Portal:Rugby Union
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Like other forms of rugby football the game was developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby school in England. The crucial differences from football (soccer) are that in rugby the ball is a prolate spheroid instead of a sphere and that the players are allowed to pick the ball up and run with it. The players are also allowed to throw the ball from player to player, but unlike American football they are not allowed to throw it forwards; ie the ball must only go sideways or backwards.
Rugby union was invented in the town of Rugby, England in 1823. It has established itself as a major global sport, especially popular in New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Australia, Argentina and South Africa. Rugby is also gaining popularity in Italy, following its acceptance into the Six Nations and Japan, despite their unsuccessful bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which went to New Zealand.
The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand that competes in the Super 14 (formerly the Super 12). They are the current Super 14 champions and the most successful team in Super Rugby history. Formed in 1996 to represent the upper South Island of New Zealand in the Super 12, the team struggled in its first year, finishing last. Their performance improved in 1997 and the team finished sixth (out of twelve teams). Between 1998 and 2000 the team won all three titles, with each final won away from home. Between 2001 and 2005 they finished runners-up twice, and won the competition twice, including in their 2002 unbeaten season. In 2006 the Crusaders hosted the Hurricanes in the inaugural Super 14 final, winning 19–12.(More...)
- 2006 Currie Cup final: Free State Cheetahs and the Blue Bulls draw 28-all at Bloemfontein's Vodacom Park Stadium after extra time, the first time extra time is used in the Currie Cup's 127 year history.
- 2006 Air New Zealand Cup: Waikato Rugby Union to met Wellington Rugby Football Union in the final on Saturday in Hamilton.
- 2006-07 Top 14:The Stade Français Paris - Biarritz Olympique TOP 14 fixture records the largest crowd to ever attend a regular season match in any French sport league. The final score was 22 - 16 to Stade Français.
- Round 5 of the 2006-07 Guinness Premiership continues in England.
- All Blacks thrash the France national rugby union team in Lyons, 47-3.
- There is a great argument about a whether to build a "Stadium New Zealand" to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand on Auckland City's docks, or to revamp Eden Park. There is a great public suppport for Eden Park.
- ...that the Heartland Championship and the Air New Zealand Cup have replaced the National Provincial Championship in New Zealand rugby union?
- ...that Corné Krige and George Gregan, who respectively captained the South Africa and Australia teams in both the 2002 and 2003 Tri Nations Series, were born in the same hospital in Zambia?
- ...that Tana Umaga is the only player to have played in the very first games of the Super 12 and the Super 14?
- Six Nations Championship: annual international competition, involving the main rugby playing nations in Europe.
- Super 14: league consisting of fourteen clubs from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
- Tri Nations Series: annual international rugby union series held between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
"When playing defense, there is no rule as to how hard you hit your opponent."
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- --Neil Haynes, Defensive Coach for the Huntingdon Mustangs, 1971-1974
Brian Gerald 'BOD' O'Driscoll (21 January 1979, Dublin) is the current captain of the Irish rugby union national team and was the captain of the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005. He is an Outside Centre who plays club rugby for Leinster. O'Driscoll was born and still lives in Clontarf on Dublin's Northside. He was educated at Blackrock College and University College Dublin, and made his first appearance for Ireland in 1999, soon establishing himself as one of rugby's most dangerous ball-carriers with his ability to cut through defences and create space for his supporting runners. He became so popular in Ireland that many supporters donned T-shirts bearing the pun "In BOD We Trust". In 2003, following the international retirement of longtime Ireland captain Keith Wood, he was awarded the captaincy and led Ireland to a second-place finish in the Six Nations Championship and to a Triple Crown.
Category:Rugby union by country
Category:Rugby union coaches
Category:Rugby union competitions
Category:Rugby union governing bodies
Category:History of rugby union
Category:Rugby union related lists
Category:Rugby union referees
Category:Rugby union footballers
Category:Rugby union stadiums
Category:Rugby union teams
Category:Rugby union terminology
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