Rugby

Rugby is a sport played by 2 teams of 15 players each, in which a ball is moved with the hands and feet. First played at Rugby School in England in 1823, the game flouted the rules of the day governing football by allowing players to take the ball in their hands. The oval ball was adopted in 1851. The first club, Guy’s Hospital, was formed in 1843, and it was only in 1871 that the first rules were codified, under the name of Rugby Football. In 1877, the number of players went from 20 to 15, and in 1886, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales founded the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB), which established the rules of play. England became a member four years later. In 1895, a split led to the creation of the Northern Rugby Football Union and 13-a-side teams. The game became an Olympic sport in 1900, at the Paris Games, and remained so until 1924. In 1910, The first Tournament of Five Nations brought together the four IRFB member teams and France, which only joined the federation in 1978. The first World Cup was organized jointly by Australia and New Zealand in 1987 and women had their first own World Cup in 1991. In 1995, high level rugby players acquired professional status.

A History of Rugby in Canada

The first recorded game of rugby in Canada took place among artillery men in Montreal in 1864 and that same year, Trinity College, Toronto, published the first set of rules for the game of rugby in Canada. In 1868, the Montreal Football Club formed the first club and in 1874, the first North American international game took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts between McGill and Harvard Universities. Later that year, Ontario and Quebec played the first inter-provincial match.

In the early 1900s, rugby competition generally took place between the closest geographical neighbour and for British Columbia the main competition came from the West Coast of the United States. British Columbia hosted the first visiting international side, the New Zealand All Blacks in 1906, but before that in1902 a Canadian representative team toured the British Isles. (W 8, L 13, T 2).

Across Canada, rugby surged in popularity prior to WW1, but that soon dissipated with the advent of war, and from 1914 to 1919 only British Columbia and Nova Scotia enjoyed sufficient numbers to arrange matches on a semi-regular basis. Elsewhere, rugby disbanded in favour of a more concerted war effort although some games did occur to help boost morale amongst servicemen and civilians.

Rugby in Canada continually battles against a harsh climate, an immense geographical size, and a relatively low population and faces competition from gridiron football – a game developed from rugby – ice hockey, basketball, soccer and other recreational sports. Since 1945, however, provincial Rugby Unions have experienced marked growth and the Rugby Union of Canada, which dissolved because of World War II, reformed in 1965. In 1991 Canada became an International Rugby Board member and today, rugby in Canada involves 100,000 people, with 220 men's clubs, 80 Women's clubs, and nearly 900 high school teams.

Male Rugby was included in the Canada Games for the first time at the 1981 Canada Summer Games in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The competition shall be governed by the Laws of the Game of Rugby Football at Under 19 level, as framed and interpreted from time to time by the International Rugby Football Board. Where possible, final games will be 70 minutes but the length of the games may vary depending on the schedule (ie. if a team plays more than one game per day, the total minutes played by that team must not exceed 80 minutes for that day). Seedings are based on the results of the 2004 Under 18 National Championships.

Competition Format: 2 pools. After round robin play in pools, teams will be ranked 1 to 8 for Quarter Final Play. Ninth place finisher in Round Robin play will be joined by the Losing quarter final teams, the bottom five teams will play a Round Robin format to determine final placing 5 to 9.

Advantage Law – Allows play to proceed after an infringement in the case of the non-offending team receiving an advantage.

Attacking Team – The team in possession of the ball.

Backs – Players who spread out and attempt to run the ball delivered from a scrum or lineout.

Dead Ball Line – The limit to which a try can be scored beyond the goal line.

Defending Team – The team not in possession of the ball.

Drop Kick – A kick made after the ball has reached or bounced off the ground. Worth three points if it clears the goalposts; also used to restart play after a score or certain other occasions.

Forward Pass – A violation that usually results in a scrum to the non-offending side.

Forwards – Players who pack in a scrum or throw and jump in a lineout.

Free Kick – A relatively minor law violation that allows the non-offending side to restart play in an unopposed fashion. Opponents must retreat 10-meters and wait for the non-offending team to kick the ball through the mark. A free kick cannot be taken for goal.

Infringement – A breaking of a law.

Intercept – To catch a pass intended for a member of the opposition.

Knock on – The accidental hitting of the ball from the hands or arms toward the dead ball line. Results in the same scenario as a forward pass -- a scrum to the non- offending team.

Lineout – Restarts play after the ball goes out over the touchline. The team that didn’t touch the ball last has the throw-in.

Mark – The place where the referee signals play will be restarted. For example, the referee marks where the scrum will take place, or where the penalty has occurred.

Offside – Players in front of a member of their own team who was last in possession of the ball, or in front of established lines at a scrum. Lineouts of loose play are said to be offsides. In some instances, one can retreat to an onside position without penalty; other times the infraction is automatically a violation.

Pack – Forward unit of a team, engages in scrum and lineouts.

Penalty – Awarded after a serious infringement of the laws. Offenders are required to retire 10-meters while the opposition is given possession to restart play unopposed. Many times the non-offending team will attempt a kick at goal, worth three points.

Put in – Rolling the ball down the center of the scrum tunnel.

Ruck – A ball-winning activity following a tackle and release; a ruck is formed if a player from both teams is in physical contact over the ball.

Scrum – A way to restart play where a bound group of players form a tunnel with the opposition.

