By Hugh Jackman
Picture Source: New Zealand Harold
Rugby League is coming to America and has recruited the NFL to help with the historic launch. A joint fan fest is in the works, bringing the two leagues together for the first time in over 100 years of play.
A scrimmage between all NFL players will be the highlight of the fan fest, and the rules and skills will be quickly explained before what should be an entertaining display. When I asked people about the sport in the states, they had no knowledge it even existed. I must explain what it means to me and millions of Australians. It is our passion and a source of pride in our communities. It is fast, dangerous, non-stop action that invigorates the soul. Only the greatest of the great become immortal, but all who play it are true gladiators. Here are 10 things Americans should know about Rugby League before the Las Vegas games in 2025.
- We don’t call it rugby
Call it the ‘NRL’ or just simply ‘League’ or ‘Footy’. Rugby in our country means Rugby Union. Don’t you know the difference? You will. Our game is much faster. In our game, to play the ball, you step on the ball and roll it backwards to a teammate. Simple as that. But don’t mess it up. Both games are 80 minutes long with 40-minute halves. There are no commercial breaks, much to the delight of fans. The teams instead wear their sponsors on their jerseys, much like in NASCAR.
2. Each team has 13 players
Every player plays offense and defense. Every number on a player represents his position. Numbers are never retired. The player wearing #7 is your best player and typically the best goal kicker. The #9 is called a ‘Hooker’. Don’t worry, it’s not an insult. He’s the one who usually starts each play with a pass, much like a quarterback. We have our forwards pound the ball up the middle, and our acrobatic wingers on each end who dive for the corner to score. Rugby League players come in all shapes and sizes.
3. Each possession gets 6 tackles
Each team gets six carries of the ball before a turnover. Usually on the 5th tackle, the #7 halfback is given the ball to kick down field. He must keep the ball in bounds, or at least make the ball bounce once in bounds, before going over the sideline. There, play will resume. If he kicks the ball behind the 40-yard line and it bounces behind the opponent’s 20-yard line and goes out, the kicking team gets a fresh set of six from there. This is the equivalent of a deep pass to your wide receiver down the sideline in the NFL. This kick is called a 40/20.
4. Do not pass the ball forward or drop the ball.
Of course, you are not allowed to pass the ball forward. If you drop the ball forward, that is called a ‘knock on’. You will hear this term often. If you drop the ball, that is a turnover, and the referee will call for a “scrum.” If you see a player drop the ball forward, just scream, “Knock on!” and you’ll sound like you know the game already.
5. What’s a scrum?
A scrum is when 6 forwards lock into a battering ram and push forward into the opposing side’s battering ram. The halfback feeds the ball into the middle, and the ball is kicked to the back. The faster players are lined up out wide, giving the feeding team a slight advantage with all the opposing big guys occupied.
Photo Source: Fox Sports
6. How do you score?
To score points, the ball must touch at least one blade of grass in the endzone with downward pressure. This is called a ‘Try’. This is worth 4 points. Following a try, the best available kicker will attempt a goal perpendicular to where the ball touched the ground. This is worth 2 points.
7. The scoring team gets the ball back
This, in theory, gives the kicking team an advantage in field position, but this can also lead to a snowball effect if you aren’t careful. A kick that goes out of bounds on the full is a penalty. After every penalty, the team with the ball can choose to start a new set of 6 where the infraction happened, kick the ball over the sideline downfield for better field position, or attempt a 2-point field goal.
8. Do not run the ball out of bounds.
Going out of bounds is an automatic turnover. If the ball carrier is not fully submitted on the ground or the ref does not call a tackle complete, the tackling team may drag the ball carrier over the sideline for a turnover. So be careful when you pass the ball out wide, especially on your own end of the field.
9. There is one more way to score.
If you need a point or even 2, you can attempt a field goal during play by dropping the ball on the ground and booting it between the posts. A two-point field goal is also possible if you kick it beyond the 40-yard line. This is usually done before halftime, before fulltime, or in overtime. The overtime rules are 5 minutes to a half, and a simple one-point field goal will end the game. We call this ‘Golden Point’.
10. The Bunker
This is the replay booth. Every try is sent to the bunker and reviewed while everyone waits with bated breath to see if the try is confirmed. The officials check to see if the player was in bounds, the ball was grounded properly, and that there was no illegal contact blocking the defense from making a play on the ball carrier. With so much to check, you can imagine many tries being taken away.
Photo Source: Sports Pro Media
Now you are ready to watch Rugby League! I hope you enjoy my nation’s most popular sport and come to Vegas to witness history. Next, you will have to come to Australia and feel the atmosphere of game day on our home soil. Mate, there’s nothing like it. Cheers, America. -HJ
This was done for a public relations project at Full Sail University and not actually written by Hugh Jackman.
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