Sports Rugby

Ankle Tap – Where a defender attempts to stop an attacking player by tapping him on the ankles. The defender strikes the ball carrier on the ankle from behind, causing him to lose balance.

Bomb – A high kick, generally aimed at the opposition fullback, in that hope that under pressure he drops the ball and loses possession. Also referred to as an up-and-under.

Box Kick – A high kick aimed at the opposition winger.

Breakdown – Occurs when play has been stopped temporarily and possession (especially possession of the ball) is being contested by both teams. A tackle is the main reason for a breakdown to occur.

Charge Down – The blocking of a kick by an opposition player.

Chip Kick – A short kick, usually directed over the top of the opposition’s defensive line, hoping it will be retrieved by the kicker or a team mate.

Clearing Kick – A kick aimed for the touchline, usually one is used when the team with the ball is under pressure from the opposition defence.

Some more Rugby Playing Terms:

Conversion – When a try is scored, the team that scored the try is allowed a free shot at the goal. If successful, two points are added to their score.

Counter Attack – The attacking move in response to an opposition attack, where the ball has passes from one team to another.

Cross Kick – This is the term for a kick across the ground aimed towards the attacking team’s openside winger, who plans to run through the defence and re-gather the ball.

Cut Out Pass – A pass that deliberately misses one or more players then goes to the next player in the attacking line.

Dead – The ball is said to be ‘dead’ when it is out of play. This occurs when the ball has gone outside the playing area and remained there, or when the referee has blown the whistle to indicate a stoppage, or when a conversion kick is being taken.

Decoy – A player who makes out that he is about to receive the ball in an attempt to deceive the opposition’s defensive line. You will hear the person referred to as a ‘decoy runner’.

Defence – Used by one team to stop the other team when it is attacking.

The ruck is formed in rugby when players from each team make scrum formation over the ball in an attempt to gain possession by foot.   The physical contact is made with the opposition and the stronger scrum formation drives over the ball on the ground until it is behind their feet.

In the ruck players do not need to take their scrum positions.  Those players first to the ball form the front row.  The body is kept low using strong grips.  All forwards watch the ball and apply weight in the best position to clear the ball.

The best ruck is when your team are first to the ball in the greatest numbers, getting quick possession while the opposition is off balance and out of position.

In rugby, the ruck and maul are key platforms for launching an attack from second phase play.  In a ruck the players are attempting to gain possession of the ball on the ground, usually by foot. 

In a maul the players attempt to gain possession of the ball off the ground or by hand.  A ruck may become a maul or a maul may become a ruck. 

The essence of good rucking is the players’ body position which should be low, with the back horizontal and the feet in a pushing stance, not too wide apart and having weight on the toes.

The ruck is a key piece of play in a rugby game and good rucking can keep a team on to of the game.

What have been some of the changes to rugby union in the last 20 years?

Such as rules, equipment, clothing, tactics, trainings and sport science related changes

1. Professionalism in 1996. For about ten years rugby’s administrators were totally reluctant to allow the game to go professional, had they not done so the game would be dead. Nowadays money runs eveything in the game and their is a market for full-time professional players.

2. South Africa’s 1995 world cup victory. One of the most significant moments in modern sports as Nelson Madela used the national rugby team to reinstill pride and patriotism back into the nation, capped off with an upset extra time victory in the final and the moment after the game when the white and coloured players bound together in prayer

3. Expansion of northern/southern hemisphere provincial competitions. The international calendar hasn’t really changed but the Guiness premiership and the other northern leagues have become very global while the super 14 continues to grow and develop a culture distinct from the north

4. ELV’s. Even though many of them are being eradicated thanks to England, it still addressed many of the issues brought to light by no.5 and gave us a look at how good and in some cases how bad the game can be

5. Clive Woodward’s England. For better or worse changed the way the game is played by playing the percentages, focussing on ball retention, set piece strength and taking 3 points whenever it was on offer.

6. Rod Macqueen’s Wallabies. Precursor to Woodward, first team to conduct itself in a strictly professional manner as Macqueen ran the team like a business.

7. Jonah Lomu – First global superstar of rugby, has to be included, put the game on the map