Set Piece – A term for scrums and lineouts.

Support Players – Players who position themselves to increase the ball transfer options of the ball carrier.

Tap Kick (or “Tap Move”) – A gentle kick to oneself, followed by a pick up, used to restart play after either a penalty or free kick is awarded.

Throw in – Throwing the ball down the middle of a lineout.

Touchline – The side boundary of the field (sideline).

Try – Forcing the ball onto the ground with downward pressure over the opposition’s goal line.

22-Meter Line – Balls kicked out of bounds from behind the "22" restarted by a lineout where the ball went out; balls kicked out of bounds from in front of the 22 are restarted by a lineout where the ball was kicked. The exception is a ball kicked out of bounds immediately after a penalty has been awarded; the lineout is held where the ball went out and the non-offending team retains the throw-in.

For round-robin play only: points will be awarded on the following basis:

Win – 4 points               Tie – 2 points                Loss – 0 points

Loss of 7 points or less 1 point (bonus point)

4 tries or more 1 point (bonus point)

Any tied scores at the end of regulation play will stand. There will be no over-time during round robin play.

For Knock-out rounds (quarter-final, semi-final, medal games, or final standings): the winning team shall advance according to the schedule. The losing team shall continue according to the schedule to compete for final placing.

For Round Robin play: Any tied scores at the end of regulation play will stand. No overtime will be played in the round-robin.

Determination of Standings

1. The standings at the completion of the round robin will be determined by the ranking of the teams according to points awarded.
2. If, at the conclusion of the round robin, there is a tie between two or more teams based on points awarded; the team with the better win/loss record against the team(s) with which they are tied shall be deemed to be higher(est) in the standings.
   1. Should there still be a tie, the team which scored the most tries against the team(s) with which they are tied, shall be deemed to be the higher(est) in the standings.
   2. Should there still be a tie, the team which scored the most converted tries against the team(s) with which they are tied, shall be deemed to be the higher(est) in the standings.
   3. Should there is still a tie, the team with the highest net score (points scored less points against) amongst the tied teams shall be deemed higher (est) in the standings.
3. If there is still a tie then the above process is repeated using all the games played during the round robin.
4. If they still remain tied, the team which scored more points from all games played during the round robin than the other team(s) involved shall be deemed to be higher(est) in the standings.
5. Should they continue to be tied, the highest place team shall be determined by whomever had the least amount of points scored against them in all games played during the round robin.
6. If there is still a tie, the team that has scored the most goals (converted tries) in all games in the round robin, shall be deemed higher(est) in the standing.
7. If there is still a tie, the team that has scored the most drop goals in all games in the round robin, shall be deemed higher(est) in the standings.
8. If there is still a tie, the team that has scored the most penalty goals in all games in the round robin, shall be deemed higher(est) in the standings.

Note: In the event that more than two teams are tied and the above process reduces the tied teams by one or more; then, in order to break further ties, the process shall commence again, from the beginning.

For knock-out rounds (quarter-final, semi-final, medal games, or final standings):

The team scoring the greatest number of points during a match shall be declared the winner of the match.

A tie will result in 2 additional Non Sudden Death periods. These periods will be for a maximum of 5 minutes each. A coin will be tossed prior to the commencement of the over-time period, by the referee, in order to designate ends. There will be a five-minute break between regulation time and over-time. There will be a one-minute break between over-time periods at which point the teams will change ends.

The IRB Directive (6th May 2004) identifying a maximum of 90 minutes of play per day for under 19 players remains paramount in regards to the application of tie-breaking protocols and scheduling issues where either of the teams involved are scheduled more than one game on any day.

Determination of Ties after overtime periods

• or, if 90 minutes of play has been played by either team;
• or, if more than 90 minutes would have been played by either team before the additional overtime periods have concluded.

1. If a tie still exists, the team scoring the most tries during the match shall be deemed to be the winner.
2. If a tie still exists, the team scoring the most converted tries during the match shall be deemed the winner.
3. If a tie still exists, the team scoring the most drop goals during the match shall be deemed the winner.
4. If a tie still exists, the team scoring the most penalty goals during the match shall be deemed the winner.
5. If a tie still exists, each team shall name one player as its kicker and these two players shall commence kicking at goal from the centre of the 22-metre line. A coin will be tossed to decide which player shall kick first. Each player shall attempt three (3) kicks. After three (3) successive kicks, each from the 22 metre line, the referee may, at his/her discretion, move the kickers a further ten metres back and the kickers shall commence at this point. The competition shall continue as before, until a winner is declared. The team whose kicker succeeds, when the other fails shall be declared the winner. The kicker for each team must be selected from players on the field at the end of the game, prior to going to Kicks as a final Tie Breaking method.

Ball – The ball is made of treated leather or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) so that it is water and mud resistant. It must be constructed of four sections, and conform to regulation dimensions. Originally round, it took its oval form when an egg shaped pig’s bladder was first used.

Dress – Thick shoulder pads are not permitted. However, the referee may authorize the wearing of soft protective equipment (padding, foam rubber, or a similar soft material) that complies with strict technical specifications.

Jersey – The number worn on the back of the jersey corresponds to the player’s position on the field.

Rugby shoes – The cleats may be of leather, plastic, rubber, or aluminum. They must not exceed 18 mm in length.