According to legend, rugby was ‘invented’ in 1823 by William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School, who picked up the ball in a game of football and started running with it. From there the game has grown to become one of the major sports in the UK today and is still growing around the world. There are now two types, or ‘codes’, of rugby both with different rules, regulations and governing bodies, Rugby Union and Rugby League.

RUGBY UNION

In the UK, Rugby Union, the original code, is mainly played in the south of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In 1895, after 22 northern clubs decided to break away to create the Northern Union and play rugby league, the remaining 100 clubs formed the present Rugby Football Union, the national governing body for Rugby in England. Rugby Union has only recently become a professional sport.

Getting started

Youth Development officers in your district can help you find a local club and details about any rugby events and activities that are being organised in your area.

England

There are 50 Youth Development officers in England. For the contact details of your local development officer call the RFU on . Alternatively, a list of development officers is available from The Schools Rugby website.

Wales

The Dragon’s Rugby Trust, the development arm of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), provides contact information for the youth development officers in your area.

Scotland & Northern Ireland

The Scotland Rugby Union (SRU) lists development officers by district. The Ireland Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has the details for their development officers.

Mini Rugby

Mini Rugby is designed to safely introduce children to rugby basics. It is aimed at children aged between six and 12. The rules of adult rugby are gradually introduced with each age group. For example, Under 7s and Under 8s only touch tackle, whilst Under 9s have full contact tackling. By the Under 11 age group the game is beginning to resemble the adult game. Most clubs offer mini rugby for young players, with regular fixtures played on Sunday mornings.

Clubs

If your child is interested in playing rugby outside school, he/she will need to join a club. Most clubs have junior sections taking in players aged seven to 18. Each club will do things slightly differently so it is best to get in touch with your local club to find out more information. The Schools Rugby Website provides a list of junior rugby clubs for England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the ‘Find the School’ section.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) provides a list of all the English clubs by division with some basic information about each.

The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) provides a list of Scottish clubs. The clubs are listed in four districts: Caledonia, Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Scottish Borders.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) site links to a list of Welsh clubs. The clubs are listed by district.

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) provides a list of Irish clubs, listed in alphabetical order.

The Academy

Ireland

The Irish Rugby Football Union has created and invested in the IRFU Academy. It identifies talented players after school and offers them training and contracts with the IRFU for two years to further develop their rugby.

Organisations

These are the governing bodies for Rugby Union.

RFU – England
SRU – Scotland
WRU – Wales
IRFU – Ireland

RUGBY LEAGUE

Although both rugby codes are now professional, the codes split in 1895 when the Rugby League broke from the then amateur game of Union. A resolution, pushed for by the Northern clubs, that men should be paid for broken time – the time players were playing rugby football instead of working – was defeated and so in 1895 22 clubs broke away from the Union to form the Northern Union. The Northern Union modified the rules and reduced the numbers of players per team from 15 to 13. The new code quickly gained popularity in the North and by 1897 there were 80 rugby league clubs. In the UK, Rugby League is still predominantly played in the North of England. Brush up on the history of Rugby League on the Play the Ball site.

Getting started

Rugby League is more popular in the North of England due to its Northern roots. As a result, most of the clubs are based in the North; however, there are leagues and clubs throughout the UK. The South of England has a number of developing clubs (part of the Junior Rugby League Conference) but, at the moment, there are only a handful of clubs in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The professional clubs do not have junior teams and so if your child is interested in playing rugby league he/she will need to join an amateur club. Most amateur clubs have junior teams for under-8s to under-18s.

The British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) can help you find and contact a local club. Contact them at:

BARLA
West Yorkshire House
4 New North Parade
Huddersfield
HD1 5JP
Telephone:
E-mail: info

Mini League

Mini League is a non-contact version of the game for children aged eight to 11. Mini League places an emphasis on basic skills such as passing and support play whilst increasing young players overall participation in the actual game itself.

If you would like further detailed information about Mini League, copies of the official rules of Mini League are available at Ј1.35 from The Rugby League Coach Education Programme, West Yorkshire House, 4 New North Parade, Huddersfield, HD1 5JP.

Academy Squads

By the age of 15 or 16 the most talented players may have the opportunity to play for an Academy side. These are regional teams run by the professional clubs and act as a stepping-stone to the First Division and Super League teams.

Events

The professional and amateur clubs set up and run various promotional events each year designed to generate interest in the game and help improve young players skills. These are organised with the help of the regional Rugby League Development Officers. BARLA will be able to tell you if any events are planned for your area.

Organisations

Rugby Football League is the national governing body for Rugby League in the UK

BARLA is the British Amateur Rugby League Association.

RUGBY FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

Wheelchair rugby is played on a standard basketball court using a volleyball, with goals and a key area marked out at both ends. The object of the game is to score by carrying the ball over your opponents’ goal line. It is played in 20 countries and there are several teams in the Great Britain (GB) league. Both quadriplegic men and women can participate. Ability Online provides further details about wheelchair rugby, the rules and the equipment needed.

Get Kids Going is a charity, which gets young disabled people up to the age of 26 involved in sports. They help provide sports wheelchairs and the costs of sports training to disabled people, from beginners and those competing for fun to serious competitors. If you are interested in receiving help please contact them for an application form on or via e-mail.

The contact details for the charities and organisations dedicated to sport for disabled children throughout the UK can be found in our section on Leisure for Disabled Children.

For more information about what’s going on in your area, visit your Local Authority’s website. It can provide details on activities, attractions and services available to you and your family.