John Winter Before lifting in the lineout was made legal in 1999, lock forwards traditionally caught most ball. These two players are the tallest in the team, so were most likely to win the ball. But once lifting was allowed, teams could now hoist smaller forwards high into the air. Now you’ll see other forwards being lifted … Read more
The discussion about college players getting paid has been a hot topic for at least a decade. College sports like football rake in massive amounts of money. Meanwhile, the players traditionally could only receive scholarships as a benefit. This article looks at how the introduction of what’s known as NIL has made big changes to … Read more
A lineout must have at least two players from each team, although it’s very rare to see such a short formation. There is no maximum number in the rulebook. A thirteen-player lineout is unusual, but this article will show you several examples in international matches. We’ll also review the most common formations, and explain the … Read more
There are two locks in the starting fifteen players on a rugby team. They wear the four or five jersey and are the tallest players on the pitch. Locks are also called “second rows”, and we’ll explain why in this article. This article describes the role of a lock in rugby. Why Are Locks Called … Read more
In most circumstances in a rugby match, the opposition gets a lineout when a team puts the ball into touch. The most common exception is when a team kicks the ball out of play from a penalty. But what happens if the ball bounces off a player into touch? Or if a hooker messes up … Read more
Lineouts happen in rugby when the ball goes out of play over the sideline. This can be due to tactical kicking from penalties or open play. But lineouts can also happen when a player makes mistakes that send the ball into touch. This usually leads to raucous cheers from opposing supporters! This article runs through … Read more
This is our collection of the best jokes about the Wallabies and Australian rugby. We’ve got jokes and funny stories about the clubs, the national team, and traditional Aussie rivals. Wallabies Quips And Jokes Here are some crackers about the national team and coaches. Deep analysis from Dave Rennie Dave Rennie pulled one of the … Read more
There was an average of thirty lineouts per match in the opening round of the 2022 Six Nations. The average in international matches in the early 1970s was more than double that number. Why are there much fewer lineouts now than ten or twenty years ago? This article looks at averages in the modern game. … Read more
You may have heard commentators refer to the “brake foot” when scrums pack down in recent rugby matches. If I told you that this was to prevent “axial loading”, then you may be none the wiser! This article explains both concepts in plain language. Before we get to the brake foot, we’ll explain why the … Read more
In June of 2021, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of NCAA vs Alson. This decision was very narrow because the judges tried to stick to the facts of the particular case. For example, the Ohio State quarterback should be able to accept a good laptop or a post-graduate scholarship. … Read more