John Winter What is the difference between firm ground and soft ground boots? Do players need two different pairs of cleats? Or can they use one type for all matches? This article explains why there are two types of rugby boots. Then we’ll look in detail at the differences between them, and which is best for your … Read more
Historically, rugby boots were made of leather with metal studs. Modern manufacturing has introduced different combinations of materials. This article breaks down a rugby boot into different areas and looks at the most typical materials in that part of the boot. There are also differences between what cheaper and more expensive rugby boots are made … Read more
If you watch footage of rugby matches from the nineties, you’ll notice quite a few differences. One of the most obvious is that modern rugby players wear tight shirts. Why has the style changed so much? Is it just a matter of fashion? No, there are very serious match-winning reasons for tight shirts. Why Do … Read more
You’ve probably noticed that many professional rugby players have a lump on the back of their shirts between their shoulder blades. This is often called a GPS tracker, but these devices measure a lot more than the position on the pitch. This article takes an in-depth look at trackers in rugby. What is the Lump … Read more
When you watch a rugby match, you may notice that some players wear shoulder pads and some don’t. It’s not as obvious as in American Football where the pads are much bigger. But why are shoulder pads much smaller in Rugby Union? And why don’t all players wear them? Read on for some fascinating answers. … Read more
Have you ever wondered which rugby position scores the highest number of tries? And how about the lowest? We’ve analyzed every match in the 2019 Rugby World Cup to come up with some answers. Of course, this is based on the professional game at international level. Wingers in club matches may not be racking up … Read more
This article has a list of all tries scored by players in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Analysis And Commentary If you’re interested in analysis based on these numbers, check out our article on which positions score the most and least tries in Rugby Union. Tries By Players In The 2019 Rugby World Cup Before … Read more
I’ve compiled the number of draws in professional and top-level international rugby tournaments in recent seasons. If you just want the statistics, the first section has the number of drawn matches per tournament. The rest of this article has commentary and analysis. Summary Of Draws In Rugby Professional Club Tournament Season Matches Draws Premiership 2020/2021 … Read more
I’ve compiled the highest and lowest scores in professional and international rugby tournaments in recent seasons. If you just want the numbers, here are the maximum and minimum home and away scores. The rest of this article has background, commentary, and analysis on these results. Note that the Home and Away scores are independent. We’ve … Read more
The first time I saw grip spray used in rugby was during the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour in South Africa. The Lions were playing an invitational team, the Royal XVs. A young Irish winger kept dropping the ball, and a physio came onto the pitch and vigorously sprayed his palms. It’s fairly common … Read more
