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 THIS IS A FEATURE - COLLECT THE NEWSPAPER TODAY & OVER THE COMING DAYS FOR MORE TIPS.. 

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The tournament is bound to be enthralling as all clubs seem to have done everything possible to win the cup.

The tournament kicks off tomorrow at Eden Park when hosts New Zealand engage Tonga (at 10.15am SA time). So we have decided to have this feature, Know Your Game, to help our readers to know the rules of the game that will help them enjoy the game.

Here is how they go:

Scoring:

• Try

It is the most valuable method of scoring. A try is worth five points. It is scored when a player places the ball on the ground with downward pressure in the in-goal area between (and including) the goal-line and up to but not including the dead-ball line of the opposition's half.

• Conversion

If a team scores a try, they have an opportunity to "convert" it for a two further points by kicking the ball between the posts. The kick is taken at any point on the field of play in line with the point that the ball was grounded.

Penalty KickIf a side commits a penalty infringement the opposition can take the option of a place kick at goal from where the infringement occurred. It is worth three points.

• Drop-goal

A drop kick is when a player kicks the ball from hand and the ball touches the ground between being dropped and kicked. If a drop kick goes through the posts then it results in a drop-goal worth three points.

• Penalty Try

A penalty try is awarded if the referee believes a team illegally prevented a try from probably being scored. Penalty tries are always awarded under the posts regardless of where the offence took place.

Technical Terms:

• Ruck

A ruck is formed when the ball is on the ground and two opposing players meet over the ball. The offside line becomes the last foot of the last man on each side of the ruck and players compete for the ball by attempting to drive one another from the area and to "ruck" the ball backwards with their feet.

• Breakdown

The breakdown is a colloquial term for the period immediately after a tackle and the ensuing ruck. During this time teams compete for possession of the ball, initially with their hands and then using feet in the ruck. Most referees will call "ruck" or "hands away" as soon as a ruck is formed.

• Maul

When a ball carrier is held up by both an opposing player and a player from his own team, a maul is then considered formed.

• Phase

A phase is the time a ball is in play between breakdowns. For example, first phase would be winning the ball at the line-out and passing to a centre who is tackled. Second phase would be winning the ball back from the ensuing breakdown and attacking again.

Laws:

• Offside

A player is offside in general play if he is in front of a teammate who is carrying the ball, or in front of a teammate who last played the ball.

• Forward pass

An illegal pass to a player who is ahead of the ball; a player is not allowed to pass the ball forward to a teammate.

• Knock on

If a player drops the ball 'forward' - that is, towards the opposing team's try line - or loses possession of the ball and it goes forward, a scrum is set, with the non-offending team getting the scrum feed.

Comments

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Sun May 19 16:44:44 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 8, 2011

McLoving

What about the scrum? can some one explain how,when do teams get a scrum.
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Sep 8, 2011

tpaz

Rugby a Hooligan sport played by gentlemen

Soccer a gentleman sport played by Hooligans
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Sep 8, 2011

Veteran

@ TAPZ just to add
Rugby a Hooligan sport played by gentlemen wached by gentleman

Soccer a gentleman sport played by Hooligans watched by hooligans
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Sep 8, 2011

Veteran

poor article I mst say
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Sep 8, 2011

Bumnandibungaphansikwesdwaba

I HATE AUSSIES BUT I MUST ADMIT, THEY ARE MY FAVOURATES CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THEY WON THE TRI NATIONS AND THE WAY THEIR TEAMS DOMINATED THE SUPPER RUGBY.
AUSSIES_4/5
ALL BLACKS_7/10
CHAMPIONS_3/5
SAMOA AND FRANCE _2/5

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Sep 8, 2011

green2014

Interestingly both these sporting codes trace their origins to britain, the land of english - the most used but silly language. Rugby was the reserve of the gentry whilst soccer was and still is a working class sport, minus the money & agents, of course. In SA rugby is played MOSTLY by whites and xhosas and soccer is played by all. I wonder what one can deduce from these observations.
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Sep 8, 2011

Bolander

Cant WAIT for the rugby to start!!! green - hmm - interesting - both these sports are loved by many - weird though that both these sports are not very "big" in the USA ... One thing that I would love to see is that we get our own version - or antidote to the great All Blacks's haka - I was thinking about a Zulu war dance - will this offend the rest of the SAFFA's?
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Sep 8, 2011

PinkPig

i don't watch rugby, each time they scrum I think they talk about me...........................................
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Sep 8, 2011

cornelius

@ Mcloving. A scrum is called when an error is made, such as dropping the ball forward ( called knocking on ), accidental offsides, forward pass, etc. The side that did not make the mistake gets the put in.
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Sep 8, 2011

Jam12

lol Pinkpig wa mpolala
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