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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 forward; ie the ball must only go sideways or backward.
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 Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union. They compete in the Rugby World Cup and annually in the Six Nations Championship. They are governed by the Welsh rugby union, and first played in 1881 against England.
Wales have won the Six Nations 23 times, second only to England, the last being in 2005. Their best result in the Rugby World Cup is third, which they achieved in 1987. They also hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The International Rugby Board (IRB) regard Wales as a Tier One rugby nation. In particular, several Welsh players of the 1970s are acknowledged as some of the best in the game's history. Although several poor results in the late 1980s and 1990s hurt the team’s reputation, a resurgence in form in the 2000s and a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2005 has helped reverse that. Due to this success, Wales became the first team ever to win the Grand Slam while playing more matches away than at home. (More...)
- 6 July: New Zealand Māori defeat Australia A 21–18 in each team's last match of the tournament to win the 2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup.
- 5 July: The 2008 Tri-Nations starts with the All Blacks defeating South Africa 19–8.
- 28 June: Toulouse defeat Clermont 26–20 in the final of the 2007-08 Top 14 season.
- 22 June: New Zealand defeat England 38–3 in final of the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship.
- 7 June: The 2008 mid-year rugby Tests kick off with the All Blacks defeating Ireland and South Africa defeating Wales.
- 7 June: Fiji defeats Samoa 34–17 in the first match of the 2008 IRB Pacific Nations Cup.
- 31 May: The Crusaders defeat the New South Wales Waratahs 20–12 to win the 2008 Super 14 Final.
- 25 May: New Zealand win the 2007-08 IRB Sevens World Series after fifth place in the London tournament gives them an unassailable series lead.
- 24 May: The Crusaders will host the Waratahs in the 2008 Super 14 Final following semi-final wins over the Hurricanes and Sharks respectively.
- 24 May: Munster defeat Toulouse in the Millennium Stadium to win the 2007-08 Heineken Cup.
- 18 May: Japan defeat Hong Kong 75–29 to go unbeaten and claim the inaugural 2008 HSBC Asian Five Nations.
- ...that rugby union footballer Farah Palmer captained the Black Ferns to three consecutive Women's Rugby World Cup titles?
- ...that Bennie Osler played 17 consecutive rugby union matches for South Africa between 1924 and 1933?
- ...that South Africa and England had already played each other during pool play before meeting in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final?
- ...that South African rugby player Jannie du Plessis is both a physician and professional athlete?
- ...that the rules for a scrum in rugby union were changed in 2007 to try and reduce the number of serious neck injuries to players?
- ... that 13 June 2007 was the 25th anniversary of the first women's rugby international - Netherlands versus France, at Utrecht?
Munster fans in Limerick watching the 2005-06 Heineken Cup final. Photo credit: CitizenKane
Rugby is great. The players don't wear helmets or padding; they just beat the living daylights out of each other and then go for a beer. I love that.
Frank Hadden (born 14 June 1954 in Dundee, Scotland) is coach of the Scotland national rugby union team. He replaced Matt Williams and was appointed on 15 September 2005. Hadden coached the Merchiston Castle School (MCS) 1st XV after being appointed Head of Physical Education at the school in 1983. He coached several Scottish age-group teams before being appointed assistant coach of the Caledonian Reds in 1997. He was later appointed coach of Edinburgh Gunners (now Edinburgh Rugby) in 2000 prior to becoming the Scotland coach. He has since coached Scotland to notable wins over England and France in the 2006 Six Nations.
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England national rugby union team
France national rugby union team
Wales national rugby union team
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- This page was last modified on 19 May 2008, at 20:44.
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