Rugby Union: Difference between revisions

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-'''Rugby union''' (short for '''rugby union football''' and often referred to as simply '''rugby''', to a lesser extent '''football''', or '''union''' in countries familiar with both rugby union and [[rugby league]]) is an outdoor sport played by teams of 15 players with an [[spheroid|oval]] ball. It is one of the two main codes of [[rugby football]], the other being rugby league. There is also a quicker seven-a-side variation called [[rugby sevens]], which exists in both codes.
-Rugby union originated in England during the 19th century from the same "folk football" that was the source of [[Association football]] (soccer).  Whereas football is essentially a "kicking" game, rugby evolved as the "handling" game during the period in the mid-19th century when different rules were proposed.  Rugby union's name comes from the original English organising body, the [[Rugby Football Union]], which was founded in 1871.
-Rugby union is now a worldwide sport and has achieved particularly high standards of professionalism in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, France, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Argentina.
-[[Category:Stub Articles]]