Rugby’s done for most of us by now. The High Schools are done except the four that are going to be competing in the USA Rugby National High School Championships in May.

  The other day I was driving to a party and I had to stop real fast.

  You or your parents might know someone who plays or played Rugby.  Usually your dad has a friend who played Rugby back in what I’ll call the “old days”.   You may have even heard some of the stories, how they used to play and then go out for beer after the match and then maybe a bunch of other stuff that I shouldn’t write about.  It’s called the “old days” because by the mid 80’s, the International Rugby Board (IRB) made changes to the laws of Rugby and USA Rugby adopted those laws.  Up until this point, a Rugby match was enjoyed by those who knew the game.  An example; a Ruck by Rugby definitions is when the ball carrier is tackled and brought to the ground and a team-mate of that ball carrier comes in to make contact with the defender who is on his feet. Prior to the mid 80’s to get the ball out of the Ruck and into the hands of the Backs, would sometimes take maybe 3 minutes or longer.  The Rugby Referee had no choice but to walk around the Ruck to make sure the forwards weren’t punching each other.  Which happened and when caught, that player was given a harsh warning. I’m sure if you talk with some of these Old Boys as they are often called and ask them what the game was like then.  They’d tell you it was great, it was player v.

Coming to Dallas from Los Angeles, Coach Wagner started his 25-year involvement in Rugby on the West Coast. Attending California Polytechnic University at Pomona, he was also involved in several Rugby clubs and tours traveling all over the United States, to the Bahamas, Australia, and New Zealand.

Curious about Rugby? This is the place for you to get the goods on this action packed sport.   If you have any questions Drop me a line at rugby@athletesconnection.com .

Rugby is a game that is a mixture of Grid Iron Football and Soccer.  In 1824 while playing soccer in England, William Webb Ellis got tired of kicking the ball, he picked it up and began running with it.  From then on Rugby was born.  When the English brought soccer and rugby to the United States, both were popular sports in school.  It is rugby that gave birth to the Grid Iron Football as we know it now. Football has a lot of similarities to Rugby.  In Football, the offensive side, you have 11 players, 2 Tackles, 2 Guards, a Center, Tight End, 2 Wide Outs, 3 Backs (the Quarterback, Halfback and Fullback).  The job of the linemen is to block the defenders for the Backs to run or the Quarterback to throw to his receivers. Rugby has a few more players with 15 on the field.  There are 8 Forwards, 2 Props, a Hooker, 2 Locks, 2 Flankers, and a Number 8.  There are also 7 Backs, a Scrumhalf, Flyhalf, 2 Centers (Inside and Outside), 2 Wings and a Fullback.

Rugby is a fast paced game similar to American Football.  The biggest difference is that every player on the field can run, pass and kick the ball and every player is expected to make tackles also.