Rugby
If you are new to the world of Rugby it is important to know that there are two forms of the game known as “codes” and they are Rugby Union and Rugby League. Despite both being called Rugby the two codes are quite different with even the number of players on each side being different. In “Union” there are 15 players but in “League” there are only 13 players per side. There are other variants of the game, the most popular being 7 a side in which as the name suggests there are only 7 players in a team.
Rugby Union is supposed to have started some 150 years ago at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England when a lad by the name of William Webb Ellis was playing association football (or soccer as it is sometimes known to differentiate it from other forms of football) picked up the ball and started to run with it. It is now a global sport with its own World Cup attracting entries from far and wide and in the latest development also includes a women’s game. The game is most popular in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and in Europe in Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy. These six countries in Europe compete each year in what is known as the RBS 6 Nations Tournament which previously was the 5 Nations but Italy joined in 2000. The RBS part of the name is associated with the sponsor, a well known Scottish Bank. Other countries playing in the last World Cup in 2007 were Canada, Fiji, Georgia, Japan, Namibia, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, Tonga and USA. The next world cup is in 2011 and will be played in New Zealand. The home of Rugby in Ireland is the IRFU and it is there that you can find all the latest information on tickets, fixtures and the latest news about players and teams that might help you when you wish to bet on a match.
Here are some important dates for your diary for 2010 in the Rugby Union world.
6 Nations Rugby Fixtures
Saturday February 6th:- Ireland/Italy and England/Wales
Sunday February 7th:- Scotland/France
Saturday February 13th:- Wales/Scotland and France/Ireland
Sunday February 14th:- Italy/England
Saturday February 26th:- Wales/France
Sunday February 27th:- Italy/Scotland and England/Ireland
Saturday March 13th:- Ireland/Wales and Scotland/England
Sunday March 14th:- France/Italy
Saturday March 20th:- Wales/Italy and Ireland/Scotland and France/England
Heineken Cup
May 1st/2nd:- Semi Finals
May 22nd:- Final in Paris
Guinness Premiership
May 29th:- Final at Twickenham
Other Internationals
May 30th:- England/Barbarians
June 12th:- New Zealand/Ireland and Australia/England and Argentina/Scotland
June 19th:- New Zealand/Wales and Australia/England and Argentina/Scotland
June 26th:- Australia/Ireland and New Zealand/Wales
Rugby League has its origins in 1895 when a group of 21 rugby union clubs from the North of England decided that their players should be compensated for the time they took off work to play on a Saturday. Rugby Union was a completely amateur game and there payment was forbidden in any form. From that point on many rule changes have been introduced to make it more attractive as a spectator sport obviously to boost attendance numbers and therefore income for the clubs to be able to pay the players. Rugby League became the “professional” game whilst Rugby Union was the “Amateur” game. These days of course both codes are played by professional players at the top level. Australia and New Zealand joined the ranks in 1908 and France in 1933. The game is still nothing like as popular across the world as the Union version although there should be 14 nations competing in the next Rugby League World Cup to be held in the UK in 2013. The only regular international tournament is the 4 nations which is played out between England, France, Australia and New Zealand. In Ireland the game is nothing like as popular as Union but does exist and is run by Rugby League Ireland and there are 6 teams competing in the Carnegie League.