The game of rugby is played with two competing teams. A team is made up of fifteen players. Each team can pass, carry, or kick the ball to the end zone to score as many points as possible. The team scoring the greater number of points is the winner of the match.
Teams can establish their own clubs. These rugby clubs can register themselves under the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB).
Game Time
The two teams compete for a total of eighty minutes (divided into two forty-minute halves and with a short halftime break). The only time-outs occur at the referee’s discretion. Time outs often occur during an injury or penalty. A single referee controls the match, and he is assisted by two touch judges.
The Bench
Each team is allowed to have seven replacements per game. Once a player is substituted, they cannot return to the game. The only time a player can return to the field is when they have been substituted for the sake of an injury.
Scoring Points
The game starts with a kick-off which is taken from the centre of the rugby field. The team with the ball needs to score a try once the ball is in play. Points can be scored by converting a try. A try is accomplished when a player touches the ball to the ground in the opponent’s rugby posts.
A try will give a team five points. The team can then add a further two points by kicking the ball over the opponent’s crossbar and in between the goalposts.
Any team can add three points to their scorecard once their opponent is charged with a penalty by kicking a penalty over the goalposts. The team can also choose a dropkick at the point where the penalty was conceded.
Following this brief summary of how the game of rugby is played, fans can take a look at some notable moments in the history of the game for inspiration.