Rugby Union

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 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.