Rugby Union is one of the most popular sporting codes in the world. It’s played by more than 8.5 million people in 120 countries and both men and women are able participants. It’s a game that’s given us the down and dirty sporting equivalent of
superheroes without capes; men like Richie McCaw, Jonah Lomu, Os Du Rand, John Eales and the fabulous flyer from South Africa, Bryan Habana.
It has united people, promoted diversity and pitted nation against nation. For all intents and purposes rugby union is war without the indiscriminate bloodletting. It’s been played by princes, politicians and revolutionaries and every four years the top international teams battle it out for The Webb Ellis Cup.
But did you know…?
Huge Teams and No Rules
In 1800s England the opposing teams were large… very large. In fact, it was not unusual for 50 or more players to be on the field at the same time. Rugby in the early days was not so much a sport but an all-out brawl. There were no discernible rules and no restrictions as to the number of players a team could field at any one time. It was only in 1845 that the first rules of engagement were jotted down; not by a regulatory body or authorities of any kind but by the callow young pupils at Rugby School!
It’s the Scrum… !
In those days the game revolved around the scrum. Forwards were king and outnumbered backs by more than 10 to 1. It wasn’t the structured scrum of today; it was a mad melee where dozens of players simply piled in from either side and cussed, pushed, punched and heaved.
Every single tackle resulted in a scrimmage, as once a player was off his feet he had to place the ball on the ground and shout ‘down’. That was the rallying call for the rest of the forwards to form a scrum around him but there was no hooking the ball back; the aim of the game was to shove the ball forward right through the opposing pack. As each tackle signalled a ‘set piece’ free-for-all that could easily last 10 minutes or more, there were around 30 or 40 protracted scrums in a match!
A Game for Everyone
Rugby Union may not be the sport of kings but it’s been played by blue bloods, despots and elected officials. Princes William and Harry had a hard time dodging tackles at Eton as all the opposing players wanted only one thing; to rub the royal’s face in the dirt. Despite the close attentions of the big burly fellas, the second in line to the British throne has remained a rugby fan and a royal patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
On the other side of the pond, Presidents Clinton and Bush were big on the egg-shaped ball. Bill played prop the prestigious Oxford University while George W was a full back for Yale. The former president of France Jacques Chirac clearly made an impact as eighth man for the Brive youth team as he was fondly known as ‘The Bulldozer’.
It wasn’t only the ‘good guys’ who enjoyed the physicality and camaraderie of rugby. Ugandan President and human rights abuser Idi Amin played in the second row at Sandhurst and later for the Nile and Kobs rugby football clubs in Kampala. Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara reputedly loved the game and was a successful inside centre at club level and although Italian dictator Benito Mussolini didn’t play rugby, he used the game to foster unity during World War II.