Rugby - April 23, 2005

Both Marc and Paul are having great fun with the sport of rugby.  The games are held on Saturday mornings.  This is their first year on the rugby team.  The object of the game is to carry or kick the ball forward and carry it over the line at the end of the field like football.  The players can only pass the ball backwards or sideways.

Paul

Marc stands with a classmate at the edge of the nearby sugar cane field.

The ball is caught after being thrown back in from the sideline.

Players shake hands after the game.  There are sugar cane fields in the background.

Here is a picture of a "scrum."  The scrum position is formed if a penalty has been awarded and play has been stopped.  Common penalties are for tackling another player too high (which can cause injury) or for passing the ball forward.  (Only backward or sideways passing is allowed.)  Both teams interlock their arms on opposite sides and form a tunnel.  When the scrum formation is ready, one team member (from the team that was awarded the penalty) throws the ball into one end of the scrum tunnel.  The players in the scrum formation are only allowed to use their feet to work the ball out of the tunnel.  Each side of the scrum formation pushes forward and/or rotates in an effort to put their team in the position to gain possession of the ball.  One member from each team waits for the ball to appear outside of the scrum formation.   When the ball is spotted outside of the scrum, the waiting players attempt to pick up the ball with their hands and then run with it toward their goal line.

The player on the far left has spotted the ball and is about to pick it up.

The opposite team is about to make a "try" by carrying the ball over the try line and touching the ground.  A try is worth 5 points.   After scoring a try, the team can attempt a conversion by kicking the ball through the goal posts.  A conversion is worth 2 points.

Paul's rugby coach.

Kids Page

The ball is thrown in from the sidelines when the ball goes out.  Both teams
line up and the player throwing the ball in has to throw the ball right between
the two teams.  The player throwing the ball gives signals to let his team mates
know where he is planning to throw the ball.