Fifteens

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Fifteens pic 1

Fifteens is a rugby union variant that is played with fifteen players on each team. It is the most common form of rugby union and is played at both amateur and professional levels around the world. The game is governed by World Rugby, the international governing body for the sport.

History

The origins of fifteens rugby can be traced back to the early 19th century in England. The game evolved from various forms of football played at public schools such as Rugby School. The first set of rules, known as the Laws of the Game, were codified in 1845. The sport has since grown in popularity and is now played in over 100 countries.

Rules

The game is played on a rectangular field with H-shaped goalposts at each end. The objective is to score more points than the opposing team through tries, conversions, penalty kicks, and drop goals. A try is worth five points, a conversion is worth two points, and both penalty kicks and drop goals are worth three points each.

Duration

A standard match consists of two halves, each lasting 40 minutes, with a 10-minute halftime interval.

Players

Each team consists of 15 players divided into forwards and backs. The forwards are primarily responsible for winning possession of the ball, while the backs are responsible for advancing the ball and scoring points.

Forwards

• Loosehead Prop
• Hooker
• Tighthead Prop
• Locks
• Flanker
• Number Eight

Backs

• Scrum-half
• Fly-half
• Centres
• Wings
• Fullback

Competitions

Fifteens rugby is played in numerous domestic and international competitions. Some of the most notable include:

• Rugby World Cup
• Six Nations Championship
• The Rugby Championship
• Super Rugby
• Premiership Rugby
• Top 14

Related Pages

• Rugby sevens
• Rugby league
• Rugby union positions
• Laws of rugby union
• World Rugby

See Also

• Rugby union
• Rugby football
• History of rugby union