Rugby World Cup

Every four years, teams come together to play in the Rugby World Cup. These teams come from all over the world. They are some of the best rugby players on the planet.
 
This year South Africa beat New Zealand to win the Rugby World Cup. They won 12 to 11 in a very close match. The South African team was given this trophy for winning.
 
And while rugby is popular in other countries, many in the U.S. don’t know much about this sport. So, let’s dive in and learn a bit more about this unusual game.
 
Rugby is a bit like football and soccer put together. It’s played on a big field with two teams. Each team has 15 players. These players try to move a ball up and down the field.
 
Rugby is played with a special ball. It’s shaped like an egg and a little bigger than a football.

In rugby, players can run forward with the ball. They can also kick the ball forward. But unlike football, the ball can’t be passed forward. It can only be passed backward.
 
The goal of a rugby game is to score the most points. Points are scored a few different ways. A “try” is worth five points. Players score a try by taking the ball into the other team’s goal area.

A team gets two points for a conversion. This is a lot like an extra-point kick in football. After a team scores, they kick the ball through the goalposts for two points.
 
Teams can score three points on penalty kicks. Drop goals are also worth three points. Players score a drop goal by bouncing the ball off the ground and kicking it through the goalposts.

Rugby can be a rough game. Players tackle each other and dive after the ball. Players also battle it out in “scrums.” In scrums, players lock arms and try to kick the ball with their feet.

Rugby is popular in England, New Zealand, and Ireland. But the game is played by many people around the world. A version of rugby is played by people in wheelchairs. It’s called “wheelchair rugby.”

Wheelchair rugby is a little different from regular rugby, but it’s still a tough sport. Players fly around a basketball court and slam into each other at high speeds.

Today, rugby is getting more and more popular. Rugby isn’t an Olympic sport yet. But wheelchair rugby is part of the Paralympic Summer Games.