Today we conclude our look at the comparison between both codes of Rugby.
Possession
A big difference in gameplay between the two games is that
rugby league has shed from its laws several opportunities for possession to be
contested that rugby union has retained: contesting the ball after the tackle,
on the ground in rucks and through mauls. When the ball goes into touch,
possession in rugby union is contested through a line-out, while in rugby
league a scrum restarts play. The lesser focus on contesting possession means
there are fewer stoppages of play in rugby league, with the ball typically in
play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 for professional rugby
union. As the ball is in play more and there are fewer players to cover the field it has been implied that
rugby league is the more physically demanding sport.
In union the attacking team can hold onto and use the ball
for as long as they are able, while the opposition's aim is to take possession
of the ball from them. In league each team can be tackled six times before
handing over possession. After being tackled five times, the attacking team
will usually kick the ball either in an attacking kick or for territory. As the
ball can only be contested during a one on one tackle in league there is less
scope for a turnover to occur than in rugby union. Collins has argued that the
six tackle rule in rugby league offers a more even distribution of possession
despite fewer opportunities to contest it. Possession can also be contested
following kicks to restart play from the halfway, 22 metre in both games .
Generally league restarts are likely to go for distance unless possession is
needed quickly . Union restarts are more likely to be short to allow players to
contest possession in the air.
Possession may change the same ways in both games:
# When the ball is kicked to the opposing team, this can be
done at any time but it is normal to punt on the last tackle in rugby league.
# Following an unsuccessful kick at goal. If the kick at
goal misses and goes dead, play is restarted with a drop out .
# When an opposing player intercepts a pass.
# When the player in possession drops the ball and it is
recovered by an opposition player.
# If a player knocks the ball forward or throws a forward
pass the other team is awarded a scrum.
# If a player commits an illegal play the opposing team is
awarded a penalty and will receive the ball.
Possession may change in rugby league in a number of unique
ways:
# In rugby league if the ball goes out of play, the
opposition are awarded a scrum. If this is from a kick going into touch on the
full this is called ball back and the scrum is formed where contact with the
ball was made. Otherwise, under recent rule changes, the scrum is formed 20
metres from the point of touch. Penalties and 40/20 kicks are exceptions to
this rule.
#If a one-on-one tackle is attempted, the tackler can
legally strip the ball from the attacking player.
# In rugby league, an automatic handover takes place when
the team in possession runs out of tackles.
Possession may change in rugby union in a number of unique
ways
# In rugby union if the ball goes out of play the opposition
may be awarded a line-out. The opposition are awarded a line out if the team in
possession kicks the ball out of play and they haven't been awarded a penalty
before the kick.
# In rugby union the attacking team may lose possession in a
scrum, line out, maul, ruck or tackle.
Tackling
In both games tackling is permitted to either bring down the
player in possession of the ball or prevent them from making forward progress.
Tackling or interfering with a player who is not in possession of the ball is
not permitted. Tripping with the leg is not allowed in either code. However, in
rugby league, if a tackling player has both hands on the ball carrier, he is
allowed to use his legs to bring him to ground.
In rugby league, a tackle is deemed to be complete when the
elbow of the arm holding the ball touches the ground, or the player is held in
an upright tackle. The ball cannot be further advanced and a play-the-ball or
handover must take place. In rugby union, a tackle is deemed to be complete
when the player in possession is held on the ground; that player must play the
ball immediately. In rugby league a play
the ball takes place after each tackle. In rugby union, play does not stop when
a player is forced to the ground in a tackle, as the tackled player must
immediately play the ball, and the tackler must roll away, which will generally
mean a ruck will form.
The laws of rugby league specifically outlaw the so-called
"voluntary tackle": players are not allowed to go to ground unless
they are effectively tackled by an opponent, though in practice this rule is
rarely applied. There was no equivalent law in rugby union, in the past going
to ground with the ball and protecting it was practised, but in the modern game
deliberately falling on the ground to gain an advantage is outlawed by Law 14:
"The game is to be played by players who are on their feet. A player must
not make the ball unplayable by falling down." A player who falls to
ground with the ball or on it must immediately release or pass the ball, or get
up with it.
Scoring
Union and league have the same ways of scoring, but there
are significant differences in the points awarded, and a few minor differences
in the laws governing the scoring of tries.
The try is the main way of scoring in both codes; there are
some subtle differences between the two codes, but the most obvious difference
is that a try is worth 5 points in rugby union and 4 points in rugby league. In
both games, a conversion following a try is worth 2 points. A player tackled
just short of the try-line in rugby union can legitimately reach across it and place
the ball down for a try. This is not allowed in rugby league unless the
momentum of the player continues to take him over the line in one continuous
movement. If the tackle is complete, such a move would constitute a
"double movement" and the try would be disallowed.
A drop goal is worth 3 points in union and 1 in league. A
penalty goal is worth 3 points in union and 2 points in league.
Laws
Use of a "sin bin" was introduced by rugby league
in 1980. Rugby union had been experimenting with the same concept since 1979,
although it was not formally sanctioned until 2001.
Video referee technology was first used for rugby league in
1996 and for rugby union in 2001. For instance, props and hookers in rugby
union tend to be among the physically strongest and heaviest players with high
levels of scrummaging and mauling skills, but traditionally with limited speed
and ball-handling skills. In rugby league, props are physically big, straight
running forwards whose job it is to set the platform and get the go forward
while still possessing agility and good ball handling skills. Locks in union
tend to be very tall and high jumpers, as this helps at line-outs; while as
this is not a necessity for league; the two second rowers and the loose forward
/ lock are mobile with speed across the park who can off-load on attack and
contain and enforce on defence. They are similar to the loose forward trio of
flankers and number eight in rugby union. Depending on their speed and ball
playing skills, lock forwards in rugby league can generally play as both a
forward and as an extra five-eight.
