The Rugby Outsider

Just one look is all it took. I had never watched a Rugby Sevens game until today's NBC Broadcast of the HSBC Las Vegas Sevens Tournament . The Sevens game will likely be the preferred method of bringing Rugby to the American masses, and I'll tell you why: Sevens is played wide-open as opposed to the many pitched defensive battles that characterize the XV Union code. With the emphasis on speed and passing without prolonged stoppages for rucks and mauls, Sevens is much easier to follow on TV for novices like myself. With Rugby Sevens coming to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the USA the "defending" Olympic Champion from back in 1924, Sevens will be on TV in 2016. Two seven minute halves mean that several games can be condensed into hour or two hour blocs of broadcast time. It's an hour into NBC's coverage as I write, and this will be the third game I will have watched. Players are lean and quick--almost like a team of XV backs, and positions 1-8 are...

One of the first things to know about the sport of rugby in the world is that there are several different types: Rugby Union vs. Rugby League and Rugby XV's (15 players a side) vs. Rugby Sevens (7 a side). We'll deal with Sevens vs. 15's later. For now, let's talk about Rugby Union and League. Wikipedia does have a good comprehensive overview of the differences between Union and League. Stuart Duncan of suite101.com has some good stories and history of the game. His description of the difference in the two codes is a must-read. For fans of either sport, mistakenly referring to one as the other is a definite no-no. It might even lead to an argument. Best to know which one you're talking about before you speak. The governing body for Rugby Union is the International Rugby Board (IRB) and it is based out of Dublin, Ireland. For Rugby League, the Rugby League International Federation is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Again, read the background information...