1) Positions
As I think it reasonably important that our leadership knows about positions, traditionally 15 is full back, 11 is left wing, 14 is right wing (both also called wing threequarter backs), 12 is inside centre and 13 outside centre except when they play left and right or in New Zealand when 13 is centre back and 12 is second five eighth back (properly in England both are centre threequarter backs), 10 is fly half or outside half back (or in New Zealand first five eighth back) and 9 is scrum half or inside half back. Those who are not back are clearly forward in three rows. The front row comprises 1 at loosehead prop forward, 2 at hooker and 3 at tighthead prop forward. The second row comprises 4 on the left and 5 on the right, both known as lock forwards. The back row or breakaway forwards are 6 on the blindside wing forward and 7 on the openside wing forward, except again when they play left and right or in some cases get included in the second row (an Aussie thing just to be different and before the Scots invented breakaway forwards there used to be only 13 players). No 8 is number 8 forward because they ran out of ideas. The backs are so called to give you an idea of where to stand behind the forwards and your try line and the forwards are so called so they line up in order to scrummage. No its never worked.
16 and 17 are the hooker and front row reserves, 18 the utility lock/back row reserve. 17 is the scrum half reserve, sometimes also utility half back and 19 is normally the utility fly half or centre reserve. 20 and 21 will be utility/wing or full back reserves. Goodness knows why they number from 15 to 9 and then 1 to 8 and then 16 to 21, but they do.
2) Rules
The man in charge is the referee and there are no linesmen or rules, but touchjudges and laws.
3) A Personal Touch of History
Games used to be decided by whoever scored more goals. A goal was the kick between the posts and could be made from a mark anywhere on the pitch, a field or drop goal, or a penalty goal. The try was worth nothing but allowed you to 'try' for a converted goal. I actually played when you could still mark anywhere on the pitch, kick it out on the full anywhere on the pitch and tries were worth the same as penalties and drop goals, 3 points. Yes even before they went up to four points. Wingers took the throw ins, lineouts were a disorganised jungle with no lifting but loads of punching, scrums could wheel in circles for ages and rucks and mauls went on and on until someone screamed. It was not unusual for all 30 players to bundle into a ruck at once and then several people screamed. You died of hypothermia in the backs and garlic poisoning or scrum pox in the forwards with lemons at half time and the ball was a solid, soggy brown lump of leather that was as aerodynamic as a medicine ball....and on and on....
East Peckham 17 President’s XV 24
The Villagers just lost out in this thoroughly absorbing and entertaining match nearly snatching a draw at the last play. The home backs we...
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