Want a game to run? Try Rugby 7's

Now that we know the basic rules of rugby. Playing a 15's aside game requires knowledge of tactical play but when it comes to a game that combines not only tactical but mostly speed, 10's aside or 7's aside is your game. I don't have the stamina or even breath to run a whole minute. So i'd skip this game for myself but you should give it a try. Lets go back to where it all began.

The photo "IRB Sevens" (RugbyBahamas, nd)

It started in the 19th Century in the mighty country of Scotland and the surprising part was, the idea of playing 7's aside rugby came from a Scottish butcher and his apprentice. Where in Scotland exactly? 

Ned Haig, the apprentice suggested a rugby tournament as part of the sports day event to raise funds for the club. At first they thought of doing a 20 aside match but the committee decided it was hard to work with. I mean, seriously, cramping up 40 men on the pitch seems so crowded. So as a solution to that problem, they decided to reduce the number of players in the pitch. This idea came from David Sanderson and thus on April 28th, 1883 the inauguration 7 aside rugby tournament was held (Heymann, 2009). Each match played two halves with maximum 15 minutes per game. So basically it's played with seven minutes a half with one minute break in between. The first team to win this tournament was the host themselves. After that the 7 aside tournament continue to grow throughout the rugby world. 

This type of rugby game focuses more on the running part in. So their skills in avoiding tackles and sidesteps are very important for a 10’s and 7’s game.

Basically the rules of the games are the same as 15’s, just that when a team manage to score, the conversion must be a dropped kick rather than the usual kicking tee.

The photo "Kicking Tee" (SportsWarehouse, 2012)

In a tournament if the match ended as a draw for a elimination match, extra time will commence in which the team who scores the first try will be the winner and the game ends. I normally heard the term "sudden-death" used in this context when my coaches officiates a tournament.

Position wise for 7’s

3 Forwards in the field, 2 Props and one Hooker.

Backs only provide Scrum – half, Fly – Half (Stand – Off), Inside Center, Outside Center, and one Winger.

The pitch dimension is still the same as a 15’s Game. So the team must have a different gameplay for a 7's aside game.

To have more understanding on the rules of this game please click on the link below

http://www.irblaws.com/downloads/EN/IRB_Laws_2012_EN.pdf , page 168 onwards.

Cheers

Reference

RugbyBahamas. IRB Sevens [image]. Retrieved from http://www.rugbybahamas.com/images/IRB_Sevens_01.jpg

Heymann, R. (2009) The Origins of Rugby Sevens: Ned's Legacy. Retrieved from http://ur7s.com/news/63 

SportsWarehouse. (2010) Kicking Tee [image]. Retrieved from http://www.sportswarehouse.co.uk/products/Gilbert-Adjustable-Kicking-Tee.html 

Indulge in 15's aside!

This is what i can contribute from my knowledge of rugby, analyzing games and reading the Law book. Yes i know it sounds weird that i would spend my time more on reading the Rugby Law book rather than scholarly journals for my academic purposes. But i guess it all come down to passion and interests once again. The meaning of Rugby 15’s is when a team is allowed to play with 15 players maximum on the field and 7 substitutes. More commonly pronounced as 15 aside. So there will be a total of 30 players on the field. The gameplay spreads down into a lot of phases. A lot of physical contact in which injuries is expected from the game. If a newbie watches a rugby match for the first time, they will totally be taken aback due to the physical  charges and tackles done during the game. But when they finally understood the rules of the game, it becomes more clear that this game is a gentleman’s game. 

Lets explain the time for a 15 a side rugby match; 

Its 2 halves per match with 40 minutes each. So total is 80 minutes with 10 minutes half-time break. 

The positions for this game are simple which is divided by two types; 

Forwards and Backs. 

Forwards are the players who are involved in a scrum when the referee gives a Scrum to a team. 

The photo "Scrum Lineout" (Pitchero, 2012)

Based on the picture the players in front is the Prop’s (Left and Right side) and the Hooker in the middle of the front row. Their job is to hook the ball behind when the scrum-half (No. 9) puts in the ball into the scrum. The 4 players behind the first row are the Second Row and Flankers at the sides. Number 8 is the one who controls the scrum and also aware of the ball's direction inside the scrum. 

Backs on the other hand will play a passing game and try to go through the opponents defense. The players playing backs uses more to footwork and fast-paced play. 

During the play, if the player gets tackled, the teammates will try to perform a ruck. The scrum-half or any player close to the ruck will continue to pass the ball to another player before the opponents try to disturbed the ruck. 

If a ball goes out of play, the team either do a lineout or a quick throw. Depending on the situation. 

The gameplay have their rules and t understand better is to go to this rule book from International Rugby Board (IRB). 

The Rugby World Cup tournament is a 15’s a side game. So this game is more favorable to people who loves watching and playing rugby considering it’s a physical game. 

Cheers 

Reference

Pitchero. 2012. Scrum Lineout [image] retrieved from http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/greatepier/a/wat-is-rugby-19152.html?page=6