Have you ever tried to describe a sport to someone who knows nothing about it? That was the challenge Tom faced with Kari - who has never seen a rugby match and wanted to find out more. Listen out for specialist sport and rugby vocabulary!
Have you ever tried to describe a sport to someone who knows nothing about it? That was the challenge Tom faced with Kari - who has never seen a rugby match and wanted to find out more. Listen out for specialist sport and rugby vocabulary!
Hi, Kari, how are you?
Well, I'm great. It's nice to speak with you again today, Tom.
Well, it's always a pleasure, Kari. I'm really excited this week.
Really? Why are you so excited?
Well, it's because of the Rugby World Cup.
I don't really know much about rugby. You know, what exactly is the Rugby World Cup?
I'm talking about the third biggest sporting event in the world.
That's incredible. But what exactly is rugby? I mean, I understand American football. And people like to compare the two sports but but what is rugby? Exactly?
Okay, Kari listen, I can understand why people compare American football and rugby. They're both team games, in which you have an oval ball, which you throw to your teammates or kick to your teammates in order to score points. But there are some important differences. For example, there are 15 players in a team for rugby union.
Uh huh.
The other difference is that even though it's a very physical game, you don't wear equipment to protect you. You don't wear a helmet or shoulder pads or anything like that.
So you're telling me they don't have like the super cool uniforms like the American football teams?
Well, they do wear uniforms. Of course, they have a team shirt, the team jersey, but they don't have that special, cool looking helmet and shoulder pads.
Ah, okay. All right. Are there any other differences?
Yes, I would say an important difference is that when you throw the ball in rugby, to your teammates, you always have to pass it backwards.Otherwise, yeah, you have to stay behind the line of the player. If you pass the ball forwards, you can only kick it, not throw it.
Ah ha. So in this way, it's a little like what Americans would call soccer with the passing?
Well, I don't think so. Because in soccer, you can pass the ball forwards or backwards with your foot, but only the goalkeeper can pass it with their hands.
So interesting. Are there any other differences? This is totally new for me, is it divided into halves, like American football, like the first half and the second.
There are two halves of 40 minutes per half.
And what's the scoring system? A try is like a goal. It happens when one player has the ball in their hands and manages to run over the goal line and put the book on the ground. It's like a touchdown in American football. But the difference is you have to actually put the ball on the ground.
Ah, so you can't pass it over the line, you have to actually physically run with it to cross the line. Yes, exactly. And when you do that, you get five points.
Okay. And if you get a conversion, you get another two points. Do you know what I mean by a conversion?
I think it's something like kicking the golf ball or running for extra points in American football.
Yes. So you have to place the ball on the ground in the same width that the try was scored. But you have to bring it back about 20 meters, and then kick it through the posts.
So the conversion is always kicked.
Yes.
Interesting.
So a try is five. But if it's converted, it's seven.
Aah similar to American football where a touchdown is six. But the extra point is one. So also seven.
Yes, exactly. Amazing. But there is there are other ways of scoring points to
Really
penalties and drop goals.
And what exactly is a penalty?
I won't tell you what all of the infractions are that can result in a penalty, that would take too long. But if one team commits a foul during the game, the referee gives them a penalty, the other team a penalty. They can kick the penalty in the same way as a conversion from any position in the in the pitch if they think they've got a chance. And if they kick it through the goalposts, then they get another three points.
Wow, it sounds like a really complex game. And but yet, I'm a little intrigued. It sounds kind of interesting which countries played rugby.
Rugby was invented in England. So of course, the great British teams are good and it's popular in Scotland, Wales, England, and Ireland. It's also popular in other English speaking countries, which used to be British colonies, for example, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Surprisingly, it's also extremely popular in France, which is not an English speaking country. Oh, sorry. Maybe there's one other country that I haven't mentioned where, or one other group of countries which is also a hotbed of rugby, are the Pacific islands like Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, in countries like this rugby is incredibly popular, and they are very good at it. So maybe you could support one of those teams.
Well, I'm definitely going to have to check it out. Thanks for teaching me something today.
It's a pleasure and I hope you enjoy it. And next week, we're going to speak to you again to find out what you've thought after actually watching it and to see if my descriptions were any good. Maybe you'll have some more questions.
And here are some comprehension questions and key rugby vocabulary
Compehension Questions
1 What event is Tom excited about? a) The Super Bowl b) The Soccer World Cup c) The Rugby World Cup
2 How many players are there in a rugby union team? a) 10 players b) 11 players c) 15 players
3 What is a significant difference between American football and rugby in terms of player equipment? a) Rugby players wear helmets and shoulder pads. b) Rugby players wear cool-looking uniforms. c) Rugby players don't wear protective equipment like helmets and shoulder pads.
4 In rugby, what is the consequence of passing the ball forwards to a teammate? a) The opposing team gets a penalty. b) The player can only kick the ball, not throw it c) .The player who passed the ball forwards is ejected from the game.
5 How long is each half in a rugby match? a) 40 minutes b) 45 minutes c) 20 minutes
6 How many points do you get for scoring a try in rugby? a) 3 points b) 5 points c) 7 points
Correct Answers
1: c) The Rugby World Cup
2 : c ) 15 players
3: c) Rugby players don;t wear protective equipment like helmets and shoulder pads.
4: b)The player can only kick the ball, not throw it
5: a) 40 minutes
6: b 5 points
Key Rugby vocabulary