In This Guide
Rugby Union
According to legend, rugby originated when a student at England’s Rugby School picked up the ball during a soccer game and began running with it. In doing so, William Webb Ellis created a sport that combines speed and skill with strength and toughness. Its fast-paced and ferocious nature has made it popular around the world, and the last three world champions have come from three different continents. This Web guide includes Web sites that can teach you the rules, history, and skills required to play the game and help you follow the world of competitive rugby.
Expand All Guide SectionsRules and History of Rugby
Rugby began with one player playing by his own rules. Today, the international rulebook has almost ... read more »
Rugby Associations, Tournaments, Leagues, and Teams
Rugby competitions take many different forms, including amateur contests, international ... read more »
News and Analysis of Rugby
With competitions being played regularly in both hemispheres, you need to find sources from around the world to fully appreciate competitive rugby. This section highlights the world’s best Web sites for news and commentary.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The blogs below, like most blogs, list links to other blogs that the authors enjoy in the margins of their page. These lists are called blogrolls, and they’re a great way to discover new sites.
- The league and team sites found in the previous section are a good source for news, but bear in mind that they don’t typically feature candid analysis.
- Message boards are full of news, opinions, and debates among fans that can help you gauge public opinion and gain new perspectives. Use caution, however, as most of the posters are completely anonymous, and it is difficult to determine whether their posts are factually incorrect or biased. Some of the most active rugby message boards are found on Planet Rugby, Scrum.com and The Rugby Forum.
Dulcinea's Picks
For free news and commentary …
Scrum.com
is an ESPN-owned site that focuses on European rugby but features coverage of rugby in the Southern Hemisphere as well. This is the best site to find breaking news and match reports; important matches are covered in real time with a live scoreboard and running match commentary. There is also commentary from a large team of respected writers.
Rugby365
is a South African site that covers international and professional rugby. Search for news by country using the “All the News” tab, or by competition using the “Tournaments” tab. The “Opinion” tab has four sections: “Second Phase” features commentary from Rugby365 writers, while “Tight Five” features more humorous articles. “Write of Reply” and the “Forum” have reader comments and allow you to post your own thoughts. For coverage focused more on rugby in the United States and Canada, visit RugbyRugby, a site administered by Rugby365.
Planet Rugby
covers international and professional rugby. Click the “By Country” tab for all the information you need on national teams, including news stories, history, past and future fixtures, and even national anthem lyrics. The “Tournaments” tab will give you news, game results, and standings for each competition. “Fixtures & Results” will show you who is playing today in any league.
NewsNow
searches the Web every five minutes to find the most recent rugby stories from newspapers and Web sites all over the world, and provides links to these stories.
For subscription sites …
ERugbyNews
is the companion Web site for Rugby Magazine, which covers all levels of American rugby. Much of the site requires a subscription of $39.50, including content from the print magazine, archived material, and the columns of Alex Goff. Free content, which consists of news stories and player profiles, can be found under the “News & Features” tab.
Rugby World
is a British monthly magazine that has covered rugby since 1951. Though the Web site doesn’t feature much content from the print edition, it does have news stories from competitions around the world.
or blogs …
Scrumbag
offers a humorous look at the world of rugby, primarily British and international rugby. Updated several times a day, the blog tends to alternate between cogent analysis and amusing takes on the lighter side of the game.
The Rugby Blog
is written by a witty Englishman who tends to focus on English and international rugby. His coverage of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which can be found under the “Categories” menu, is particularly good. The “Clips,” “Tickets,” and “Photos” sections are undeveloped, but the “Fans” tab takes you to a very interesting diary of the author’s travels.
RugbyDump
is written by three people from three different continents whose goal is to create the best online collection of rugby video clips. Each blog entry has a video clip featuring the most exciting tries, biggest hits, funniest bloopers, and all the Haka dances you could ask for.
Rugby Statistics
If you’re looking to see how your favorite teams or players are doing this season or have ... read more »
Playing Rugby
Whether you’re a hooker looking to improve your scrummaging or a fly-half looking to improve ... read more »
Rugby Equipment and Apparel
Rugby may be famous for its relative lack of equipment, but there is still a lot needed to play. ... read more »
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