Rugby · Level 1: Beginner · Sub-level 1.1
What Rugby Is
10 tests · 100 facts · updated 28 October 2026 · markdown
Rugby union is a team game in which the aim is to score more points than the opponents. Attackers gain ground by carrying and kicking, since a hand pass must not travel forwards, while defenders tackle and contest to win the ball back. Every player may carry, pass, kick and tackle, and tackles, rucks, mauls and scrums are all contests where bodies meet.
Union is fifteen a side: eight forwards, known as the pack, wear 1 to 8 and form the scrum, and seven backs wear 9 to 15. A try, scored by grounding the ball beyond the opponents' goal line, is worth five points; a conversion adds two, and a penalty goal or a drop goal is worth three. A match is two halves of forty minutes, each starting with a kick-off, and teams change ends at half-time. League, the thirteen-a-side code, split away in the north of England in 1895, and sevens, played seven a side on a full-size field, joined the Olympics in Rio.
The facts below cover the aim of the game, the positions and their numbers, how a try and the points work, the clock, the other codes, sevens, rugby's values, who plays and the countries where the game is big.
Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.
Test 1The aim of the gameTake a test
Tries are scored by pressing the ball down beyond the opponents' goal line.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
A hand pass must not travel forwards; attackers gain ground by running and kicking.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Carrying and kicking are the two ways to gain ground.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Defenders tackle and contest to regain possession.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Every player may carry, pass, kick and tackle.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Points from tries and kicks are added up; the bigger total wins.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Tackles, rucks, mauls and scrums are all contests where bodies meet.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Possession first, ground gained, then the ball goes down over the line.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
A match is two halves with a break between them.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Grounding the ball beyond the line is a try.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 2Fifteen a sideTake a test
Union is fifteen a side.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Eight forwards and seven backs.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The eight forwards make up the scrum.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Seven backs: scrum-half, fly-half, two centres, two wings and the full-back.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The forwards are called the pack.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Forwards wear 1-8, backs 9-15.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The XV on a team sheet is the number of players.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Seven, thirteen and fifteen players a side.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Front row 1-3, back row 6-8, half-backs 9-10, back three 11, 14 and 15.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Numbers 1-8 are the forwards; 9-15 are the backs.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 3Scoring a tryTake a test
A try needs the ball grounded, not just carried over.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
In early rugby a touchdown only gave the right to try a kick at goal.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
In-goal lies between the goal line and the dead-ball line.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The conversion is taken in line with where the try was scored.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The goal line belongs to in-goal, so the ball on the line counts.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Hands, arms or the chest side from waist to neck.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
A try near the posts gives an easier conversion.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The kick only comes once the try is given.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
From halfway: the 22, then the goal line, in-goal, and the dead-ball line.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Grounding in in-goal is a try, diving or not.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 4Points in plain wordsTake a test
A try is five points in union.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Conversion: two points.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Penalty goal: three points.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
A drop goal, kicked in open play, is worth three.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Five plus two.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
5 + 5 + 2 + 3 + 3 = 18.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The ball goes above the bar and between the uprights.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Two, three and five.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
9, 10 and 14 points.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
A penalty kick at goal that goes over is worth three points.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 5Two halves and the clockTake a test
Two halves of forty minutes.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Each half is forty minutes.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Teams switch ends for the second half.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The teams rest and change ends at half-time.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Kicking the ball dead ends the half once time is up.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Major matches use a timekeeper; elsewhere the referee keeps time.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Stoppage time is added so the match keeps its full length.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Each forty-minute half starts with a kick-off.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Fourteen minutes, twenty minutes in a final with ten-minute halves, and eighty.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
The half ends at the next stoppage once time is up.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 6Union and the other codesTake a test
Union is the fifteen-a-side code.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
League is thirteen a side.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The split came in the north of England in 1895.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Rugby grew from the football played at English public schools.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
American and Canadian football grew out of rugby.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
In touch a defender touches the carrier instead of tackling.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Outside league areas, 'rugby' usually means union.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Seven, thirteen and fifteen.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Early 1800s, 1895, 2016.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Touch replaces the tackle with a touch.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 7Sevens in one lineTake a test
Sevens is seven a side on a full-size field.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Halves of seven minutes, with a longer final in some events.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Seven players on a full field leaves lots of space.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Sevens joined the Olympics in Rio.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Fiji's gold in 2016 was the country's first Olympic medal.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Teams play several games in a weekend.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Few defenders on a big field leave gaps.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Seven, forty and eighty minutes.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Sevens was played in 2016, 2021 and 2024.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Seven a side on a full field.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 8Rugby's valuesTake a test
Respect for opponents is a rugby value.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Solidarity is team spirit and loyalty.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Discipline includes accepting decisions on and off the field.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Integrity is honesty and fair play.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Passion is the excitement and belonging rugby creates.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The captain is the team's voice with the referee.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Players meeting after the game is known as the third half.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Respect runs from the first whistle to after the game.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Captains ask at a stoppage and accept the reply.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Clapping the other team off is a sign of respect.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 9Who playsTake a test
Women's rugby has its own World Cup and leagues.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The first women's World Cup was in Wales in 1991.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Mini rugby suits young children.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Many clubs start tag rugby around five or six.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Props, locks, scrum-halves and wings all need different builds.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Walking rugby is played at walking pace without contact.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Tag rugby is a non-contact first game for many children.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Non-contact first, then smaller games, then the full game.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
1987, 1991 and 2016.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Pulling a tag replaces the tackle.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Test 10Where the game is bigTake a test
The colour gave the team its nickname, the All Blacks.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
South Africa play as the Springboks.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Australia are the Wallabies.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
The European championship of these six nations.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Samoa, Tonga and Fiji are the Pacific's leading rugby nations.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Japan was the first Asian host.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
Argentina are Los Pumas.
Source: General rugby union reference · recall
2019, 2023 and 2027.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Italy in 2000, Argentina in 2012, Japan's World Cup in 2019.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
The All Blacks perform the haka before Tests.
Source: General rugby union reference · applied
Questions people ask
- How many players are on a rugby union team?
- Fifteen: eight forwards and seven backs. The forwards wear 1 to 8 and the backs 9 to 15.
- How many points is a try worth in rugby union?
- Five. A conversion after the try adds two more, while a penalty goal or a drop goal is worth three.
- Why can't you pass forwards in rugby?
- A hand pass must not travel forwards, so the attack gains ground by running with the ball and by kicking. Passing sideways or backwards keeps play going.
- How long does a rugby union match last?
- Two halves of forty minutes, eighty in all, with a break between them when the teams rest and change ends. Stoppage time is added so the match keeps its full length.
- What is the difference between rugby union and rugby league?
- Union is the fifteen-a-side code and league is played thirteen a side. The two split in the north of England in 1895.
- What is rugby sevens?
- Sevens is played seven a side on a full-size field, with halves of seven minutes and a longer final in some events. It joined the Olympics in Rio, where Fiji's gold was the country's first Olympic medal.
- What are rugby's core values?
- Respect, solidarity, discipline, integrity and passion. Discipline includes accepting decisions, and the captain is the team's voice with the referee.
Sources
World Rugby handbooks and coaching material, union and competition records; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered Laws belong to the Laws category.
- General rugby union reference100