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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to have not known there are 2 types of rugby

45 replies

popelle · 20/04/2011 17:04

Me and DH have been invited to a rugby match on Thursday night by one of DHs friends. I then made a comment about Jonny Wilkinson and DHs friend looked at me like I'd spat in his face. It turns out that there are 2 forms of rugby and that this game is the other form of rugby. AIBU to have not known this?

OP posts:

SingingTunelessly · 20/04/2011 17:05

Well I don't know if you are BU but I really can't understand how you've never heard of both forms of rugby!

anonacfr · 20/04/2011 17:07

Heh!
Rugby League fans have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to Rugby Union....

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 20/04/2011 17:07

Yes.

ClearlyNoImagination · 20/04/2011 17:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CokeFan · 20/04/2011 17:08

That's nothing - my mum's managed to confuse football with rugby. She was talking about her friend's son - apparently he doesn't play ordinary football, he plays "soccer". When I asked her if she meant rugby, she wanted to know what the difference was! I didn't dare to ask whether it was league or union. Mind you, my mum tends to make up the details if she can't quite remember what she's been told... it's led us down a few garden paths.

HomeJames · 20/04/2011 17:12

It's a slightly contentious subject as RL is largely played oop North and RU is the game of public schoolboys...

anonacfr · 20/04/2011 17:17

But Jonny used to play for Newcastle!

meditrina · 20/04/2011 17:17

But football can be either Association Football (soccer) or Rugby Football (League or Union), or indeed American, Aussie rules, Gaelic (and probably others too). Often wise to be specific.

And don't forget there's also tag rugby and touch rugby (from the RFU) for juniors.

So a lot of types of everything!

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 20/04/2011 17:19

As with most English sports history, it's a class thing, harking back to the days when you were a player (paid professional) or a gentleman (amateur).

Original poster

popelle · 20/04/2011 17:20

Is it very contentious between the two types? Can players switch between the two?

OP posts:

anonacfr · 20/04/2011 17:31

A lot of League players have switched to Union- they tend to be faster as the league game is more open and they don't do scrums so it's also quicker.
I've never heard of a switch the other way possibly because Union's a much better game... :)

The whole class thing makes me laugh- I'm French and in France rugby (union) is traditionally played in the largely rural French south-west- it was originally played as a village fight sport before they adopted the formal English rules and adapted it into rugby as it is today.
So basically as far removed from the public school world as you could imagine.

theoldbrigade · 20/04/2011 17:38

There is only one form of rugby and it ain't league !

CointreauVersial · 20/04/2011 17:43

YANBU. I did know there were two types of rugby, but all I know is that there are different numbers in each team, and that they only do scrums in one of the types. But I haven't the foggiest idea which one Jonny W plays.

OP, I think silence is the best policy in cases like this. Don't venture any opinions about rugby because you will undoubtedly get it wrong!

beade · 20/04/2011 17:43

YANBU if you don't follow rugby then I don't see why you would know. League is the type of rugby that is played in the north and is a far quicker and IMO exciting game. Union is popular in the south and in Wales but to me is a very slow game with continous stoppages and is a lot less exciting because of this. I assume you're going to the Leeds vs Bradford game which is one of the biggest derbies in league. League crowds tend to have a far greater atmosphere than Unions and I would think the atmosphere at the game you're going to be will be intense due to the rivalry between the 2.

anonacfr · 20/04/2011 17:45

beade it's only a slow game when England play it...

ivykaty44 · 20/04/2011 17:46

rugby league and rugby union, why should you know there are two different games played

ivykaty44 · 20/04/2011 17:47

Johnny plays union and doesn't live up north anymore

Vallhala · 20/04/2011 17:49

Oh yes, I knew that there are two types of rugby.

Not that it matters, they're both boring as hell.

medetre · 20/04/2011 17:49

I don't think YABU if you have no knowledge of rugby. That said league is the only one worth bothering with, union is like watching paint dry.

PersonalClown · 20/04/2011 17:52

I've always known about League and Union.

Haven't a bloody clue about the rules of either...I'll stick with Football!!

WillbeanChariot · 20/04/2011 17:52

There have been switches from union to league, more a few years back when players went North to get a salary. Jonathon Davies for one went and came back I think?

Union was only ever a public school game in England.

TurtlesAreRetroRight · 20/04/2011 17:55

Doesn't matter really if you're unaware of the two types. As long as you know it's better than football, whichever type it is.

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 20/04/2011 18:00

Union is what schools play, and is associated with the South of England. It's spiritual home is Twickenham. There are 15 players and they can spend a fair bit of time in the scrum - when they form a huggy huddle . If those working in the City of London or Home Counties say rugby, this is what they mean.

It used to be that some players would go from being amateurs (Union) to putting in a few years in League (paid) at the end of their careers to make some cash, because once you went professional you couldn't swap back to amateur again. England Rugby union players were often lawyers (Brian Moore) or doctors (can't remember the one that was a surgeon, but I always worried about his hands!). The very good players sometimes 'worked' for their rugby union club in the office, as a way of getting round the pay rules. There was a lot of snobbery about League. Then Rugby Union became professional (paid). The players are now able to move between codes at will.
Now you will see players moving from League into Union eg Jason Robinson who scored England's only try in the 2003 World Cup Final.

League is traditionally Northern and working class - the players were paid as they couldn't afford to give the time for free. There are 13 players, and it is faster moving than Union - though since Union became professional (paid) the play has become faster as the players have become fitter. The team with the ball has 5 goes at getting a score, losing one each time they're tackled. If the other team touch the ball the count restarts. After the fifth tackle, if they don't score or kick the ball away, the ball goes to the other team. Common to both codes, you can't pass or knock the ball forward (except with your feet) or tackle someone above the neck. Once the player has been tackled, the tackler has to let them up to play the ball - you'll hear the ref shout 'Mooooove!' League has also had changes in recent times, moving from being a winter to a summer sport, and acquiring double barrel names eg Leeds became Leeds Rhinos. And League had the Sin Bin before Union - a player given a yellow card has to sit on the naughty step on the designated bench for 10 minutes before being allowed to rejoin play.

Who are you going to see?

ivykaty44 · 20/04/2011 18:03

And there was me thinking union had its spiritual home in Rugby... silly me

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 20/04/2011 18:05

The whole 'he picked up the ball and ran' thing is a myth.

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