How does rugby start

Each game starts with a drop kick from the halfway line and the ball must travel 10 metres from the kick off. If the ball fails to travel the minimum 10 metres, the receiving team has the option to ask for a re-kick, or in most cases request a scrum or a line out on the halfway line with the advantage of the feed or throw in.

After every try, penalty kick or drop goal, the game restarts at the halfway line with the team that did not score taking a drop kick. Unlike most other ball sports, a rugby ball is oval in shape and traditionally made from hand-stitched leather. Rugby union is a contact sport, so you can tackle an opponent in order to get the ball, as long as you stay within the rules.

There is a referee, aided by two touch judges one on each side of the pitch , to decide how the rules should be applied during a game. There are several ways to score points. A try - five points are awarded for touching the ball down in your opponent's goal area.

A conversion - two points are added for a successful kick through the goalposts after a try A goal kick - three points are awarded for a penalty kick or drop goal through the posts If both teams score the same amount of points, or no points are scored, then the match is a draw. In some cases, extra time is played to decide who wins.

In international matches the referee will stop the clock for stoppages. Between the two halves, there is a maximum minute interval, after which both teams change ends. The referee's whistle indicates the start and finish of the half. Extra time will only be played if it's a knockout competition. The captain of the team that wins the toss gets to decide which end he wants to attack first, or whether his side or the opposition will kick off. The game is started by a place kick or a drop kick from the middle of the halfway line.

The ball must travel forwards at least 10 metres from the kick-off. If it does not, the opposition get the choice of a scrum or line-out on the halfway line, with the advantage of the feed or throw. England in white and Scotland in brown, for the first ever internat ional game in Summer Olympics In , rugby union was introduced to the Summer Olympics by Pierre de Coubertin, who had previously refereed the first French domestic championship as well as France's first international game.

France, Germany and Great Britain all entered teams for the oplympics, and France won gold by defeating both opponents. Rugby actually drew the largest crowd at that particular games - it was next played at the games in London, with Australia winning, by defeating Great Britain.

Even though rugby drew some of the biggest crowds at the games, it was eventually dropped in By all three major Southern Hemisphere nations New Zealand, Australia and South Africa had formed teams and sent them on international trips to play against the Northern Hemisphere nations.

As a side fact, the first time the Haka was performed by New Zealand prior to a match was in , which the Welsh responded to by having Teddy Morgan sing the Welsh national anthem. Soon enough the crowd joined in, which was the first time a national anthem was sung prior to a sporting event. First Rugby World Cup The tournament became a turning point for South Africa as well, as then President Nelson Mandela, was able to hand over the William Webb Ellis trophy, to Francois Pienaar, dressed in a Springbok jersey which had long been a symbol of apartheid.