Rugby

Rugby is a contact team sport that originated in England in the early 19th century. It is played with an oval ball on a rectangular field, known as a pitch, with goalposts at each end. The main objective of the game is to score points by carrying the ball across the opponent’s goal line and touching it down for a try or by kicking it through the goalposts for a conversion, penalty, or drop goal.

Rugby is characterized by its physicality, strategy, and continuous play, with players allowed to pass the ball backward or sideways but not forward. The sport has various formats, the most notable being Rugby Union and Rugby League, each with distinct rules, team sizes, and scoring systems. Rugby Union is played with 15 players on each team, while Rugby League typically has 13 players.

The game promotes teamwork, discipline, and respect, and has a strong cultural significance in many countries, particularly in the UK, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia, where it is a major sport.