Scrum-half is a specialized position in rugby union and
similar to the hooker in league: the number 9 initiates most moves by his or
her team and must be an excellent passer of the ball in rugby union as with
league. In rugby league any player can act from dummy half, however, in the
professional modern game it is a specialised job for the hooker to instigate
and direct the forward platform. He must also be able to probe with a running
and varied kicking game from dummy half while still possessing strong and
effective tackling.
The similarity between the two games has meant that players
can switch between the two codes. League initially recruited big name players
from union, like Herbert "Dally" Messenger in 1907, and the RFU
responded by banning any player that played rugby league for life. A push into
converting union players to rugby league, such as All Blacks John Gallagher,
Frano Botica, Matthew Ridge and Va'aiga Tuigamala, occurred during the late
1980s and into the 1990s. When rugby union became professional league players
were allowed to play for rugby union teams, leading to a reversal in cross-code
switching. Gallagher, Botica and Tuigamala returned to union, while leading
league players such as Jason Robinson, Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri,
Henry Paul and Iestyn Harris, took up rugby union contracts. With the wartime
Emergency League suspended, Leeds Rugby League reverted to rugby union during
World War I to play a one-off challenge game against the Royal Navy Depot from
Plymouth in 1917. This was precursor to the following Christmas when two
Challenge games were organised between the two sides but this time with one of
each code. The Navy won the union game, 9–3, on Christmas Eve but proved
equally adept at league recording a 24–3 win on 28 December. During World War
II, the RFU relaxed its restrictions on rugby league players playing rugby
union. In 1943, a Northern Command army rugby league side defeated a Northern
Command union side, 18–11, at Headingley under rugby union laws. The following
year a Combined Services rugby league side beat a Combined Services union side,
15–10, at Bradford again at rugby union. These were the only league v union
matches played until 1996.
With both sports becoming professional matches between union
and league teams have been played. In May 1996, Bath Rugby and Wigan RLFC, who
were then England's top union and league sides respectively, made history by
playing against each other at both codes of rugby. Wigan won, 82–6, in the
first match, played under league rules, and lost the second, 44–19, under union
rules. Since then other games have been played between union and league teams
using the laws of one of the codes, or in some cases using a different set of
laws each half.
Since the two match series in 1996, there has only been one
similar endeavor to bring together union and league. In January 2003, St Helens
rugby league took on Sale rugby union in a single game played at Knowsley Road,
intended to have one half under league rules and the other under union rules.
Unlike Bath, who were to all intents and purposes still the amateur side they
had been, Sale had the benefit of almost a decade of professionalism to improve
both strength and fitness that was necessary for them to adapt to the constant
tackling required in rugby league. Sale prevailed against St Helens in front of
a fierce St Helens home crowd at Knowsley Road, winning the match against St
Helens, 41–39.
The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby
union have at times led to the possibility of a merger being mooted One of the
main reasons for the split was union's enforcement of the amateur principle,
meaning that working class players could not afford to take time off work to
play the sport.
In England, rugby union is widely regarded as an
"establishment" sport, played mostly by members of the upper and
middle classes. For example, many students at public schools play rugby union.
In contrast, rugby league has traditionally been seen as a working class
pursuit.
In Wales, rugby union is associated with small village teams
which consisted of coal miners and other industrial workers playing on their
days off.
In Australia, the two codes were also strongly divided down
class lines. Support for both codes is concentrated in New South Wales,
Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. The same perceived class
barrier as exists between the two games in England also occurs in these states,
fostered by rugby union's prominence and support at schools.
In New Zealand, rugby league is still considered to be a
lower class game by many, or a game for "westies" referring to lower
class western suburbs of Auckland and more recently the poorer southern
Auckland where the game is popular. It is also popular on the West Coast of New
Zealand.
In France, rugby union is widely played and has a strong
tradition in the Basque, Occitan, and Catalan areas along the border regions
between Spain and France. It rivals the popularity of Association Football.
Rugby league has historically been played in much the same region.
Finance and scale
In the UK, the "two codes" of rugby are very
different in scale and turnover. The turnover of the RFL was reported as £29m
in 2011. For comparison, the turnover of the Rugby Football Union in 2011 was
£130m. The number of rugby union players in England is 1.99 million which
includes 131,000 senior male players. The number of players participating in
any capacity in Rugby League in England
is about 100,000.
Australia in 2013, rugby league had 1,430,367 participants
in the sport, and 167,533 registered players. The Australian Rugby League
Commission reported a gross revenue of $185,668,873 and a gross profit of
$4,675,845 in the 2012 financial year. Rugby Union in 2012 had 323,115
participants, including 50,000 registered juniors. The ARU in 2012 had gross
revenues of $96.6M, but had a net deficit of $8.3M. A significant portion of
Rugby Union's revenue is derived from the national team touring overseas and
visiting tours, while Rugby League's is largely generated by its strong
domestic league.
The number of rugby union players in New Zealand is
estimated to be 129,000, with 35,721 in the sevens form. Rugby union sevens is
a core event at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
The major annual international competition in rugby league
is the Four Nations, first played in 1999. It originally involved Britain,
Australia and New Zealand before expanding to include a fourth invited nation
in 2009. Rugby league introduced its World Cup in 1954 and it has been held
intermittently since, in various formats. Rugby union's first World Cup was
held in 1987 and it is contested every four years.
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