Rugby for beginners
Discussion
Rugby, how it all didn’t start
The history of rugby is hidden in muddy pits and drunken haze but there are a few stories that emerge which can be considered established fact. Who has not heard that a lad, one Web-Ellis, at Rugby public school, was playing football and became upset at the language and social class of the spectators, not to mention the ban on beer, so picked up the ball and tried to run off with it? When the big lads on both sides jumped on him and beat the living daylights out of him, the modern game of rugby was born.
Even in those dark days, teachers were not allowed to shackle students nor break their necks or limbs. So rugby could be seen as a form of discipline and the occasional fatality could be put down to making a man of the late lad.
Any child who showed signs of original thought could be drafted into the fly half position and a quick suggestion to the referee that late tackles on him should not be penalised, even at half time, would be more painful than any caning. In these days of human rights gone mad the bottom of the ruck is the only sane place left for brutality.
The charm of the modern game is that it allows those who want to grunt a lot and push things around to do just that while the rather elegant and, one has to admit, sissy can run about a bit and look cool. Even cooler in those infrequent occasions they have the ball.
Despite the new laws, in essence little has changed in the 150 odd years of the sport, the one exception being when some players decided to go their own way and set up a rival game: Rugby League.
As some are confused by the variations, let us first clear up the differences.
1/ Rugby League has always been played by professionals and Rugby Union has always been played by professionals who told fibs. In order to cover their flagrant breech of the amateur status of the sport the Union players acted like amateurs both on and off the pitch. This facet has remained true despite Union players now receiving their pay packets in daylight.
2/ In Rugby League if a player is tackled he keeps hold of the ball whereas in Rugby Union if a player is tackled he will only keep hold of the ball if the referee is unsighted. Further, in Union many players are tackled when they haven’t got hold of the ball as the referee will be looking at the tackled player to see if he holds onto the ball.
3/ League is mainly played in the North of England whereas Rugby Union players don’t know where the North of England is, and even if they did they would not want to go there.
4/ Scrums are no fun in League as the ball goes in and the ball comes out almost at once. There are no endless resets, nothing collapses, the referee doesn’t have to make up penalties when he’s getting a bit bored and, most important of all, the team that puts the ball in will keep possession. Seems pointless putting it in in the first place if the pack isn’t going to play with it,
5/ Everyone looks the same height and build in League whereas in Union there is a great variation, some looking as if they do not belong to the human race.
It should be pointed out that many books suggest that another difference is that in Rugby League the ball isn’t thrown into the pitch after it goes out of play. I assume they have very short matches.
In the initial years, Rugby Union was only played by forwards. This meant that rugby pitches could be very small. Indeed many a rugby match was played indoors, often in dormitories and sometimes even in bars. There were a number of advantages to this style of play, one of which was economy. Expensive things like the big metal H at either end of the pitch were not required. The same could be said of the pitch, tactics and the ball.
All good things must come to an end. Many schools wanted to put class against class and they needed positions on the pitch for everyone. So they invented backs.
This meant a whole new concept had to come to Rugby: the ball had to emerge from the scrum so that these Johnny come latelies had something to do. They invented perfect positions for imperfect kids: the little weedy one, whom no one would miss, least of all his parents, could play scrum half. The tall, good looking lads had the wings to pose on and as they never got the ball, they were hardly ever tackled, at least in sight of the ref. The big fat blokes, especially the ones who liked hugging one another could be the pack, with a special place for the kid who was kept locked up at night for the good of the Matron: the hooker.
Those who didn't want to touch their team mates, especially the big fat ones who hugged one another, could be flankers. The lad who couldn’t do anything and no one wanted to be near could be full back. The little kids who were not much good at anything other than getting in the way could be kept in the centre of the field, hence centres. And the one who couldn’t even get in the way and was good at passing the buck was a gift for #10, the perfect Prime Minister.
The sport has developed over the years and the main concern nowadays is no longer the weight of the tight five but the weight of health and safety regulations. Rugby is a violent sport, especially in the clubhouse. The players put their heads and necks into positions which they were not designed to go, even with consenting adults, and serious injuries often used to result. With litigation moving from being a spectator sport to one which anyone could participate in, things had to change.
The bods in charge at the Rugby Football Union HQ, with great concern, arranged a meeting and, with closing time approaching, they came up with a classically simple solution that satisfied everyone: replacements. So even if two or three players were carted off to hospital, or the mortician, the match could still continue with evenly numbered sides.
That is the modern game of rugby: caring, concerned with health and safety, and with a position for everybody, even if it might be in the back of an ambulance.
