Please someone educate me on this great game!

[jandrus75]

Hey folks!

I've been a casual rugby fan for years, mainly watching the international test matches and the WC. However, this year I have been really getting in to it, and am somewhat confused with the tournament formats. Here's what I would like to know:

1. Europe has the (6) Nations in Feb/March each year, I assume the Southern Hemisphere teams, but what is it called and when is it played?
2. Rugby Four Nations. How are these teams selected, as I didn't notice any of the same players from the usual national squads (All Blacks for instance)? Does a club team go from the respective countries, or is it a mix (an all start team per say) of players from various clubs within the respective rugby union? Also, I noticed that the players seem to move the ball quicker in Four Nations, touching the ball and restarting quite often. Do the rules differ in Four Nations or am I just crazy?
3. How often (and when) do countries play test matches against one another?

Again, I must plead my ignorance when it comes to Rugby. I absolutely love this sport and am really trying to understand the ins and outs of the game. Any assistance is appreciated My focus is mainly on the national teams at this point, as I don't yet follow any of the club leagues.

Also, a big 'Thank you' to any of you that might be posting games on Youtube! Being a Canadian, it is really hard to find the games anywhere on our cable and satellite service providers. It's a damn shame actually, when you consider how much golf and poker make it on the 'sports' channels.

Thanks and all the best!

Jaso

 

[ratsapprentice]

1. The SH has "The Rugby Championship" - formerly the "Tri-Nations", consisting of NZ, Aus, SA and Argentina. It runs from July-September.

2. The Four Nations is a Rugby League tournament - it's a different sport with different rules.

3. Most top 10 teams will play at least 3 other nations every year on top of their regular opposition in the 6N or TRC.

 

[Car]

To add to what ratsapprentice wrote: In June, the Northern hemisphere countries tour through the Southern hemisphere and in November, the Southern hemisphere countries play games in Northern countries.

 

[dasNdanger]

I'm in the States and I know that I can watch some matches on youtube. Even if they're a few years old it's worth it, if just to help get your head around the laws. (Good commentators will explain elements of the game - but not everyone does. Some just make jokes. )


das

 

[Raggs]

Every single Aviva Premiership game is free to watch, usually uploaded a day or two after the match, on the official aviva prem site, premiershiprugby.tv

Following a team can always make things more fun .

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'm in the States and I know that I can watch some matches on youtube. Even if they're a few years old it's worth it, if just to help get your head around the laws. (Good commentators will explain elements of the game - but not everyone does. Some just make jokes. )


das

Yes! Try not to listen to Australian Commentators. They are extremely bias and don't comment much on the game itself.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

In Europe all the club teams are essentially private entities working within the framework provided by the overseeing tournament organizers and their national unions.

In the Southern hemisphere it's a little more muddled though. The Super Rugby has 15 franchizes with 5 teams from each of NZ, SA and Aus (2016 will see expansion into Argentina and Japan) and each runs differently;

The SA franchizes are essentially the 5 biggest SA provincial teams (ITO rugby). They are allowed to draw from the other 9 provinces but rarely do so as they prefer working with their own contracted players (The Cheetahs -Orange Free State Province- for instance had used many Griquas- Northern Cape Province- players but picked up problems when those were snapped up by other SA unions and European clubs while the Cheetahs were planning on using them). When not playing Super Rugby you'll find these teams playing in the SA domestic league the Currie Cup with exactly the same teams minus the test 'stars' that leave fr international duty though they come back in later.

Australia have nly recently gotten a proper national league up and running to provide a pathway for players into Super rugby. Their Super rugby teams have less autonomy than the SA 'semi-provincially run' sides but correspond to their states (though obviously not all the states have a Super rugby franchize).

The NZ franchizes are essentially owned by the national side and have the least resemblence to their domestic league make-up where tw tiers of provincial teams compete in their national league with only superfluous ties to their SR teams.

SO in other words, to list the systems from top down structures rather than bottom up structures you'll get NZ / Aus / SA and then most Euro sides with France at the far end where the national team has little to no influence on the club sides.

 

[FrenchFan]

SO in other words, to list the systems from top down structures rather than bottom up structures you'll get NZ / Aus / SA and then most Euro sides with France at the far end where the national team has little to no influence on the club sides.

well with 30 professional clubs (T14+ProD2) it's not really surprising. The other thing is the national team plays an average of 10 games per year. Can't fill a rugby season with that. The club scene offers far more with the 2 leagues Top 14 and ProD2 running in parallel over 10 mths.