing (throwing the ball ahead to another player) is not allowed. The ball can be passed laterally or backwards, but cannot be thrown forward. The ball tends to be moved forward in three ways—by kicking, by a player running with it and passing it to a teammate who continues the run, or within a scrum or maul. Unlike in American football, "blocking" is not allowed, so only the player with the ball may be tackled or rucked. When a ball is knocked forward by a player with his/her arms, a "knock-on" is committed, and play is restarted with a scrum.
When the ball leaves the side of the field, a lineout is awarded against the team which last touched the ball. The lineout is usually awarded at the position where the ball left the field of play but if the ball is kicked directly into touch from outside the "twenty-two", or if a team plays the ball back into its own "twenty-two" and the ball is then kicked directly into touch, the lineout is awarded at a point opposite where the ball was kicked. To form a lineout, players from each team line up in parallel lines, at least 1m apart and at least 5m from the sideline; a player (usually, but not necessarily, the hooker) from the team that was awarded the lineout throws the ball down the gap between the two lines of players, who can jump or be lifted in an attempt to secure possession of the ball. Lineouts are one of the chief differences between the two rugby codes, as they do not occur in rugby league.
Games are divided into 40-minute halves, with a break in the middle. The sides exchange ends of the field after the half-time break. Stoppages for injury or to allow the referee to take disciplinary action, do not count as part of the playing time, so that the elapsed time is usually longer than 80 minutes. The referee is responsible for keeping time, even when—as in many professional tournaments—he is assisted by an official time-keeper. If time expires while the ball is in play, the game continues until the ball is 'dead', and only then will the referee blow the whistle to signal half-time or full-time; but if the referee awards a penalty or free-kick, the game continues.
Tries are scored between the goal line and the dead ball line. The goal line is treated as part of the in-goal area and a try can be scored if the ball is grounded with any part of it touching the goal line. The dead ball line is out of play, and a ball that touches or crosses the dead ball line, or that is held by a player who touches or crosses the dead ball line, is out of play.
Rugby goalposts are H-shaped, and consist of two poles, 5.6m apart, connected by a horizontal crossbar 3m above the ground. Unlike some other sports there are no goalkeepers, and the section underneath the crossbar has no special meaning. The original pitch dimensions were in imperial units, but have since been converted to the metric system.
There are three match officials: a referee, and two assistant referees. The latter, formerly known as touch judges, had the primary function of indicating when the ball had gone "into touch"; their role has been expanded and they are now expected to assist the referee in a number of areas, such as watching for foul play and checking off-side lines. In addition, for matches in high level competitions, there is often a television match official (TMO; popularly called the "video referee"), to assist with certain decisions, linked up to the referee by radio. The referees have a system of hand signals to indicate their decisions.
Common offences include tackling above the shoulders, collapsing a scrum, ruck or maul, not releasing the ball when on the ground, or being off-side. The non-offending team has a number of options when awarded a penalty: a "tap" kick, when the ball is kicked a very short distance from hand, allowing the kicker to regather the ball and run with it; a punt, when the ball is kicked a long distance from hand, for field position; a place-kick, when the kicker will attempt to score a goal; or a scrum. Players may be sent off (signalled by a red card) or temporarily suspended ("sin-binned") for ten minutes (yellow card) for foul play or repeated infringements, and may not be replaced.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Rugby Union History
The origin of rugby football is reputed to be an incident during a game of English school football at Rugby School in 1823 when William Webb-Ellis is said to have picked up the ball and run with it. Although this tale is anecdotal, the Rugby World Cup trophy is named after him. Rugby football stems from the form of game played at Rugby School, which old pupils initially took to university; Old Rugbeian Albert Pell, a student at Cambridge, is credited with having formed the first 'football' team. During this early period different schools used different rules, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities.
Significant events in the early development of rugby football were the production of the first set of written laws at Rugby School in 1845, the Blackheath Club's decision to leave the Football Association in 1863 and the formation of the Rugby Football Union in 1871. The code was originally known simply as "rugby football"; it was not until after a schism in 1895, which resulted in the separate code of rugby league, that the name "rugby union" came to be used for the game itself. Supporters of both codes will frequently refer to theirs as merely "rugby" or "rugby football", unless they are differentiating between the two.
The first rugby football international took place on 27 March 1871, played between England and Scotland. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams, and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 also saw the first rugby sevens tournament at Melrose—the Melrose Sevens,which is still held annually. Five years later two important overseas tours took place; a British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for futureBritish and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888 New Zealand Native team brought the first overseas team to British spectators.
Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: Dave Gallaher's New Zealand in 1905, followed by Paul Roos'sSouth Africa in 1906 and then Herbert Moran's Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. 1905 also saw the first French internationals.
The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed a haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event.
The years during the First World War saw an end of international rugby union games and union-sponsored club matches, but competitions continued with service teams such as the New Zealand Army team. The Second World War saw an end of international matches from most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played a limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match.
In 1973 the first officially sanctioned international sevens tournament took place at Murrayfield, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987 the first Rugby World Cup was held in New Zealand and Australia, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament was held at Murrayfield in 1993.
Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game 'open' in 1995, removing restrictions on payments to players. However, the pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of "shamateurism", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee.
Significant events in the early development of rugby football were the production of the first set of written laws at Rugby School in 1845, the Blackheath Club's decision to leave the Football Association in 1863 and the formation of the Rugby Football Union in 1871. The code was originally known simply as "rugby football"; it was not until after a schism in 1895, which resulted in the separate code of rugby league, that the name "rugby union" came to be used for the game itself. Supporters of both codes will frequently refer to theirs as merely "rugby" or "rugby football", unless they are differentiating between the two.
The first rugby football international took place on 27 March 1871, played between England and Scotland. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams, and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 also saw the first rugby sevens tournament at Melrose—the Melrose Sevens,which is still held annually. Five years later two important overseas tours took place; a British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for futureBritish and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888 New Zealand Native team brought the first overseas team to British spectators.
Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: Dave Gallaher's New Zealand in 1905, followed by Paul Roos'sSouth Africa in 1906 and then Herbert Moran's Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. 1905 also saw the first French internationals.
The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed a haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event.
The years during the First World War saw an end of international rugby union games and union-sponsored club matches, but competitions continued with service teams such as the New Zealand Army team. The Second World War saw an end of international matches from most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played a limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match.
In 1973 the first officially sanctioned international sevens tournament took place at Murrayfield, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987 the first Rugby World Cup was held in New Zealand and Australia, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament was held at Murrayfield in 1993.
Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game 'open' in 1995, removing restrictions on payments to players. However, the pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of "shamateurism", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee.
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