The history of rugby is hidden in muddy pits and drunken haze but there are a few stories that emerge which can be considered established fact. Who has not heard that a lad, one Web-Ellis, at Rugby public school, was playing football and became upset at the language and social class of the spectators, not to mention the ban on beer, so picked up the ball and tried to run off with it? When the big lads on both sides jumped on him and beat the living daylights out of him, the modern game of rugby was born.
Even in those dark days, teachers were not allowed to shackle students nor break their necks or limbs. So rugby could be seen as a form of discipline and the occasional fatality could be put down to making a man of the late lad.
Any child who showed signs of original thought could be drafted into the fly half position and a quick suggestion to the referee that late tackles on him should not be penalised, even at half time, would be more painful than any caning. In these days of human rights gone mad the bottom of the ruck is the only sane place left for brutality.
The charm of the modern game is that it allows those who want to grunt a lot and push things around to do just that while the rather elegant and, one has to admit, sissy can run about a bit and look cool. Even cooler in those infrequent occasions they have the ball.
Despite the new laws, in essence little has changed in the 150 odd years of the sport, the one exception being when some players decided to go their own way and set up a rival game: Rugby League.
As some are confused by the variations, let us first clear up the differences.
1/ Rugby League has always been played by professionals and Rugby Union has always been played by professionals who told fibs. In order to cover their flagrant breech of the amateur status of the sport the Union players acted like amateurs both on and off the pitch. This facet has remained true despite Union players now receiving their pay packets in daylight.
2/ In Rugby League if a player is tackled he keeps hold of the ball whereas in Rugby Union if a player is tackled he will only keep hold of the ball if the referee is unsighted. Further, in Union many players are tackled when they haven’t got hold of the ball as the referee will be looking at the tackled player to see if he holds onto the ball.
3/ League is mainly played in the North of England whereas Rugby Union players don’t know where the North of England is, and even if they did they would not want to go there.
4/ Scrums are no fun in League as the ball goes in and the ball comes out almost at once. There are no endless resets, nothing collapses, the referee doesn’t have to make up penalties when he’s getting a bit bored and, most important of all, the team that puts the ball in will keep possession. Seems pointless putting it in in the first place if the pack isn’t going to play with it,
5/ Everyone looks the same height and build in League whereas in Union there is a great variation, some looking as if they do not belong to the human race.
It should be pointed out that many books suggest that another difference is that in Rugby League the ball isn’t thrown into the pitch after it goes out of play. I assume they have very short matches.
In the initial years, Rugby Union was only played by forwards. This meant that rugby pitches could be very small. Indeed many a rugby match was played indoors, often in dormitories and sometimes even in bars. There were a number of advantages to this style of play, one of which was economy. Expensive things like the big metal H at either end of the pitch were not required. The same could be said of the pitch, tactics and the ball.
All good things must come to an end. Many schools wanted to put class against class and they needed positions on the pitch for everyone. So they invented backs.
This meant a whole new concept had to come to Rugby: the ball had to emerge from the scrum so that these Johnny come latelies had something to do. They invented perfect positions for imperfect kids: the little weedy one, whom no one would miss, least of all his parents, could play scrum half. The tall, good looking lads had the wings to pose on and as they never got the ball, they were hardly ever tackled, at least in sight of the ref. The big fat blokes, especially the ones who liked hugging one another could be the pack, with a special place for the kid who was kept locked up at night for the good of the Matron: the hooker.
Those who didn't want to touch their team mates, especially the big fat ones who hugged one another, could be flankers. The lad who couldn’t do anything and no one wanted to be near could be full back. The little kids who were not much good at anything other than getting in the way could be kept in the centre of the field, hence centres. And the one who couldn’t even get in the way and was good at passing the buck was a gift for #10, the perfect Prime Minister.
The sport has developed over the years and the main concern nowadays is no longer the weight of the tight five but the weight of health and safety regulations. Rugby is a violent sport, especially in the clubhouse. The players put their heads and necks into positions which they were not designed to go, even with consenting adults, and serious injuries often used to result. With litigation moving from being a spectator sport to one which anyone could participate in, things had to change.
The bods in charge at the Rugby Football Union HQ, with great concern, arranged a meeting and, with closing time approaching, they came up with a classically simple solution that satisfied everyone: replacements. So even if two or three players were carted off to hospital, or the mortician, the match could still continue with evenly numbered sides.
That is the modern game of rugby: caring, concerned with health and safety, and with a position for everybody, even if it might be in the back of an ambulance.
Derek, I was really enjoying your post until I noticed you turning the story.
