What's the difference between rugby union and rugby league?

Question

What's the difference between rugby union and rugby league?

Answer 1

Alot.

For starters the amount of players that are on the field. League has 13 while union only has 11.

The way that the scrums are packed, position eg: union has fly halves whilst league doesn't. Simple things that dont seem that different.

Answer 2

Without spouting reams of Rules Union is More Contact than League.

In union the ball is yours till YOU LOSE possession ....with League you get six tackles to make it to the other end of the pitch else you Give-up possession.

Thats puttting it as basic as i can.

Answer 3

rugby union is slightly more dull.

Answer 4

Rugby League..13 players. No rucks, mauls or contested scrums. You can't 'fight' for the ball you pass it back to a team mate. No line-outs. You are allowed to be tackled 5 times after which you have to kick the ball or give it back to the opposition. Not a popular game outside Yorks/Lancs.

Try...4 pts  Drop goal 1 point, conversion and penalty 2pts.

Rugby Union  ..15 players, rucks, mauls, line-outs, contested scrums. You can 'fight' for the ball, no limit to tackles.

Popular throughout the world....and no wonder it's a MUCH better game.

(Try 5 points ,drop goal  and penalty 3 points,conversion 2pts.)

Answer 5

Rugby Union and Rugby League are different in many respects. League was invented when the Northern half of the country broke away and made up their own game. League consists of 13 players while Union has 15. When you are tackled in League, you have to put the ball down, roll it back and begin the play again. You get 6 tackles or attempts to score a try before the ball is given to the opposition.

In union, when a player is tackled to the ground, a ruck is formed over them and they must release the ball. This supposedly allows play to flow continuously, even when a player goes to ground. The scrum is also a lot more prominent and important in Rugby Union than in League - where it is just used to start play again.

Answer 6

Union is the original game, whilst league is just an off-shoot.

Union started in England during a soccer game, when William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it and his fellow players decided that tackling him would be a great idea.

Union has 15 players, league only 13. League limits each side to sets of 6 tackles, after each there is a lull in play while the tackled player is allowed to his feet to play the ball between his legs. Union is a more flowing game, when a player is tackled, the ball is still live and the opposing teams will contest the ball in either a ruck or maul situation. There is no limit to the number of tackles in Union, the attacking team retains the ball as long as they are able to without turning it over or committing an error.

Union also boats contested scrums and lineouts and is truly a world sport. The Rugby World Cup finals being the third most watched event after the Soccer World Cup finals and the Summer Olympics.

The only countries who play league at a competitive level are Australia, New Zealand and England, with only England and Australia holding competitive annual competitions (Super League in England and the NRL in Australia).

To summarize, Union rules!

Answer 7

in league you play the ball with the foot in union you play it by presenting the ball behind you.

Answer 8

Rugby League teams (which is a  breakaway from Rugby Union) have 13 players, Rugby Union 11.  There are some differences in the rules too.  Each have good websites if you want to look them up. http://www.rugby-league.org and http://www.rfu.com

Answer 9

there are more players in union but they are not so fit and s**y.

Answer 10

the main difference is in the contact area. When there is a tackle in League, the play is stopped and then restarted. In Union the play continues, which either leads to more room to run in broken play or players rolling about on the floor trying to get the ball back. Which is why Union is either very exciting or very dull depending on the attitude of the teams playing, whereas League is more consistant, although this can lead to it being repetative.

Answer 11

Rugby league - 13 man team. Once a player is tacked they must stop and "play the ball" back to the "dummy half" and then play on.  You must score or kick after 5 tackes or the ball is handed over to the opposition to have a go.  Scrums are pathetic compared to Union.  A try scores 4 points and conversion 2 points.  Penalty goal 2 points and field goal 1 point.  

Rugby Union - 15 man team, difference is 2 loose forwards No's 6 & 7.  There is no limit to the number of tackles allowed before a try is scored and there is no "play the ball" once tackled.  There exists such things as rucks and mauls which do not occur in league and are hard to explain unless you're there to see what I mean.

Score 5 points for a try and 2 points for a conversion.  3 points for penalty goal and field goal.

Answer 12

One thing that needs establishing here is that both are separate games and other than ball shape do not have that many similarities.

Both are agressive contact games played by highly committed athletes at the top level. The games are different and use different skills as converts often find. Not many players make a highly successful change in code. There are the odd few like Jason Robinson or further back going the other way Jonathan Davies. Look at Andy Farrell massive in league not got very far in union yet and I dare say it would be the same if Lawrence Dallaligio etc had gone the other way.

League have 13 players and six tackles in which to make a score, if they don't the opposing team have the ball passed to them to start their 6.

Union have 15 players and play continues until the ref blows, there is no automatic hand over. Union is also played off the floor with a tackled player laying it back and a ruck forming for the ball to be recycled. In league once a player is deemed to have been tackled and going no further he is left alone to get up. Play then restarts as he pushes the ball behind him with his foot. League focuses on trying to keep the ball in sight and not getting bogged down in scrummages, lineouts or ground play.

Union is far more complicated with many more rules. Both are good games but very different.

I personally find union far more interesting to watch but if you had never played it could be more difficult to appreciate whta is happening in the close contact areas etc. Therefore league would appear more interesting because in a way it is much simpler, easy to understand and can be more flowing. However a good union game can flow better than league when the ball is being passed around well and recycled as it does not have to stop each time a player is halted.

There is also the North / South divide with this still, with all the successful league teams being positioned along the M62 corridor area Hull - Warrington.

There are few big union teams between the top of the Midlands and the Scottish borders - Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons are about it.