Rugby

Rughby

Rugby union, widely known simply as rugby, is a contact team sport that originated in England in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field with H-shaped goalposts at either end.

 Rugby union is a popular sport around the world, played by male and female players of all ages. In 2014, there were more than 6 million people playing worldwide, of whom 2.36 million were registered players. World Rugby, previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 101 countries as full members and 18 associate members.

International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup, first held in 1987, is contested every four years. The Six Nations championship in Europe and The Rugby championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other major international competitions that are held annually.