I think most of us are aware that your lad spent a lot of time out of the squad this season due to concussion.
In our under 10 squad (which I coach) we've seen one serious enough to go to A&E concussion, and that was purely down to poor skills from the player involved.
In our club we try to distill the old adage - football is a game for gentlemen played by animals, rugby is a game for animals played by gentlemen. (This is never told to the kids directly, but it is is our training mandate and philosophy of playing the game).
I'll just recap events at one of our matches this year. A heated battle between two local rivals. Ref was unsighted, and missed a foot in touch by one of our players who went on to score a try.
Opposite team coach went ballistic, effing and blinding. Ref went over to him, asked him to stop swearing in front of the kids and was immediately surrounded parents from the opposite team also telling him to shut it. He ended up walking off, getting in his car and driving home.
I'm amazed at the effort the IRFU put in to local clubs and they visit us every few months, so does it get dirty when they turn 18? Because certainly all our lads are taught to play according to the rules.
Our U11s this year have won just about everything! Which will be a massive challenge for the U10 squad to live up to.
I think most of us are aware that your lad spent a lot of time out of the squad this season due to concussion.
In our under 10 squad (which I coach) we've seen one serious enough to go to A&E concussion, and that was purely down to poor skills from the player involved.
Derek Smith said:
That is the modern game of rugby: caring, concerned with health and safety, and with a position for everybody, even if it might be in the back of an ambulance.
I think the 'modern' game is changing and certainly at grass roots level the 'failed player wannabe coaches parents' are being made more and more aware of the possibility of injury and from the meetings I've been in with representatives from the IRFU, safety and discipline are top of the list.In our club we try to distill the old adage - football is a game for gentlemen played by animals, rugby is a game for animals played by gentlemen. (This is never told to the kids directly, but it is is our training mandate and philosophy of playing the game).
I'll just recap events at one of our matches this year. A heated battle between two local rivals. Ref was unsighted, and missed a foot in touch by one of our players who went on to score a try.
Opposite team coach went ballistic, effing and blinding. Ref went over to him, asked him to stop swearing in front of the kids and was immediately surrounded parents from the opposite team also telling him to shut it. He ended up walking off, getting in his car and driving home.
I'm amazed at the effort the IRFU put in to local clubs and they visit us every few months, so does it get dirty when they turn 18? Because certainly all our lads are taught to play according to the rules.
Our U11s this year have won just about everything! Which will be a massive challenge for the U10 squad to live up to.
TheExcession said:
I think the 'modern' game is changing and certainly at grass roots level the 'failed player wannabe coaches parents' are being made more and more aware of the possibility of injury and from the meetings I've been in with representatives from the IRFU, safety and discipline are top of the list.
In our club we try to distill the old adage - football is a game for gentlemen played by animals, rugby is a game for animals played by gentlemen. (This is never told to the kids directly, but it is is our training mandate and philosophy of playing the game).
I'll just recap events at one of our matches this year. A heated battle between two local rivals. Ref was unsighted, and missed a foot in touch by one of our players who went on to score a try.
Opposite team coach went ballistic, effing and blinding. Ref went over to him, asked him to stop swearing in front of the kids and was immediately surrounded parents from the opposite team also telling him to shut it. He ended up walking off, getting in his car and driving home.
I'm amazed at the effort the IRFU put in to local clubs and they visit us every few months, so does it get dirty when they turn 18? Because certainly all our lads are taught to play according to the rules.
Our U11s this year have won just about everything! Which will be a massive challenge for the U10 squad to live up to.
Based on all Derek's other posts, I rather think you're reading something into this one that isn't there? I just took it as something meant in fun, and it distracted me from wondering what the hell Botica was up to last night, so to that extent, it worked!In our club we try to distill the old adage - football is a game for gentlemen played by animals, rugby is a game for animals played by gentlemen. (This is never told to the kids directly, but it is is our training mandate and philosophy of playing the game).
I'll just recap events at one of our matches this year. A heated battle between two local rivals. Ref was unsighted, and missed a foot in touch by one of our players who went on to score a try.
Opposite team coach went ballistic, effing and blinding. Ref went over to him, asked him to stop swearing in front of the kids and was immediately surrounded parents from the opposite team also telling him to shut it. He ended up walking off, getting in his car and driving home.
I'm amazed at the effort the IRFU put in to local clubs and they visit us every few months, so does it get dirty when they turn 18? Because certainly all our lads are taught to play according to the rules.
Our U11s this year have won just about everything! Which will be a massive challenge for the U10 squad to live up to.
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