Underwater rugby

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Underwater rugby (UWR) is an underwater team sport. During a match two teams try to score a negatively buoyant ball (filled with saltwater) into the opponents’ goal at the bottom of a swimming pool. It originated from within the physical fitness training regime existing in German diving clubs during the early 1960s and has little in common with rugby football except for the name. It was recognised by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) in 1978 and was first played as a world championship in 1980.

History[edit | edit source]

Underwater rugby started in the physical fitness training regime of German diving clubs during the early 1960s. The "father" of the game is Ludwig von Bersuda, who saw the potential of the unique kind of movement possible in the three-dimensional underwater space. The first underwater rugby game was played in a diving pit in Cologne, Germany in 1961.

Gameplay[edit | edit source]

Underwater rugby is played in a pool with a depth of 3.5m to 5m and goals (heavy metal buckets with a diameter of about 40 cm) at the bottom of the pool. Two teams, each with six players (plus six substitutes), try to score a goal by sending the slightly negatively buoyant ball (filled with saltwater) into the opponents’ goal. It is a fast and exhausting game; therefore, the subs replace their players on the fly.

The ball may be passed in any direction but must not leave the water. It "flies" about 2m or 3m in the water. The players wear fins and use snorkelling gear and hold their breath while under water.

Rules[edit | edit source]

The basic rules of Underwater Rugby are relatively simple: the opposing team's goal is at the bottom of the pool. A player who possesses the ball must not make contact with the floor of the pool, the surface, or the wall. The ball must not leave the water. The game is non-contact: only the player who possesses the ball may be tackled.

International Competitions[edit | edit source]

Underwater rugby is governed internationally by Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS). The first world championship was held in 1980 in Mülheim, Germany. Since then, a world championship tournament has been held every four years. The most recent world championship was held in Graz, Austria in 2019.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD