About Stanford Rugby: Rugby is one of the most fun and physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging team sports. The game requires and teaches mental toughness, physical fitness, teamwork, determination, discipline, leadership, and enjoyment through the collective pursuit of excellence. Rugby has been played at Stanford since the late 1800’s with great success. While tiered a club sport since 1977, Stanford Rugby operates with a Varsity Mindset on the field in our approach to the game as student-athletes, as well as with the support the Stanford Rugby Foundation provides for the team including: Steuber Rugby Stadium, coaching, equipment, travel, medical coverage, and more. Joining the Stanford Rugby Program means joining a program of Olympic Gold Medal Winners, All-Americans, and National Championships. The team also enjoys domestic and international tour, and other social events as a group.
Basics of Rugby: Rugby is a blend of multiple sports including football, soccer, basketball and more. A team can score by crossing their opponents’ goal line. Players can advance the ball by kicking it forward or running it, and can pass the ball, but it must be passed laterally or backward. To stop an attacker, defending players tackle attacking players, but unlike football, a tackle is followed by a competition between both teams for possession of the ball. This Rugby Basics Video and Rugby 101 Video helps break down the basics. These three videos (One - Two - Three ) further demonstrate more complex rules. Read more about the rules and watch demo videos at the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) laws of the game website. Rugby 7’s, the abbreviated 7 vs. 7 version of the game, is a faster paced version of rugby. ‘Sevens’, was recently added to the Olympics, is played in day or weekend tournaments, and is exploding in popularity.
Rugby Positions: All players get to do everything in rugby (run, pass, catch, tackle, kick, etc.), but as this basic rugby positions video explains, the team is divided into two main groups of backs and forwards. You can see highlight films here from USA National Team Players demonstrating specific positional skills here for forward positions: Prop (# 1/3) , Hooker (#2) , Lock (#4,5) , Flanker (#6/7) and Number 8 (#8) ; and the backs positions, Scrumhalf (#9) , Flyhalf (#10) , Center (#12/13) , Wing (#11/14) and Fullback (#15)
Rugby Video: Below are game and highlight videos
Stanford 2015 Recruitment Video
Stanford 2014 Promo
7’s Collegiate Championship Intro on NBC and CRC Promo
7’s Collegiate Championship Pool Game and Top 5 Tries
15’s Collegiate Varsity Cup 2013
15’s Collegiate D1 Final
Hits and Tries Highlights
Rugby Highlights
Rugby Scores Highlights
Full Game: New Zealand vs. Australia 2013
Full Game: New Zealand vs. Australia 2000