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FORT HOOD, Texas - The sport of rugby continues to grow in popularity, expanding to colleges, military posts and sprouting social leagues across the United States – so what is it?
Similar to American football, rugby is played on a pitch 100-meters long with two try zones at each end. The ball must be physically touched to the ground in the try zone to score points, coining the term touchdown in modern football.
“Rugby is basically football without the pads,” said Spc. Mark Boswell, a 4th Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment medic, who plays on the Fort Hood team. “Only, you can’t pass forward and the game continues through each tackle.”
The main goal is to score points by either placing the ball on the turf over the try zone for a try, or kicking the ball from the field through the upright posts for points.
Like football, a successful run to the try zone will earn you seven points. However, only five are earned for the touchdown, or try as it is called in rugby. Two additional points are scored for the extra kick.
There are 15 players on the pitch for each team, consisting of forward and back players. Forwards play up front and tend to be larger in size, while backs tend to be faster and more agile runners.
“I grew up playing football as an option quarterback,” Boswell said. “As soon as I started playing [rugby], I just fell in love with it. It was everything I loved about football I got to run the ball, make passes and play defense.”
Unlike football, rugby allows a player to use multiple skillsets on the field, Boswell said.
“In football you’re limited to playing you’re position,” he said. “If you’re a receiver, you are going to catch the football. A quarterback is going to pass a running back will run and so on.”
Rugby is played recreationally and socially in most countries around the world and has gained enough popularity to return to the Olympic games in 2016. It has not been played since 1924.
“Anyone who has played high school football or been involved in high school athletics in the past will already have some skills,” Boswell said.
“Rugby is for all shapes, sizes, ages, genders and even skill levels,” said Dan Chase, Fort Hood Rugby head coach. “At Fort Hood our smallest guy is around 5-foot-2 and 130 pounds, our biggest is 6-foot-4 and pushing 300 pounds.”
Youth league associations are beginning to recognize and implement coaching for youth rugby in many states, including Texas, and many colleges throughout the U.S. have begun to offer rugby scholarships, Chase said.
“Now that rugby is coming back to the Olympics in 2016, the growth rate is crazy,” Chase said. “We are looking for sponsors to help grow the program here in the Killeen, Temple, Cove, Fort Hood areas, adding a ladies team this year and looking to add a youth program ages 5 to 18; yes – girls play.”
Fort Hood’s rugby program was established in 1972 and generally plays local clubs, college teams and military posts.
“We will host the Hood Howdy Military Tournament in August 2014 where we will host bases and unit teams from around the world,” Chase said. “All the military bases and academies will be invited.”
“If you are interested in playing or making it a family affair, you are welcome to come out to practice and see what you think,” Chase said. He also said that those interested in sponsoring any part of the program can contact him at dchase@rhinorugbyusa.com.
“If you play football, rugby will give you skills that you can take back to that, or if you’re just looking for something to do after work, you should come out and try it,” Boswell said. “You’re going to get hooked.”
The Fort Hood Rugby team practices Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at the fields near 16th Street and Battalion Avenue.
For more information, visit the Fort Hood Rugby Facebook page or call Chase at 949-355-7730.
| Date Taken: | 11.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2013 12:19 |
| Story ID: | 116813 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Calling all ruggers: Fort Hood Rugby seeks support, by SGT William White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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