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Rugby Football
Rugby Football is the most popular sport in New England. It's populariy among players and spectaters is unrivalled, with over 250,000 people playiong rugby every winter. Crowds at games average move than 35,000, which is more than double the attendences for Australian Football and times that of Cricket. The premier competiton is the Rugby County Championship played from April to September every year.
Modern rugby has grown out of the global consolidation of the two rugby codes in 2017. With composite rules of both union and league origin, modern rugby is a fast and free flowing game, while maintaining the subtle plays that made the game popular in previous times.
- Introduction
- History
- Administration
- Tournaments
Introduction
A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (two halves of 40 minutes each) and is controlled by two referees. The game is played by sides of fifteen, with six reserves freely interchangable throughout the game. Scoring is achieved by kicking the ball between the posts and above the cross-bar. However the ball may only be kicked from the ground either from a place kick following the award of a penalty or from a drop kick in open play. A successful kick at goal is worth three points. The area behind each set of goal posts is called the "in goal area" and the attacking team may also score by grounding the ball in this area. This is called a "try" and is worth five points. After scoring a try, the attacking team are awarded a free kick at goal (called a conversion) for an extra two points. Other rules can be summarised as follows:
- When a player is tackled, play must stop and the tackled player must play the ball. This is known as a "phase".
- Each team has an unlimited number of phases in which they can attempt to score
- There a no "scrums".
- When a ball goes out of play, play is resumed with a "line-out".
- Play restarts from a dropped ball with a player from the other team tapping the ball on his foot and passing.
History
Administration
Tournaments
The New England Rugby Football Union runs a single national competition, the RCC. Below this, each county has one semi-amatuer union or league which is made up of various club teams. While the county unions maintain a fair degree of autonomy, the overall control of rugby in New England rests with the NERFU.
- National
- Rugby County Championship
- Apsleyshire
- Apsleyshire Rugby Football Union
- Clarence
- Clarence Rugby League
- Fitzroyshire/Raleigh
- Coffs Harbour Rugby League
- Greater Armidale
- Armidale Rugby Union
- Guyra
- Guyra Rugby Football Association
- Macintyre/Gwydir
- Inverell Rugby Union
- Macleay
- Kempsey Rugby League
- Macquarie
- Hastings Valley Rugby Union
- Severnshire/Parkes
- Glen Innes Rugby Union
- Uralla
- Uralla Rugby League
Sport & Recreation in New England
Australian Football · Cricket · Netball · Rugby Football · Tennis
