Introduction

This blog is dedicated to 15's Rugby Union. I am writing this blog for several reasons. First, rugby is an immensely fun sport to play. Sharing it with others based on this fact is much of the reason it has become one of the major world sports. Second, rugby is a very social game. Most of my life-long friends have been made or made closer through playing. Third, the ideals venerated by rugby, camaraderie, perseverance, discipline (and others), are those that I hope all can hold close. This is especially important in American society, where many of these ideas have fallen by the way-side to apathy and amorality. Sadly, The United States is one country where Rugby is not played very much, despite its popularity with certain segments of the population.

A very brief introduction to the game is as follows: In the game of Rugby Union, teams play 15 players a side on a 100 by 70 meter field. The game is primarily a physical one, with players tackling each other for possession of the ball. Players can score by either kicking a "drop-kick" into the opposing team's goalpost or by scoring a "try" by touching the ball down in the opposing team's try-zone. Think, American football with no pads and more running. The mechanics of play will be discussed more in-depth in later posts.

There are, of course, other types of rugby that will not be discussed in this blog. Other forms of rugby include Rugby League and Aussie Rules.