Rugby Union Explained

For many, the only way to identify Rugby Union teams is by looking at the colors of the shirts worn by players of a team. Sometimes, even avid fans of the sport do not really know what it's all about. Basically, it is defined as an outdoor sport played by two competing teams using an oval ball. The teams, which are composed of 15 players on each side, follow the rule or code of rugby football.

The term Rugby Union was first coined after a schism in 1895, which led to the formation of a separate set of rules for the rugby league. For the longest time, it was considered as an amateur sport. However, in 1995, the International Rugby Board declared the sport open, which means that there are no longer any restrictions with regard to the payments received by the players. Thanks to the lifting of payment restrictions, the Rugby Union became even more popular and fans from all over the world started to wear rugby shirts of their preferred teams.

The International Rugby Board, which is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is the governing body of the Rugby Union. This sport is popular in countries such as England, Australia, France, Italy, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, Romania, and even in Samoa and Madagascar. Thus, it is not surprising to see raving fans wearing rugby shirts with the colors and logos of their favored teams in both national and international Rugby Union games in the above enumerated countries. Some other places that are starting to become interested in Rugby Union sports include Namibia, Canada, Russia, Germany, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal, and even the United States and Canada.

The most popular (and important) International Rugby Union competition is the Rugby World Cup. This is a men's sports tournament that occurs every four years. In the 2007 tournament in France, the South African team emerged as the champion, beating England which won the Cup in 2003. With the increasing popularity of the Internet, fans from all over the world can now buy merchandise, such as rugby shirts and paraphernalia, in many online stores.

There's more information on rugby shirts at Rugby Union Shirt.