The Unwritten Laws of Grassroots Rugby
Important rules of grassroots rugby you won’t find in the lawbook.
Rugby Union is renowned around the world as being a sport with a lawbook that would rival any other. With the laws around how you play the game constantly looking to improve and trials of new laws happening regularly, that looks like it will continue for as long as the game goes on.
Many rugby casuals say that it is too complicated and it is just impossible to know what is going on. Now, we aren’t saying the sport is easy to understand, we know better than anyone how complicated our sport can be to an outsider. And, to make things even more confusing, there are the lesser documented laws to follow too. The more blasé; the unwritten laws of grassroots rugby.
These are the laws that are just as important the world of rugby, but you won’t find them in a lawbook or on the union websites. These are the self-imposed rules that dictate life on and off the pitch and differ from club to club. Many of the unwritten laws were born in grassroots rugby, but filter into the elite game too! Did you know that the youngest touring member of the British & Irish Lions rugby team must carry around the mascot for the entirety of the tour? BIL the Lion has to be in their care at all times, and don’t think the rest of the team will make it easy for them. BIL the Lion tends to go … missing. And should that lion go missing, there will be consequences.
Whilst some may be a little crass or over the top, many of the unwritten laws are sacred and carry a lot of tradition. They provide team building, morale boosting and lung bursting laughs for everyone on the squad.
We asked a couple UK rugby clubs for their unwritten grassroots rugby laws and brought you some of our favourites.
On the rugby pitch
Player of the match or plank of the match, there’s nowhere to hide. Learn your karaoke song, learn it well.
Very common areas of unwritten rules are based around on pitch performance or landmark appearances. A debutant usually sings a song on the team coach or in the club house, with extra brownie points if you get everyone else to join after the opening verse. Just like Sam Talakai below.
A relatively easy rule if you compare that with a try scorer who may be awarded a delicious dirty pint of Guinness and Tequila, perhaps with a nice warm sock wrapped over the top of the glass – and usually a post-game sock for extra flavour. If you are in fact unfortunate enough to be the worst player of the match (usually under a more explicit title) you may be expected to do a bit more than just a ‘dirty pint’.
Good performances are expected, and you should give your all when on the field. However, sometimes you can perform too well. Scoring a hat-trick of tries will see you marching towards the bar to get in the first round to celebrate, reliving those tries and wondering when your international call up will come. If you are awarded player of the match, you may be picked out to lead off a boat race (the drinking game, not actually in a boat). These are as much rewards as punishments, as it singles you out amongst your teammates. But for that night, you have the respect of all.
Tradition & Respect
Earn your jersey and bide your time.
Quite often, the unwritten rules are based around respect for the club and the prestige of playing for the first XV. No one even knows where these rules come from, or why they even exist, but for some reason they are just accepted without question, passed on from generations. Some clubs enforce that the debutants aren’t allowed to pull on the first XV shirt until they step foot on the pitch. An entire substitutes bench will be sat with their playing shirts on their lap, rather than their number on their back. You must earn the right to wear that shirt and in turn carry that prestige with you. This tradition is even enforced by the current World Champions South Africa, where to this day, only capped players may wear their blazers. Uncapped players drape the blazer over their left arm until they make their debut.
Rugby dress code
Love your club tie and ALWAYS remember your towel.
Tradition is often part of the backbone of a club, it sets out what is to be expected of players and how they should represent the club wherever they go. Part of that tradition is the dress code at the club. Not only in home fixtures, but also when travelling away. You are a squad on and off the pitch, and teams will be dressed in shirts, blazers or sporting a club tie. Smart shoes are usually a must too. Failure to turn up in the right clothing will not go unnoticed and forfeits will take place. For instance, they would be required to get changed on the coach into the full kit, mouth guard and boots included, and not allowed to enter the changing rooms at all. It’s quite an experience when you have to warm up alone on the pitch with no one around you. If you do it once you won’t forget it in a hurry, especially during those cold winter months.
Dress code laws can get even more peculiar. If you are found wearing your smart shoes with white socks (a general fashion faux pas), you should expect consequences. If you are part of a British team and are caught saying the word ‘pants’ instead of trousers, expect those ‘pants’ to be removed from your person. Dress rules can also work in your favour. If you fancy a little kip on the coach, there may be the unwritten rule that if you take your shoes off you are untouchable, but if you doze off with your shoes on, you are fair game.
Then there is the ultimate matchday fear every player: forgetting your towel. You are then left with two options; either air dry in the middle of the changing room or wait for the first prop to finish drying themselves head to toe and get second use of a cold, wet, stinking prop towel. It goes without saying - remember your towel on gameday.
Incredible on and off the pitch
With every rugby ball purchased, we donate another into grassroots rugby, Won for Won
After the 80 mins
Leave everything on the pitch, rivals become mates.
Unwritten rules also dictate the way the club operates off the field. It is often expected that you share a drink with the opposition after the match, taking that moment to search out your opposite number and laughing about tearing each other’s heads off for the last 80 minutes. Club songs are taught to each other, and fan favourites are blasted out in the clubhouse.
Some very common rules also exist around how you participate in a drinking session and these exist up and down the country; left/right hand drinking, double-parking and ‘not-out’ are almost becoming written laws.
For every rugby fan
Make a new best mate every 80 mins
Unwritten rules are also respected by not just by the players, but the crowd and supporters. Every person who attends a game sub-consciously signs on to the unwritten rules of the game. “Respect the kicker” is a well-known rule up and down stadiums everywhere, often the crowd policing themselves if silence isn’t respected whilst a Fly Half takes their kick.
Respect is a huge part of the game; you respect fans from the other side and will somehow become friends with complete strangers next to you for 80 minutes. There’s rarely any trouble in the crowd at rugby matches, fans respecting the game and each other may be the most important law of all.
Do you have any unwritten rules at your club? Have there been any strange traditions at clubs you’ve played against that you still don’t understand? We would love to hear about them! Comment below or tell us on our socials!
Words // David Jones
