So - what's this Rugby League, then?

Things looking pretty good for our getting a team together for at least one of the first two festivals - and maybe some of the others too - so its maybe worth looking at what this version of rugby is like, or more to the point what the main differences are... 'cause there are a few...

First - the obvious, and maybe cosmetic, ones. League is 13-a-side - no flankers, essentially - and, for some reason, the players are numbered in reverse (1 is the full back, while the scrum numbers from 8 to 13). Most positions have roughly the same names - except our "No. 8" becomes League's "lock". You also only get four points for a try, two for a penalty (or a conversion), and one for a drop goal.

Other than that...

Line-outs
There aren't any. Replaced with a scrum, 20m in from the line.


Scrums
Uncontested, five-player affairs. The team given "head and feed" always wins - and most of the time the ball seems to be fed straight to the second row!

Mauls
There aren't any. Apart from one-on-one tackles, you cannot steal the ball from the ball carrier. If more than one defender tackles an attacker and takes the ball then that is a penalty!

Rucks
There aren't any (well, not as we know them). If an attacker is tackled to the ground, or just held so they cannot go forward, then that is a tackle and play stops for a "play the ball", which you will all recognise from playing Touch. However, the area where the "play the ball" is happening is (confusingly) called a ruck.

Tackles
The same, but obviously you do not release the ball after a tackle - and after six tackles you hand over the ball to the other team. You cannot deliberately "go to ground" in League, but you can shoulder charge an opponent - barge them over, in effect. You can also use your legs to bring someone down once you have grabbed hold of them. If you are tackled near the line you cannot reach forward and put the ball down - this is a "double movement".


Other oddities

• The markings on the pitch (right) are very different - more like American Football
• You can throw the ball into touch
• If a player is fouled as they score, they get two kicks at goal - one for the conversion followed by another for the penalty (an "eight point try")

Those seem to be the major rule differences, but overall the key difference is that in Union territory - where you are on the field - is the key, while League is all about possession - gaining as much ground as you can while having he ball, and restricting any gains the opposition may make while defending. In Union you can almost always compete for possession - in League you generally cannot. Obviously there will be quite a few tactical differences as a result - for example, from a restart the kicking team will  normally try to kick the ball as long down the field as possible.

So... that is what you will be getting yourself in to...