Rugby union is a popular sport played around the world. It’s known for its rough and exciting game play. Rugby has a long history and unique culture that has inspired many riddles and brain teasers over the years. Below are 51 riddles about rugby union to challenge your knowledge of this beloved sport.
Rugby Riddles – The Basics
Let’s start with some basic questions about rugby union and its rules:
Riddle 1: What shape is the rugby ball?
Answer: Oblong – Rugby balls have an oval shape unlike spheres used in many other sports.
Riddle 2: How many players are there on a rugby union team?
Answer: 15 players. Rugby teams consist of 8 forwards and 7 backs.
Riddle 3: What are the two ways to score points in rugby?
Answer: Try and goal kicking after a try. A try is worth 5 points and the conversion kick after is worth 2 points.
Riddle 4: How long is a rugby match?
Answer: 80 minutes total, broken into two 40 minutes halves with a short break in between.
Riddle 5: What piece of protective equipment was named after a rugby playing school?
Answer: The mouthguard, which was first used at Rugby School in England.
Rugby Field and Equipment Riddles
Now let’s look at some brain teasers related to the rugby field and equipment used in the sport:
Riddle 6: What are the dimensions of a rugby field?
Answer: A full size rugby field is 100 meters long and 70 meters wide.
Riddle 7: What is the small crossbar at the bottom of the H-shaped rugby posts called?
Answer: It’s called the crossbar.
Riddle 8: What is the name of the padding that goes around each rugby post?
Answer: Post padding.
Riddle 9: What are the two types of rugby balls that exist?
Answer: Match balls and training balls. Match balls have more structure and grip while training balls are softer.
Riddle 10: Which number is missing from a rugby ball: 4, 8, 12, 16…
Answer: 20
Rules and Positions in Rugby Union
Let’s dive deeper into rugby with some riddles exploring the rules and player positions:
Riddle 11: How many points does a dropped goal score in rugby?
Answer: 3 points
Riddle 12: True or false – only the team captain is allowed to speak to the referee.
Answer: True
Riddle 13: What is it called when a player illegally retains the ball after being tackled?
Answer: Holding on
Riddle 14: Apart from tries and conversions, name the other two ways to score points.
Answer: Penalty kicks and drop goals.
Riddle 15: What player wears the number 9 jersey?
Answer: The scrum-half
Riddle 16: Which player starts the game with the kickoff?
Answer: The flyhalf typically starts play with the opening kickoff of each half.
Riddle 17: What is the front row of the scrum called?
Answer: The front row
Riddle 18: What are the two key defensive formations in rugby called?
Answer: The line and the blindside wing.
Rugby Terminology and Culture
Let’s explore some terms and aspects of rugby culture in the next set of riddles:
Riddle 19: What is it called when the crowd shouts “Zinzan” or “Lomu”?
Answer: Cheering on a player by name, often done for iconic players like Zinzan Brooke and Jonah Lomu.
Riddle 20: What is the name for the rugby song “World in Union”?
Answer: The Rugby World Cup theme song
Riddle 21: Which position has historically been nicknamed the “loosies”?
Answer: Loose forwards consisting of flankers and the number 8.
Riddle 22: What is the path players take to advance the ball forward called?
Answer: The direction of the attack is called “going forward.”
Riddle 23: What is it called when the crowd shouts “four more years” to teams eliminated from the World Cup?
Answer: Sympathetic cheers looking ahead to the next World Cup four years away.
Riddle 24: What chant does the crowd shout when a player goes off injured?
Answer: The sporting chant wishing injury recovery – “walking wounded.”
History of Rugby Union
Rugby has an extensive history – let’s explore its origins:
Riddle 25: In what year was the sport of rugby born?
Answer: 1823 at Rugby School in England
Riddle 26: What shoe maker partnered with Gilbert to make the first rugby balls?
Answer: John Gilbert joined forces with local shoemaker William Webb Ellis.
Riddle 27: Which country won the first men’s Rugby World Cup in 1987?
Answer: New Zealand’s All Blacks
Riddle 28: Who scored the fastest hat-trick (3 tries) in international rugby history?
Answer: Australia’s David Campese scored 3 tries in 7 minutes vs USA at the 1991 World Cup.
Riddle 29: Which two hemispheres compete for the Dave Gallaher Trophy?
Answer: The All Blacks (New Zealand) and France compete for the trophy named after former All Blacks captain Dave Gallaher.
Rugby Around the World
While rugby originated in England, it has been embraced around the globe. Test your knowledge of rugby union’s international reach:
Riddle 30: Which continent won the first women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991?
Answer: Europe – England were winners of the inaugural women’s Rugby World Cup.
Riddle 31: What trophy begins with C and is played between Scotland and Australia annually?
Answer: The Cook Cup
Riddle 32: Which country begins with F and South Africa play annually for the Mandela trophy?
Answer: France
Riddle 33: Samoa play which country annually for the Pacific Trophy?
Answer: Fiji
Riddle 34: Name the intercontinental competition with Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and formerly Canada.
Answer: The Rugby Championship featuring powerhouse southern hemisphere nations.
Riddle 35: Which Australian state was the first to adopt rugby as their main football code?
Answer: New South Wales
Rugby Sevens
Rugby sevens is a faster format of the game gaining popularity. Test your sevens knowledge:
Riddle 36: How many players on a rugby sevens team?
Answer: 7 players
Riddle 37: How long is a rugby sevens match?
Answer: Seven minute halves for 14 minutes total.
Riddle 38: Where was Olympic rugby sevens first played in 2016?
Answer: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Riddle 39: Which country won the first Olympic gold medals for men’s and women’s sevens?
Answer: Fiji won the first Olympic gold for men and Australia for the women.
Riddle 40: What does “IRPA” stand for regarding sevens?
Answer: International Rugby Players Association – the union for professional rugby players globally.
Rugby Pop Culture
Rugby union has made many cameo appearances in films and other pop culture mediums:
Riddle 41: Which Disney movie features rugby union?
Answer: Cool Runnings shows the Jamaican bobsled team trying rugby as training.
Riddle 42: Whichgenotype blocking medication sponsorship was controversial in rugby circles?
Answer: A Viagra sponsorship drew criticism questioning it as appropriate alongside rugby’s family friendly image.
Riddle 43: What TV network aired the iconic fictional show Dream Team following a fictional rugby union club?
Answer: Sky One
Riddle 44: Which rugby movie won an Academy Award for Best Picture?
Answer: Chariots of Fire told the story of Olympic sprinter and rugby player Eric Liddell.
Rugby Players Past and Present
Some all time great players have graced rugby pitches through the years. Let’s see how well you know them:
Riddle 45: Who captained both the British and Irish Lions on two tours as well as England to 2003 World Cup victory?
Answer: Martin Johnson
Riddle 46: Who is the all-time leading try scorer in international rugby union history with 205 tries?
Answer: Daisuke Ohata for Japan
Riddle 47: What two nations did Jonah Lomu play for?
Answer: New Zealand All Blacks and briefly Barbarians FC
Riddle 48: Who is the only player to captain South Africa to two Rugby World Cup titles?
Answer: Siya Kolisi
Riddle 49: What number does the scrum-half traditionally wear?
Answer: Number 9
Conclusion
We’ve covered a lot of rugby union riddles testing knowledge of rugby’s basics, culture, history and most legendary players. Here are a few final brain teasers on random rugby trivia:
Riddle 50: What rugby nickname means skillful back line players adept at handling the ball?
Answer: “Backline artists” or “artists” for short
Riddle 51: Which fruit shared similarities with early rugby balls?
Answer: Apples – Early balls were misshapen much like apples.
