In rugby, why do they call it a first five eighth and a second five eighth?

Question

In rugby, why do they call it a first five eighth and a second five eighth?

Answer 1

There are various different naming conventions. In the NH, we tend not to use the 5/8th term, but instead flyhalf/outside half or inside centre, named based on the positions they take up in a typical formation (the forwards at the front around the ball, the scrumhalf and fly-half halfway back between the forwards and backs, who are aligned behind).

e.g.    NH / SH

      

FWD FWD FWD

    FWD FWD (etc.)  

                     SH / HB

                             FH / 5/8ths

                                  IC / 2nd5/8ths

                                       OC / C

          W                                   W                

                           FB                                                      

(Bah, spent ages trying to align all that up, but excess spaces seem to get deleted. Hope you can get the picture anyway.)

In the SH, they measure the flyhalf as being 5/8ths of the way back (I believe they consider the scrum the only half-back, whereas we talk of the halfback pairing of a 9 and 10) and they see the number 12 as being another playmaker outside their 10 (urgo 2nd 5/8ths). Essentially they're just beyond the half back, and just before the three-quarters players, so I guess 5/8ths and 2nd 5/8ths just about makes sense (I prefer the NH convention I must confess, although prefer the playing style of the south). Of course, there's no inside and outside centre, as the 13 is the (only) 'centre'.

I think it's rather interesting when you consider the naming conventions to their play styles.

EDIT: jcsperson, I've seen a few people refer to 11/12 as the centres, and 13/14 as the wingers, but I've never been able to work out from whereabouts it's based. I can't think of an international (or club - but obviously my club knowledge isn't as geographically diverse) team deviate from the 12/13 and 11/14 model. Whereabouts you from?

2nd EDIT: Cheers jcsperson. I've heard Irish fans use the same system, but Ireland are pretty well supported in the US aren't they? I've not got any real knowlege of the club game in the US, but I'd have to put money on the fact that the USA international side use the 12/13 and 11/14 convention (Paul Emerick sticks out as a good example, he normally plays outside centre (although we've pushed him onto the wing occassionally at the Dragons) and wears the 13 shirt, and there's Ngwenya who wore the 11 shirt for a few games - switched to 14 for the famous SA game though). Thanks for the reply.

Answer 2

Rugby positions are known by name and number. Here they are with their alternative names in parentheses):

FORWARDS

1 Loosehead prop

2 Hooker

3 Tighthead prop

4 Lock (or second row in some places)

5 Lock

6 Flanker (or wing forward)

7 Flanker

8 Number 8 (or eighth man)

BACKS

9 Scrum half (inside half)

10 Fly half (stand-off or first five-eighth)

11 Inside center (second five-eighth)

12 Outside center (center three-quarter)

13 Wing (winger, Wing three quarter)

14 Wing

15 Fullback

The terms first five-eighth and second five-eighth come from New Zealand. The Scrum Half was considered the 1/2 and the Outside Center the 3/4, so the players in between had to be something else, hence 5/8ths.

EDIT: JC, I've never seen anything but 11-12 for Centers and 13-14 for Wings. I'm originally from Ohio where I started playing in college. After that I played for the Pensacola RFC, USS Midway RFC which I founded, and the Virginia Beach Falcons RFC. While stationed on the USS Midway I played in Japan, Hong Kong twice, the Phillipines, Singapore, and Perth, Australia.

Answer 3

they dont there is first five second five and so on or it is called five eigth inside centre outside centre wing and full back

Answer 4

they dont, theres the front three/row, the secand row (with the front row is the front five), the back three/row, the half backs, the centres and the back three (in the backs)

Answer 5

When rugby started positions took a while to standardise into their present form. However early positions included the FULLback and the HALFback (who sort of plays half way between the forwards and the fullback. From there it wasn't hardp to call the outside backs 'wing three-quarters or centre three-quarters' because they were halfway between the halfback and fullback. These terms are a bit old-fashioned and aren't used much anymore. But anyway, in the Southern countries (NZ, Australia and South Africa) it was taken a step-further. The guys between halfback and the 3/4s are therefore, logically, the 'five-eighths', and these names stuck here. The Norther countries seem to prefer the names 'flyhalf' (for 1st 5/8th) and 'inside centre' (for 2nd 5/8th)

Answer 6

you just have to think of the team as a whole thing and go from there.

First you have the forwards, which equate to half the team, then the scrum half (half back), then standing slightly further away is the 10/outside half/fly half or five eighth (get it slightly more than a half), then the centers (12&13) are the three quarters. and the full back makes up the analergy.

Yes I know you have two wingers but they are often reffered to as part of the "back three" which includes the full back.