The Rugby Cheat Sheet
New to rugby? No worries, we have the ultimate rugby union cheat sheet for you to get up to speed in under 5 minutes. No boring rules, just arming you with the all-important pub chat.
We’ll begin with the international tournaments. The pinnacle of the game is the Rugby World Cup (RWC), held every four years. The most recent men’s tournament took place in 2019, won by South Africa (beating England), and the next will be in Autumn 2023, held in France.
The current holders of the Women’s RWC are New Zealand and the next tournament takes place in New Zealand in September 2022 (which has been delayed by a year due to Covid).
New Zealand are the titans of international rugby (both men’s and women’s) with the men’s team widely considered to be the most successful SPORTING side of all time, not just in rugby union.
You also have the Six Nations, held annually between Europe's six strongest nations - England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The men’s teams play every February and March, followed straight after by the women’s competition. It's also probably the world's best known rugby competition aside from the Rugby World Cup.
The Rugby Championship is the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of the Six Nations, an annual tournament consisting of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina. It takes place in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, with New Zealand being the dominant nation again.
The youngest player on the British & Irish Lions tour must look after BIL the Lion
The British and Irish Lions is an invitational side consisting of the best players from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. The Lions tour New Zealand, South Africa and Australia each, rotating every four years. The last tour was last summer to South Africa, and the next one will be in Australia 2025. There are currently ongoing talks to replicate a British and Irish Lions for the Women’s game.
Within the club leagues, by far the four biggest would be the English Premiership (men) Premier 15s (women), French Top14, United Rugby Championship (consisting of teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Italy and South Africa), and Super Rugby and Super W, consisting of teams from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Teams from the first three of the men’s leagues (and sometimes also from the Romanian SuperLiga and Russian Championship) also play in the European Champions Cup (rugby's equivalent of the Champions League in football/soccer) and the European Challenge Cup (Europa League equivalent).
The US also has its own professional rugby league, Major League Rugby (MLR). While still in its infancy, the league has been fairly successful by gathering a ‘niche’ audience (compared to NFL, NBA, NHL etc.,) and has huge potential for the future. It’s currently a little like the MLS in football in that it's seen a fair number of high-profile players move there right at the end of their career.
In terms of teams and players to watch out for, France (men’s) are currently on fire and look like the favourites for the Rugby World Cup. They're an extremely entertaining team led by the incredible 25-year-old scrum half, Antoine Dupont, who is arguably the best men’s player in the world right now. The women’s game is dominated by England’s Red Roses, home of Player of the Year Zoe Aldcroft and New Zealand Black Ferns with superstar Ruby Tui.
Leicester Tigers are the current Premiership Champions, beating pantomime villains Saracens (captained by pantomime villain-in-chief, Owen Farrell). A historically extremely successful club, Leicester has seen a revival of sorts in the last year after a decade to forget in the 2010s. Another team to watch are Harlequins, home of England's new golden boy Marcus Smith and all-rounder Number 8 Alex Dombrandt.
The very young Premier 15s league is dominated by Saracens (three titles, current holders). Harlequins (one title) and Bristol Bears are coming closer every year to try and spoil the party. Also, watch this fantastic documentary; No Woman No Try.
The Top14 is led by Montpellier with one game to go. Watch out for young second row/flanker Cameron Woki and fly-half Matthieu Jalibert for Bordeaux. Another brilliant team is Toulouse, Antoine Dupont's club. They are the most successful European club of all time and were last year’s Champions Cup winners, with this year’s title going to La Rochelle as they stunned Leinster in a thrilling game. Along with Dupont, keep a look out for fly half Romain Ntamack - the dynamic duo seeminly impossible to beat. Parisian side, Racing 92 have their own star-studded lineup which includes Scottish fly half Finn Russel and France centre Virimi Vakatawa.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is currently dominated by Leinster, blessed with a seemingly endless conveyor belt of local talent. Spearheaded by their dynamic front row of Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong as well as centres Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose. You also have Edinburgh, a team on the come up under new head coach Mike Blair.
From the South African teams, the Sharks are the ones to watch. The news that they have signed South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth will see him join South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, and winger Makazoli Mapimpi in Durban.
Last but not least, Crusaders have been the dominant Super Rugby side of the last decade, with players such as Richie Mo'unga and David Havili. They are current champions after regaining the title from the Blues who won last year after many years of misery. THe Blues are spearheaded by two-time World Rugby player of the year Beauden Barrett. Keep an eye out for the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, who are both in their first season of Super Rugby.
Summary/Cheat Sheet
International:
Men’s Rugby World Cup (every 4 years, next competition is 2023, 20 of the top teams in the world)
Women’s Rugby World Cup (every 4 years, next competition is 2022)
Six Nations (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales play annually every Spring. Lots of good-natured nationalism/banter. Great games to take in, even as a neutral)
Rugby Championship (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa play annually every NH Autumn, great quality of games!)
There are also annual tours of the southern hemisphere teams to the North (in November) and the northern hemisphere sides to the South (in June). A combined British and Irish team (the Lions) tour the southern hemisphere every 4 years which is a big event. There's also the Barbarians, who are an all-star side put together for exhibition games on occasion.
Club/Region/Province:
Top14: French domestic league. Probably the strongest (and richest) national league on the planet. Big crowds, big players, big fights.
Premiership: English league, good quality of rugby with lots of entertaining local derbies.
Allianz 15s: Top women’s league in the world
URC: By the time you read this message, this competition may have been renamed/restructured. It.. happens a lot. The top sides in Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales and now South Africa. Mostly it's just Leinster and everyone else playing catch-up.
Champions Cup: Annual European competition, involving the best of the 3 competitions above. Mixture of pool games, then knockout rounds to the final. Some of the best atmospheres in the club game.
Challenge Cup: 'Secondary' European competition, involving lower-placed sides from the above leagues (and sometimes teams from other weaker nations)
Super Rugby/Super W: best teams from Australia, New Zealand and two sides from the Pacific Islands. Arguably the best quality of rugby.
