Know Your Game: Six Rugby Facts You Didn’t Know
With the 22nd season of Super Rugby just waiting to happen, rugby fans in Australia can hardly contain the excitement.
And while die-hard rugby fans are busy placing their bets on bookmaking websites like BlueBet, we think it would be a fun idea to present some of the most interesting rugby facts that will tell you exactly why people are so crazy about this sport.
1: Interesting Fact #1:
Rugby came into being quite accidentally! The famous William Webb Ellis was playing a game of football during which he caught a ball. He decided it was a good idea to keep on running with the ball still in his hands, all the way to the opponent’s goal and score one for the team.
And this is how rugby was discovered.
2: Interesting Fact#2:
The sport is a bit of a trendsetter itself. Did you know that the trend of teams singing their national anthem before major sporting events is a trend which was first initiated by the Welsh Rugby team way back in 1905? During that match when the All Blacks finished off their Haka (more on that later), the Welsh responded back with…their national song.
3: Interesting Fact#3:
Rugby players sure like to hold on to their memorabilia. The whistle that was used to open the first Rugby World Cup in 1905 is still used for all the tournaments!
Gil Evans was the referee in that match and hence the first one to blow that whistle. The whistle is aptly named after him; the Gil Evans Whistle.
4: Interesting Fact #4:
Not only did rugby start the national anthem trend, a lot of people believe that the sport of basketball which was invented by the famous sports coach, James Naismith took inspiration for the new sport from already existing sports like rugby. In fact, Naismith invented basketball as another way to keep the rugby players active during the off season.
5: Interesting Fact #5:
The original rugby balls had a plum like shape. You know what else is plum-shaped?
Pig bladders…which also coincidentally happened to be the material used for making the rugby balls.
More than that these balls could only be blown by breath. And if the pig bladder that was used to make the rugby ball was a diseased one and you blew it you could fall ill and die. Some people even did.
This was one of the main reasons why rugby balls made from pig bladder were replaced by rubber towards the later part of the 19th century. Even the shape of the rugby ball over the years became more oval. It is argued that oval shaped balls are easier to catch and run with.
6: Interesting Fact# 6:
New Zealand’s rugby team The All Blacks is one of the most famous rugby teams all over the world. Their success can be attributed to the Haka they perform; a traditional war dance. Needless to say the war dance performance is definitely electrifying.
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