Rugby hasn’t ever received the same amount of TV exposure as soccer, but it has recently seemed to gain a lot more popularity. Rugby is a sport that many people associate with shivering in the rain at school while hoping the big guy won’t come anywhere near them, but it’s also a great sport to enjoy from the comfort of your own living room! Here are ten things you probably didn’t know about rugby because the sport does seem to be getting more attention on television these days.
1. A try is what kind of thing?
The reason a try is referred to as such is because when the game was first played, scoring a touchdown at the opposing team’s end of the field did not result in any points being awarded. What it did give you, however, was a shot at the prize.
2. The game was named after the British school that it was invented in
There were no official rules for soccer when it was played in English schools in the 19th century; instead, each school created its own rule book. When William Webb Ellis, a student at Rugby School, decided to pick up the ball and run for the goal during a match of soccer, it is thought that he created the sport of rugby. To this day, the Web Ellis Cup is the name given to the Rugby Union World Cup.
3. Rugby balls were first made from pig’s bladders
A pig’s bladder was once used as the inner material for rugby and soccer balls. The pig’s bladders were unfortunately not properly preserved and frequently went bad. The wife of the man who made the rugby balls at Rugby School in the 19th century perished as a result of the fumes she inhaled from the balls.
4. The reigning Olympic Champions is the US
By a stroke of luck, the USA has held the title of current reigning Olympic Champions in the sport of rugby since 1924. The reason for this is that in that year, rugby was eliminated as an Olympic sport.
5. There are two different types of Rugby played
Rugby is played in two variations: rugby league and rugby union, which only serves to confuse non-experts more. The games are very similar, but the rules—which include a different scoring system—are very different.
6. The big scores
Anyone new to the sport will immediately notice the large scores as one of the differences between rugby and soccer. The game between Australia and Namibia, which Australia won by a score of 142 to 0, featured the largest score differential ever seen in an international match.
7. The one hundred year old world cup whistle
Every rugby world cup starts with the referee blowing a century-old whistle to signal the start of play. The 1924 match between England and New Zealand at the Paris Olympics was whistled with the exact same whistle.
8. The rugby world cup has never been retained by a team
The New Zealand team is the favorite to win the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and if they do, it will be a first for rugby, as no team has ever successfully defended their title since the competition’s inception in 1987.
9. A rugby coach invented basketball
The game of basketball is said to have been created by New England Rugby coach James Naismith. He allegedly created basketball so that his rugby team could practice indoors when the weather was too bad to practice outside.
10. National anthem singing at sporting occasions began with rugby
national anthems were typically sung before a rugby match against an international competition. It all began in 1905 when Welsh rugby fans composed their own national anthem in response to the Maori war dance performed by the New Zealand team. After that, it became customary to sing the national anthem before a game.