What shape is a rugby ball?
Answer : Oval
The oval ball is easy to tuck under one arm, pass or kick, and its unpredictable bounce is a big part of what makes rugby exciting.
Questions and answers: Rugby
Revise Rugby: here is a selection of questions of every level, with the answer and an explanation. To test yourself without seeing the answers, play the quizzes.
Play the Rugby quizzesVery easy
How many players per team are on the pitch in rugby union?
Answer : 15
A rugby union side fields eight forwards and seven backs, making 15 players. Rugby league uses 13 per team and rugby sevens, 7.
Which of these teams plays in the Six Nations Championship?
Answer : France
France plays in the Six Nations with England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy. The other three nations listed compete in the Rugby Championship in the southern hemisphere.
How many points is a try worth in rugby union?
Answer : 5
A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opponents' in-goal area; it is worth 5 points and earns a conversion kick worth 2 more.
What colour is the jersey of New Zealand's team, the All Blacks?
Answer : Black
The All Blacks play entirely in black with a silver fern emblem, one of the most recognisable kits in world sport for over a century.
Which country is famous for performing the haka before rugby matches?
Answer : New Zealand
The haka is a Maori war dance that the All Blacks perform facing their opponents before kick-off; Fiji, Tonga and Samoa have their own pre-match dances too.
Which animal appears on the French national rugby team's jersey?
Answer : Rooster
The Gallic rooster, a national symbol of France, is the emblem on the blue jersey of the French rugby team.
Which letter do rugby goalposts look like?
Answer : H
The posts form an H: two uprights 5.6 metres apart joined by a crossbar 3 metres off the ground. Kicks at goal must pass above the bar and between the uprights.
Easy
Which country hosted the 2023 Rugby World Cup?
Answer : France
France hosted the 2023 tournament in nine stadiums, and South Africa beat New Zealand 12-11 in the final at the Stade de France.
Which team won the 2019 Rugby World Cup?
Answer : South Africa
The Springboks beat England 32-12 in the final in Yokohama, claiming their third world title after 1995 and 2007.
How many points is a successful penalty kick worth?
Answer : 3
A successful penalty kick at goal, awarded after an opposition offence, is worth 3 points, the same as a drop goal.
How many points is a successful conversion worth?
Answer : 2
A conversion, kicked after a try, is worth 2 points, so a converted try is worth 7 in total.
How many players per team are there in rugby league?
Answer : 13
Rugby league split from rugby union in 1895 in the north of England, and each side gets six tackles to score before handing the ball over.
Which country's team is nicknamed the Wallabies?
Answer : Australia
The Wallabies are named after the wallaby, a small kangaroo native to Australia, and play in gold and green.
In which city is the Stade de France located?
Answer : Saint-Denis
The Stade de France, opened in 1998 for the football World Cup, stands in Saint-Denis just north of Paris and regularly hosts French rugby internationals.
What is the phase called where each team's eight forwards bind and push to win the ball?
Answer : The scrum
In the scrum, eight forwards from each side bind together and push to win the ball fed in by the scrum-half. The lineout restarts play after the ball goes into touch.
Medium
Which team won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987?
Answer : New Zealand
The inaugural tournament was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia, and the All Blacks beat France 29-9 in the final at Eden Park, Auckland.
How many points is a successful drop goal worth?
Answer : 3
A drop goal, kicked from open play by letting the ball bounce and then kicking it, is worth 3 points; Jonny Wilkinson made it famous in the 2003 final.
Which country has a red dragon on its jersey?
Answer : Wales
The red dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) is on the Welsh flag and is closely associated with the national team, who play in red.
What is it called when a team wins all its matches in the Six Nations?
Answer : The Grand Slam
A Grand Slam means beating all five opponents in a single Six Nations; the Triple Crown is a separate prize for the four British and Irish sides beating one another.
What is symbolically given to the last-placed team in the Six Nations?
