The Difference in How Rugby Is Played Around the World
Rugby is one of the most popular sports in a variety of different countries, with global appeal only growing as more areas provide coverage of the sport. Since it was invented in 1823, rugby has skyrocketed in popularity, spreading from England to around the world. With rugby having books, films and even casino slots based on the sport, it has spread globally and become the number one sport in countries such as New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji. With the sport spreading worldwide, different countries may develop their own style and traits, so today we are going to look at how rugby is played differently around the world.
New Zealand
One of the most successful and infamous rugby nations is New Zealand, or as they are commonly referred to, the All Blacks. The All Blacks have won the Rugby World Cup 3 times in 1987, 2011 and 2015 and dominated in the Rugby Championship. They are one of the most feared nations and have brought their culture into the sport with their world-famous Haka performed before the game begins. They are currently ranked as world number 2, just behind South Africa, as a result of their domination in recent years, all stemming from their difficult-to-deal-with play style and players.
One of the key things that makes the style of play that New Zealand has is their mental endurance and determination, signified by the cultural Haka before a game. New Zealand play with power and speed, quick in attack yet strong when defending. The ability to be so balanced on the pitch results in the All Blacks being able to score quick tries. The extremely skilled squad are able to perform quick transitions from defence to attack, allowing them to put more pressure on their opposition. This is what makes them such a threat to play against.
South Africa
South Africa is currently ranked as the world number one after winning the most recent Rugby World Cup in 2023. Similar to New Zealand, they have dominated the Rugby World Cup and the Rugby Championship. They have won the World Cup the most times, four times in their history, in 1995, 2007, 2019, and 2023.
The dominance of South Africa can be attributed to several reasons, but what cannot be overlooked is that their style of play is a key factor in their success. They are one of the most physical nations when it comes to their style of play, taking advantage of their strong, hard-to-break defensive line. They dominate in set pieces thanks to this high-physicality style of play. Furthermore, the ‘Springboks’ like to put pressure on the opposition by dominating the field in every area, adopting a relatively zonal formation. This style is unique to South Africa and complements their physical squad members well, allowing them to take control in most games.
England
England Rugby was once one of the higher-performing nations in the world, being ranked the world number one in 2003 and 2019, when they won the World Cup in 2003, and made it to the final in 2019. Since then, the England Rugby team hasn’t been the force it once was; however, being the country that invented the sport, how does their play style differ from others?
They tend to take a more relaxed and balanced approach, with relatively medium pressure and a well-structured defensive line. The more defensive structure and randomly calculated quick moments of high pressure make England’s game unpredictable and harder to defend against. Furthermore, they can be known to control set piece play, while the style of attack does tend to be central, they have been known to play wide when it is necessary. This differs from the previous two mentioned, but it supports the physical nature of the England team while also favouring the speed the forwards have to offer on attack.
France
In recent years, France has become a more powerful team than it ever has in the past. Currently sitting at number 4 in the world, just behind Ireland, France has developed its squad to be one of the more threatening in the game. Off the back of a successful year, in 2023, France was ranked at number 1 in terms of the World Rugby Rankings, the highest they have ever featured. But what is it that has made France become such a strong side?
Les Bleus have actually developed a unique style of play known as ‘French Flair’ as a result of their high levels of physicality and skill that isn’t just effective, but exciting to watch. It combines unique plays that differ from your conventional rugby strategies, making it difficult to play against and almost impossible to predict.
Final Thoughts
The spread of rugby across the world has led to different strategies and play styles being developed by nations. These playstyles help support their players’ characteristics while adding cultural elements to the game. Having different strategies and play styles between nations is one of the many reasons why rugby is one of the most entertaining sports to watch.
