Rugby Jargon for the Ladies
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The Absa Currie Cup is underway and your new guy is rugby mad. It’s likely he’ll want the two of you to have an exciting time at the stadium.
The scores are tied. Both teams are tense. You could cut the air in the stadium with a knife. You turn to your new man and say, “Why does that guy, standing next to that chubby one who threw the ball to that group of players in the blue shirts, do that?”
It would be far easier to say that he’s the hooker who threw the ball into a lineout in order to restart the game, after the ball went into touch. Rugby can be a difficult game to understand but and easy game to love. Know the game, love the game and impress your guy at the same time, especially as the enthralling Rugby World Cup plays out in September.
The basics
Think of rugby like a game of chess, with each piece/player in the appropriate position and moving in a particular way. The 15 players who start the game are divided into 8 forwards (also referred to as the pack), and 7 backs (commonly called the backline).
The forwards are primarily responsible for winning the ball and the backs are charged with doing something positive when they get it. An old adage says the forwards decide who wins a match and the backs decide by how much.
Played in two 40-minute halves with a 10-minute half-time period in between, the team can be broken down into combinations: front row, back row (with the combination of these called the tight 5), loose forwards, the halves, centre-field, and the back three. These player groupings perform as units within the structured game of rugby, performing specialised roles, with specific skills and body shape.
Positions by the numbers:
The 15 starters on a rugby side all wear specific numbers on their jerseys to designate their position.
The Front Row (1-3)
• Loose-head prop (jersey number 1):
A big, strong, bulky player, who is responsible for scrumming in the front row and lifting the jumpers in the line-out.
• Hooker (jersey number 2):
This front rower actually hooks the ball with his foot at scrum time, hence the name; plus he does the throwing at line-outs and is involved in loose play often referred to as the extra loose forward.
• Tight-head prop (jersey number 3):
The rock upon which the scrum is built, he has to be the strongest and most technically proficient player in the pack.
The Back Row (4-5)
• Locks (jersey numbers 4 and 5):
Locks form the second row in the scrum and are normally used as line-out jumpers and restart takers because of their superior height and reliable hands.
The Loose Forwards (6-8)
These players are the link between the tight 5 and the backline.
• Blindside flanker (jersey number 6):
This player must be powerful and make an impact in contact on offense and defence. He must have excellent ball-handling skills.
• Open side flanker (jersey number 7):
This is usually the most dynamic and best defensive player on the team, responsible for making critical tackles, creating turnovers, and ranging all over the pitch.
• Number 8 (jersey number 8):
The number 8 (or eightman) plays a crucial role on the team. This player directs and controls the scrum from the rear and is often a pivotal link between the forwards and the backs.
The Halves (9-10)
• Scrumhalf (jersey number 9):
Also known as the halfback, this player must be compact and quick, with excellent passing skills and the ability to operate in tight quarters. They also have a habit of being the feisty and can often be seen debating a ruling with the match officials.
• Flyhalf (jersey number 10):
This is the player who runs the show on the offense either by running, passing, or kicking the ball.
He is the backline general, and is traditionally responsible for the team’s tactical and goal kicking.
Centre-field
• Inside centre (jersey number 12):
This is a player with quickness and a powerful running game, he often needs to quickly offload the ball. He has to be rock-solid in defence and have no fear when tackling.
• Outside centre (jersey number 13):
The outside centre is a creative runner and ball-handler with very good speed and defensive skills. He’s the player with the eye for the gap and his function is to break the opposition’s defensive line and release the wings to score a try.
The Back three
• Wings (jersey numbers 11 and 14):
Two of the fastest players on the pitch, they are the finishers with the lavish try celebrations. The wings must also be able to kick tactically and are instrumental in counter-attacking.
• Fullback (jersey number 15):
This is the backline general. This player must possess excellent tactical knowledge, have a strong leg for kicking, be an attack-oriented runner, and be the last line of defence.
Rugby Terms for the ladies
Scrum
Similar to a huddle, the scrum is used to restart play following a minor penalty or infraction. Each team’s forwards lock together, in a display of strength, trying to manoeuvre the scrum so that their hooker can “hook” the ball back to the number 8 and gain possession for their team.
Lineout
This is the way in which the ball is restarted after it has been kicked or knocked out of bounds. The team uses their hooker to through the ball into play while opposing forwards line up and lift their locks, to compete for the ball.
Knock-on
Losing, dropping, or knocking the ball forward from a player’s hand resulting in the ball being awarded to the opposing team in a scrum.
Ruck
A ruck is formed when a combination of at least three players from either teams bind together over the ball, after a tackle has been made. The aim is to try to push over (“ruck”) in order to gain possession.
Maul
A maul occurs when a player carrying the ball is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier’s team mates bind on the ball carrier. Once a maul has formed other players may join in but, as in a ruck, they must do so from their own side. If the maul stops moving forward, and the ball is not available to be played, then the referee awards a scrum to the side not in possession when the maul began (unless the maul was formed immediately after a player received a kick other than a kick-off).
The tactic of the rolling maul occurs when mauls are set up, and the ball is passed backwards through the players’ hands to one at the rear, who rolls off the side to change the direction of the drive. This tactic can be extremely effective in gaining ground and both doing it properly and preventing it takes great skill and technique. It is a tactic most commonly used when the attacking side is inside the defending side’s 22 meter line.
It was once illegal on safety grounds to pull down a maul, causing that player’s fall to the ground. With the introduction of the Experimental Law Variations it was permitted to pull down a maul if the forward momentum of the attacking side had been neutralised or reversed, subject to maintaining safety. This decision was reversed to make the pulling down of a maul illegal once more.
On the other hand, a maul is not properly formed if the ball carrier binds on to a team-mate from the rear, and both of them then drive into one or more opponents or if the ball-carrier breaks off from the back of the maul, which continues to drive forward. The players in front are either accidentally or deliberately offside and the referee awards either a scrum or a penalty to the opposing side, depending on whether the infringement was viewed as accidental or deliberate.
The tactic is sometimes referred to by players, commentators, and referees by the colloquial term “truck & trailer”.
Try
What every rugby fan ultimately wants. The ball actually has to be controlled and has to touch within the try zone. The try is the highest scoring action on the field and is worth five points.
Penalty
Used to restart game play following a major infringement. The team with the penalty can choose to kick a field goal, kick into touch, take a quick restart or go to a scrum where they have possession of the ball.
Kick for touch
When the ball is kicked out of bounds.
Drop Goal
A kick at goal that is taken during open play, when close to the opposing try line. If successful it scores three points but the ball must hit the ground (“drop”) before being kicked.
There you have it – now you are a proficient rugby fan. Your new guy is sure to be impressed and will probably go see any chick flick you want, no problem because guys dig chicks that know rugby!
All the muscular action can be seen at the stadiums for a mere R30 a ticket. Support our rugby stars and get down to the Absa Currie Cup. Be your team’s Biggest Fan and snap a winning pic or direct a brilliant video and upload to www.absacurriecup.co.za and win R100 000, plus much more. How far would you go to impress your new guy and your team?
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