Rugby Football Uniforms: Country Trends


Figure 1.--Rugby was created in England, but is today played in large number of countries around the world. The countries where it is most popular and wherevit is played with a passion are former British colonies. Of course New Zealand is the country where it is most popular. I'm not sure where this photograph was taken.

Rugby was created in England, but is today played in large number of countries around the world. The countries where it is most popular and where it is played with a passion are former British colonies. An exception here is Canada. I'm not sure why rugby did not become popular in Canada, perhaps it was the American influence. Of course New Zealand is the country where it is most popular. New Zealand is one of the few countries where rugby is more popular than football (soccer). Even in England football is much more popular than rugby. Rugby is also popular in Australia and South Africa. Rugby has not been enthusiastically adopted in all former English colonies. We notice that in the Caribbean, crucket is quite popular, but rugby is not a very important sport. In most other countries like the United States and France, rugby is played bu a small group of enthusiastic amateurs, but is not commonly played by most boys. Rugby is played at some private schools and universities in America as well as a few urban sports leagues. An English reader writes, "I had to play Rugby at my school and didn't really like it but as others did I took a sort of interest in it and still do."

Austrlia

Rugby is also popular in Australia. There it competes not only with foot, but with Australian rules football.

Canada

The countries where it is most popular and where it is played with a passion are former British colonies. An exception here is Canada. I'm not sure why rugby did not become popular in Canada, perhaps it was the American influence. Canadian football is very similar to American football. Rugby is a minor school sport.

Caribbean

Rugby has not been enthusiastically adopted in all former English colonies. We notice that in the Caribbean, cricket is quite popular, but rugby is not a very important sport.

England

Rugby was created in England, but is today played in large number of countries around the world. Football (soccer) was also created in England. Many private schools in England even into the 1950s did not allow boys to play football becase it was considered a working class sport. Rugby was the preminent public (private secondary) school sport. We note Eton boys playing Rugby in 1980. Now the English private schools play both football and rugby, but most still give greater emphasis to rugby. But as in most of the rest of the world, football in England is much more popular than rugby. An English reader writes, "I had to play Rugby at my school and didn't really like it but as others did I took a sort of interest in it and still do."

France

There are also a few enthusiastic players in France.

Guinea

Guinea is one of the West African Gulf of Guinea countries. Sports are increasigly popular in Guina, especially among the boys. Soccer is by far the most popular sport. Soccer can be played antwhere and allm is needed is the ball. There are, however, other sports. On we notice is rugby. Rugby is a little more complicated than soccer and a nice grassy field is required. This limits the sport to a much smaller group of Guineans. A reader has sent us a photograph of a school rugby team, the Lyceum Albert Camus in Conakry, Guinea. We have, however, been able to find little information about rugby in Guinea.

Italy

This photo was taken during a summer rugby camp that take place in Olbia (Sardinia). In Italy rugby is a minor sport, but in this years it became more popular. Since 2000 the national rugby team was admitted in the Six Nations Rugby Championship. The Italian rules for children rugby competitions decree that the coaches can agree on the footwear (if the boys have to play wearing boots or in bare feet). However usually rugby is played wearing boots, because the championships are in wintertime. The summer competition are sometimes in bare feet.

New Zealand

Of course New Zealand is the country where it is most popular. New Zealand is one of the few countries where rugby is more popular than football (soccer).

South Africa

Like most of the British Dominions Rugby is a popular sport in South Africa. Nothing is in the same leafe as soccer (Football). Rugby is, however, commonly played seasonally at South African schools. A good example is the Paarl Boys' School. The country fields important teams in international competitions.

United States

In most other countries like the United States rugby is played by a small group of enthusiastic amateurs, but is not commonly played by most boys. Rugby is played at some private schools and universities in America as well as a few urban sports leagues.






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Created: 2:20 AM 7/31/2004
Last updated: 9:41 PM 11/10/2012