Rugby league is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. It originated in Northern England in 1895 when teams split from the Rugby Football Union over paying players. Rugby league is especially popular in Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Fans of the sport are very passionate and devoted to their teams.
Here are 45 riddles about rugby league to test your knowledge. Each riddle question is followed by the answer explaining it.
Rugby League Riddles – The Basics
Riddle: What is the shape of a rugby league ball?
Answer: A rugby league ball is oval shaped. It is slightly pointed at both ends.
Riddle: How many players are there on a rugby league team?
Answer: There are thirteen players on the field per team in rugby league.
Riddle: What are the dimensions of a rugby league field?
Answer: A rugby league field measures 100 meters (109 yards) long (end line to end line) and 68 meters (74 yards) wide.
Riddle: How long is a rugby league game?
Answer: A full rugby league game is 80 minutes long, consisting of two 40-minute halves and a 10-15 minute halftime break.
Riddle: How do you score points in rugby league?
Answer: Teams score points by grounding the ball over the opponents’ try line (tries), kicking the ball through the uprights (conversions, penalties and drop goals) or being awarded penalty goals.
Rugby League Riddles – Positions
Riddle: What is the role of the prop in rugby league?
Answer: The two prop forwards pack down in the scrum and provide strength and power in defense and attack.
Riddle: Which players wear the numbers 1 through 7 in rugby league?
Answer: Numbers 1 through 7 denote the forward pack players – props, hooker, second rowers and loose forward.
Riddle: What numbers do the outside backs wear in rugby league?
Answer: The outside backs consisting of half back, five-eighth, centers and wingers wear jersey numbers 6, 7 (stand-off) and 11 through 5.
Riddle: Which player initiates the attacking moves in rugby league?
Answer: The stand-off half back wearing jersey number 6 initiates attacking moves and directs play for the team.
Riddle: What is the role of the hooker in rugby league?
Answer: The hooker’s main role is to win possession in the scrum and provide passes from dummy half to begin the attacking move.
Rugby League Riddles – Scoring
Riddle: What’s the easiest way to score points in rugby league?
Answer: Kicking a penalty goal through the uprights is the easiest way to score points – worth 2 points.
Riddle: What is scored when players are tackled or held up in goal?
Answer: If players are tackled or held up over the goal line, it results in a goal line drop out with no points scored.
Riddle: What score leads to the most excitement for fans?
Answer: A try, worth 4 points (6 with conversion), leads to enjoyable celebrations and excites fans the most.
Riddle: What do you call it when points are scored from a mistake?
Answer: When the ball is dropped over the try line by the attacking team but recovered by a player who grounds it, that’s called a knock-on try.
Riddle: What scores more points – a penalty goal or drop goal?
Answer: A penalty goal is worth 2 points while a drop goal is worth just 1 point.
Rugby League Riddles – Famous Players & Terms
Riddle: Who is the best Rugby League player of all time?
Answer: Many consider former Australian captain and hooker Cameron Smith as the best rugby league player ever from his stellar career stats.
Riddle: What is a 40-20 kick in rugby league?
Answer: When a player kicks the ball from inside their own 40-metre area out on the full inside the opponents 20-metre area.
Riddle: What term describes when the defense leaves a gap open?
Answer: When defense leaves a gap open, that’s called a hole.
Riddle: What do you call it when the player is tackled in goal with the ball?
Answer: If tackled in goal while carrying the ball, it’s known as a tackle in-goal.
Riddle: What does held up in goal mean?
Answer: Being held up in-goal refers to when a player is stopped before grounding the ball in the in-goal area resulting in no try scored.
Rugby League Riddles – Rules
Riddle: What happens at the fifth tackle?
Answer: At the fifth tackle, that team in possession will hand over the ball.
Riddle: How is an offside player punished in rugby league?
Answer: Referees penalize offside players by awarding a penalty kick to the opposing team.
Riddle: When would unlimited tackles be granted?
Answer: Unlimited tackles occur when the referee rules play-the-ball infringements against the defending team.
Riddle: What causes the referee to stop play immediately?
Answer: The referee stops play straight away for foul play like a high tackle, fighting or late hit.
Riddle: When is a scrum reset in rugby league?
Answer: The referee resets a scrum for collapsing, illegal wheeling or when the ball comes out the side of a scrum.
Rugby League Riddles – Match Terminology
Riddle: What’s it called when players from both teams get into fights?
Answer: When fights erupt involving players from both teams, it’s referred to as a melee.
Riddle: What does full-time mean in rugby league?
Answer: Full-time signals the end of the match when 80 minutes and any injury time is complete.
Riddle: What do they call medically transporting injured players off the field?
Answer: When serious rugby league injuries occur, players get medically transported off the field via stretcher or medicab.
Riddle: What happens if a match draws after 80 minutes plus injury time?
Answer: In the rare case a game is drawn after full-time, 20 minutes extra time is added split into two 10-minute halves.
Riddle: What is it called when a game can’t be completed due to weather?
Answer: If inclement weather prevents a game from finishing, it’s referred to as an abandoned match.
Conclusion
Rugby league is full of unique terminology, player positions, rules, scoring methods and fascinating match situations. These 45 riddles covered a range of topics to test your rugby league knowledge with some hopefully being challenging yet enjoyable to solve.
From the basics of the game’s rules, equipment, field dimensions and scoring through to famous plays, top athletes and unique match occurrences, rugby league’s history and culture permeates through these brainteasers. Solving these and becoming acquainted with the language of rugby league allows for a deeper enjoyment as a fan.
