Rugby reportedly originated in 1823, after a college student named William Webb Ellis broke a standard rule of football by handling the ball with hands and ran into the goal line.
The rugby union is split into two primary forms known as rugby fifteen and rugby sevens. There are some alternative versions too, including Touch, Beach, Tens and Twelves rugby, serving as the training grounds for athletes that later on transforms into the standard rugby format. While rugby athletes lack helmet and pad protection, the sport’s strict rules and handling techniques ensures a much safer game even without protecting gears. To ensure this safety, players are trained to deal with the opponents using shoulders and arms, with strict penalties for violating the rules and creating hazards during play. Upon ignoring these rules, a yellow card is handed to the player, resulting in a 10-minute suspension in a fifteens match and a two-minute penalty in rugby sevens. Players who commit serious offenses are issued a red card, which leads to a week long suspension.
The Rugby Fifteens is played with 15 athletes on each team, with 80 minutes of total match time split into two equal halves of 40 minutes. In the early 1900s , rugby fifteens held a place in the Olympics, where the U.S dominated, achieving the top prize in the 1920 and 1924 competitions. The Rugby World Cup stands as the ultimate achievement in the sport and ranks among the top three most-watched international sports festivals. Not only that, it is also one of the most preferred games to place bets in the mobile casino sites. During an 80-minutes match, teams have two 40-minute halves to advance into the opponents territory and earn 5 points by moving the ball to the opponents end of the pitch.
In rugby, the ball is never supposed to be passed forward, also interference is strictly prohibited; instead, teams rely on mauls, rucks, scrums, and lineouts to maintain control of the ball. Unlike other sports, rugby matches do not halt when a player is brought to ground, while the rules explain that only a kick can move the ball forward through the air. After touching down the ball for 5 points, a successful kick through the post will provide an extra 2 points. When a team is awarded a penalty, they can choose to kick a goal for 3 points. Once the time out, the team that has the highest score is declared as the winner.
Since its first appearance in Rio 2016, rugby sevens is officially a part of Olympic sport. This format features two teams of 7 athletes playing 14-minute matches, allowing them to play up to three different matches in a single day of the competition. On the first day, teams play in small groups, the best team moves to the Championship bracket, while the other has to face the challenge track. In the championship track, teams play for the tournament while the challenge track contains consolation rounds.
In this quick version of rugby, 7 players on each team have 14 minutes in total to move the ball down the field, securing 5-points. In both the versions of the game, blocking is against the rules and you are supposed to pass only backwards or sidewards. In Rugby Sevens, players can move the ball only by kicking it. Like the big game, the game doesn’t halt for every tackle on the ground. Teams that score 5 points with a try are allowed one one kick at the goal to earn an additional two points. If the other team breaks the rule, you can try to kick the ball through the posts for 3 points, though players in sevens rarely choose to do this. When time runs out, the team with the most points wins the game. If it is a draw, they will play for an additional 5 minutes, and the first team to score the point gets announced as the winner.
The Rugby World Cup and Rugby World Cup Sevens are organized by World Rugby by being the sport’s worldwide governing authority.
Major League Rugby is the professional men’s 15s rugby league in the United States and has been active since the first match held in 2018.
Established in 2025, Women’s Elite Rugby serves as the premier professional competition for women’s 15s rugby union in the United States.
Premiers Rugby Sevens launched in 2021 is the first ever professional sevens league in the United States where men and women compete equally under a single organisation.