Answer : The Wooden Spoon
The wooden spoon is a humorous tradition rather than a formal award, and it marks the team that finishes bottom of the Six Nations table.
Which team won the 2003 Rugby World Cup?
Answer : England
England beat Australia 20-17 in extra time in Sydney, becoming the first northern-hemisphere side to win the World Cup.
In which English town was rugby, according to tradition, born?
Answer : Rugby
According to tradition, the game began at Rugby School in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, in 1823, and the town gave the sport its name.
Which country did the famous winger Jonah Lomu play for?
Answer : New Zealand
Winger Jonah Lomu scored four tries against England in the 1995 World Cup semi-final and became rugby's first global superstar.
Hard
Which team did South Africa beat in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer : New Zealand
South Africa won 15-12 after extra time in Johannesburg, and the image of Mandela handing the trophy to Pienaar in a Springbok shirt became a symbol of national unity.
Which team won the 1991 Rugby World Cup?
Answer : Australia
Australia beat England 12-6 at Twickenham to win its first World Cup, having already knocked out Ireland and New Zealand.
Which teams compete for the Calcutta Cup?
Answer : England / Scotland
The Calcutta Cup has been contested by England and Scotland since 1879 during the Six Nations; it is said to be made from melted silver rupees of the old Calcutta club.
In which city is the Millennium (Principality) Stadium located?
Answer : Cardiff
The Principality Stadium, formerly the Millennium Stadium, was built for the 1999 World Cup in Cardiff and is Wales's national stadium, with a retractable roof.
Which English player kicked the decisive drop goal in the 2003 World Cup final?
Answer : Jonny Wilkinson
Wilkinson struck the winning drop goal with his right foot, 26 seconds from the end of extra time, to make it 20-17 against Australia.
In which city is Murrayfield Stadium located?
Answer : Edinburgh
Murrayfield, in west Edinburgh, is the home of the Scottish team and holds around 67,000 spectators.
What nickname is given to Japan's win over South Africa at the 2015 World Cup?
Answer : The Miracle of Brighton
On 19 September 2015, Japan beat South Africa 34-32 in Brighton thanks to a try on the very last play, one of the greatest upsets in sporting history.
How many points are awarded for a penalty try?
Answer : 7
A penalty try is awarded when a try would probably have been scored without foul play by the defence; it counts as a converted try, so 7 points, with no kick needed.
Expert
Which player is, according to legend, the originator of rugby in 1823 at Rugby School?
Answer : William Webb Ellis
According to legend, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a football match at Rugby School in 1823; the World Cup trophy bears his name, though historians doubt the story.
In which year was the first international rugby match, between Scotland and England, played?
Answer : 1871
The first international was played at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, on 27 March 1871; Scotland won by a goal and a try to a try.
Which team won the 1999 Rugby World Cup?
Answer : Australia
Australia beat France 35-12 in the final in Cardiff, becoming the first nation to win the World Cup twice, after 1991.
In which Scottish town was rugby sevens created in 1883?
Answer : Melrose
Sevens was invented in 1883 by Ned Haig, a Melrose butcher, to raise funds for his club; the Melrose Sevens is still played today.
Which team beat Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final?
Answer : New Zealand
The All Blacks beat Australia 34-17 at Twickenham, becoming the first team to retain the World Cup after winning it in 2011.
Which coach led England to the world title in 2003?
Answer : Clive Woodward
Clive Woodward coached England from 1997 to 2004 and won the 2003 title; Eddie Jones was the coach of the Australian side beaten in that final.
Which team won the first Women's Rugby World Cup, in 1991?
Answer : United States
The first Women's Rugby World Cup was held in Wales in 1991, and the United States beat England 19-6 in the final in Cardiff.
At what height is the crossbar between the posts?
Answer : 3 m
The crossbar sits 3 metres above the ground, with the uprights 5.6 metres apart; kicks at goal must clear the bar and go between the posts.