Rugby union positions

[Neil]

Hi,

 

I'm 16-years-old and have just started playing rugby union at my club and they are letting me choose where to play, except I don't know where I want to play! I am a very very strong tackler at 5'7 and weighing a solid 80kg, and very quick and powerful. I love bursting through opponents with the ball, and love tackling. Those are my two favourite aspects to the games, making the most ferousious tackles and making devastating runs through opponents, basically I want to be the person who causes chaos and havok to the other team. Can you suggest a position for this?

 

thanks a lot for your time this is really useful,

 

regards,

 

Neil

[Tombstone]

I dont know alot about the sport. What positions are there?

[monkeygirl]

Sorry, I don't have one iota of knowledge about rugby.

 

You might want to talk to the guys at http://www.rugbyforum.co.za.

[Darce]

Good luck with the rugby. I love it too. Sadly it isn´t a very popular sport in Finland.

[Valithor]

Arghhh... people who don't know rugby

 

Sounds like you'd be best suited in the forwards. I was a centre/back myself so I'm not too familar with the differences in the forward pack. I would suggest maybe "Number 8" or "Flanker" if you slightly prefer the running. If you like the scrums, then probably a "prop" or "second row" position would suit.

 

All the best

 

V

 

(People who can't play rugby play soccer)...

[Neil]

Thanks, I went on the rugby forums, good stuff they had to offer. Obviously you yanks arn't too familiar with Rugby (and even some English!) here is a guide to the positions.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/bsp/hi/rugby_union/rules/players/html/default.stm

 

I still can't decide, so I'm just going to consult the coaches and play my best so they can see where I play best, and also where I feel best. I'm just gonna play different positions. But I like flanker, and the inside cemtre as its descibed as a lot of tackling and a lot of charging.

 

Neil

[Ahazmaksya]

Yeh it sounds like you're suited to Inside centre or flanker, I'd say Inside Centre. But I'm biased as I play in the backs

 

You'll have to make a fair few tackles, and you'll do a lot of charging. All the backline moves will revolve around you. IC's are usually tall strong blokes, so they might have some size on you so that would be the only problem, but if your a good tackler yeh no worries, so IC I reckon. I don't know enough about Flanker to comment, but from my exerience the backline will get a lot more ball then the forwards, so if you wanna do your charges yeh go for IC.

[Neil]

Thanks, I'v decided to be a blindside flanker.

 

You need more strengh as a froward since you are ivolved in the scrums, rucks and mauls which the backs are not. As a flanker especially the blindside they requie you to be the strongest tackler on the team, and also require you to make as many yards as possible with the ball using your self as a battering ram like a centre.

 

But cntres also need to have a good kicking games which I am useless at, besides I am a forward, cntres need speed and power, not nesseserally strengh, but flankers need everything physical. Also I don't need to have any kind of special respnsibility, other than making the most tackles and making charges, which is great for me. heres a lovely link to the positions and what you need for each one.

 

http://www.highschoolrugby.com/2001season/positional_criteria.htm

[aefibird]

It sounds that will be a good position for you to play in. Good luck with it!

 

I also want to add that I can't wait until the Rugby world cup final at the weekend!

 

COME ON ENGLAND! *jumps up and down getting excited*

 

Ahem... I'll shut up now...