Snow has fallen across Cache Valley and the USU men’s and women’s rugby teams will be taking a much needed break until next year. But wait, did you know that there was a rugby team at USU, let alone a women’s team? Both the men’s and women’s programs are part of Utah State club sports and unfortunately receive little recognition.

Some of the toughest student athletes are on these teams.

“Rugby hurts,” said women’s rugby head coach Dennis Kohler.

I have been covering men’s and women’s rugby games for the past couple of months. It seems that every game I was able to attend was full of people lying on the grass in some contorted form because of the pain from the previous play.

Everyone I speak with on campus tells me that rugby players are crazy. I have a friend on the men’s team who turned every sport into a tackling event while we were growing up. Rugby players are just plain tough and are sports purists.

Often the term hooliganism is associated with rugby, but according to USA Rugby, the sport is ultimately about respect and team work. Respect for other teams, players and refs is the intended result of rugby competitions.

Those of us who enjoy basketball and football owe some gratitude to the game of rugby. The father of basketball, James Naismith, actually invented basketball as an alternative to rugby when New England winters proved too cold for outdoor play. People sometimes compare rugby to tackle basketball on grass.

Some characteristics of rugby, such as quick switches between offense and defense, ball handling and committing defenders to an attack space, are found in basketball. One difference between rugby and basketball with ball handling and passing is that rugby passes can only go backward.

Rugby is also a precursor to American football, and both sports have evolved with many similar strategies and tactics. There are, however, some differences between football and rugby. Rugby is played at a faster pace than football due to few stoppages and possession changes are continuous.

“It is not like football where you wear all those pads to protect you so you can make a big hit and then the whistle blows and you can stop to rest,” said men’s rugby team president Teddy Smith.

In football, each position has certain responsibilities. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part there are rules that prevent certain players from performing outside of their positions.

For example, one wouldn’t see a defensive end making a forward pass in a game. In rugby, all players on the field can run, pass, kick and catch the ball. Positions on the rugby pitch are both offensive and defensive, thus requiring the ability to defend and score. Also rugby doesn’t have downs where you have to reach a certain yardage as does football.

A rugby ball is oval like a football but has no laces and is less pointed than a football to avoid erratic bounces. Rugby is played on a field called a pitch and the pitch is larger than a football field and is more like a soccer field in size. The goal posts found on the pitch are the same size as American football goalposts.

Hard hits and blood are all good fun, but what about scoring? There are four ways a rugby team can score. The first is a try. This is much like a touchdown in football. Five points are awarded to a team for touching the ball down in the other team’s in-goal area. Touching the ball down means that the ball must touch the ground in the in-goal area before the try is counted.

Once teams scores a try they are given the chance to kick a two-point kick conversion. This is like an extra point in football; however, the ball must be kicked at least 10 meters away from the goal posts and must be at the point where the ball was touched down. This can definitely create some odd angles for the conversion kicks.

Another way to score is after a major violation. Teams may be awarded a penalty kick if they are within range. The kick is worth three points and must be taken from where the penalty occurred or along a straight line behind the point where the penalty occurred.

The last way to score has two variations. The first is a drop goal, the second – and by far the more difficult of the two – is a drop kick. Both are worth three points. A drop goal is a kick taken anywhere on the field during normal play.

A drop kick may be taken during normal play and also may be used to restart play after the opposing team has scored. What makes this kick so difficult is that the ball must be dropped completely to the ground and the player must kick the ball immediately when the ball hits the ground.

A rugby team has 15 players on the field of play and players wear a specific number on their jersey in conjunction with their positions. Positions are divided between the categories of forwards and backs. Forwards are responsible for winning possession of the ball and are generally the bigger, stronger players of the team. These players can be compared to linebackers and lineman in football.

The backs are responsible for exploiting the possession of the ball won by the forwards, and are smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards.

Line-outs are used to restart play in rugby when the ball travels out of bounds. In a line-out, both teams line up next to each other perpendicular to the out-of-bounds line. A player from the team who did not lose the ball out of bounds inbounds the ball between the two team lines. A player of each team may be lifted into the air to gain possession of the ball.

Rugby teams work on three main things non-stop in practice. Tackling, rucks and scrums. Tackles in rugby are different than from football.

“Again, we don’t wear pads so we need to be smart when tackling or someone will get hurt,” Smith said.

Tackles in rugby are not permitted above the waist and play doesn’t stop. Once players is tackled to the ground they must make the ball available immediately. At this point, a ruck occurs. This means players from each side grabs each other and tries to the push the opposing player backwards to win possession of the ball.

A maul is similar to a ruck except a maul occurs when the player is stood up and not tackled to the ground. The maul finishes when the ball emerges.

The scrum is the forerunner to football’s line of scrimmage. A scrum is how play is restarted after a referee has called a minor violation.

Players numbered one through nine from each team bind themselves together to form a tunnel. A player from the non-offending team rolls the ball down the tunnel. Each team then pushes forward until players from each side, called the hooker, is able to hook the ball with their feet and push the ball to the back row of the players in the scrum. It is then the scrum half’s responsibility to recover the ball and put the ball into play.

Rugby is a team game designed to build the character of those who participate. The next time you see a sign in front of the HPER building telling you there is a rugby game you should consider attending. Who knows you might find yourself entertained and enriched by learning a new sport.

– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu