Free rugby guides
Rugby Learning Hub
New to rugby? Start here. Short, plain-English guides to the basics of rugby union, for beginners, parents and young players. Each one answers one question, checked against the official laws of the game.
- Rules
What Is a Knock-On in Rugby?
What a knock-on is, a simple example, what the referee does next, and how it differs from a forward pass.
3 min readRead the guide - Positions
What Are the Rugby Positions?
Forwards and backs, the 15 positions grouped into units, and what each player's main job is.
3 min readRead the guide - Scoring
How Does Rugby Scoring Work?
Tries, conversions, penalty goals and drop goals: what each is worth in rugby union and how a match score adds up.
3 min readRead the guide - The game
Rugby Union vs Rugby League: What's the Difference?
Players, tackles, possession, restarts and scoring: a simple comparison of 15-a-side union and 13-a-side league.
3 min readRead the guide
Ready for the full journey?
These guides cover the basics. Our illustrated Playbooks take young players further, one clear step at a time.