Rugby Football Union

In recent years England Rugby has dedicated itself to making rugby as accessible as possible for anyone who wants to play, regardless of age, ability or gender.

As a result, variants of the game like beach, tag and touch rugby have been developed, and there are now more ways than ever to get on the pitch. While the rules of these games are new, the teamwork, respect and sportsmanship that has always been a key part of rugby remain.

Rugby union is a territorial, full-contact, team game, inclusive of all shapes and sizes, where 20-stone bulldozers are valued just as highly as small, pacy whippets. During the course of an 80-minute match, two sides of 15 players and six substitutes, officiated by a referee and two touch judges, try to outscore each other. The game lasts for two 40-minute halves on a grass pitch with an H-shaped goal post at each end.