RUGBY POSITIONS

Shirt No. 1 & 3

There are two props on a team. The loosehead prop wears number 1 and scrummages on the left of the scrum, whilst the tighthead prop wears number 3 and scrummages on the right. Props are usually big people who are extremely strong, and powerful. Their main jobs are to scrummage, lift in lineouts and dominate contact. To be a good prop you’ll need to be strong, powerful and resilient.

Players to Watch: Hannah Botterman 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Hope Rogers 🇺🇸, Maud Muir 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Keia Mae Sagapolu 🇺🇸

Shirt No. 2

Hookers wear number 2 and along with the props make up the front row. They scrummage in between the two props and alongside this their main job is to throw into the lineout. Hookers will often be very good ball carriers and tacklers as well. Good hookers are strong, resilient and skilful.

Players to Watch: Amy Cokayne 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Georgia Ponsonby 🇳🇿, Emily Tuttosi 🇨🇦

Shirt No. 4 & 5

There are two second rows or locks in a team and they are usually easy to spot as the tallest players on the team! Wearing numbers 4 & 5, their main job is to be a lineout jumper and effective at carrying, tackling and breakdown work. Most second rows will usually be tall, explosive jumpers and physically robust.

Players to Watch: Sophie De Goede 🇨🇦, Alana Borland 🇳🇿, Erica Jarrell-Searcy 🇺🇸

Shirt No. 6 & 7

Like props there are two flankers on the pitch, the blindside flanker who wears number 6 and the openside flanker who wears number 7. Again, like props, this will dictate which side of the scrum they scrummage on. Flankers are usually breakdown experts, adept at jackalling and winning turnovers for their team. Most good flankers will be quick, strong and extremely aerobically fit.

Players to Watch: Zoe Stratford 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Jorja Miller 🇳🇿, Alex Callender 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿, Sadia Kabeya 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Shirt No. 8

The number 8 wins the prize for the least inventively named position in rugby, and yep, you guessed it, they wear the number 8 shirt! Along with the flankers the number 8 makes up the back row of the scrum and will usually be one of, if not the, best ball carrier in their team. Number 8s usually have very good hand eye co-ordination, are tall and very powerful.

Players to Watch: Evie Gallagher 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, Teani Feleu 🇫🇷, Aoife Wafer 🇮🇪

Shirt No. 9

Scrum halves wear number 9 and are commonly thought of as the connection between the backs and forwards. They are full of energy, cheekiness and not short of a thing or two to say… Their main job is to pass the ball from each attacking breakdown and subsequently good scrum halves have to have a very strong pass and excellent fitness, usually being the fittest player on the team.

Players to Watch: Olivia Apps 🇨🇦, Pauline Bourdon Sansus 🇫🇷, Kiera Bevan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Shirt No. 10

The best way to think of a fly half is as the conductor of the orchestra. In charge of everything and telling everyone what to do and when, fly halves have to be extremely confident in their number 10 shirt. Usually the main kicker for the team, fly halves will normally have excellent catch carry pass ability, a good kicking game and a great confidence about themselves.

Players to Watch: Ruahei Demant 🇳🇿, Helen Nelson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, Zoe Harrison 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Shirt No. 12

The inside centre wears 12 and from a physical standpoint doesn’t often look too different to back row players, physically fit, strong and fast. You will often hear them referred to as ‘crash ball 12s’ due to their impressive ball carrying ability. However, it is very important that inside centres have a good ball playing ability and catch carry pass skills as well.

Players to Watch: Tatyana Heard 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Alev Kelter 🇺🇸, Alex Tessier 🇨🇦

Shirt No. 13

Outside centres are very similar to inside centres but stand one place outside them in the backline and wear 13. Outside centres are usually a bit smaller and faster than their inside counterparts and have to be excellent defenders and tacklers as it is widely accepted that 13 is the toughest position to defend in on a rugby team!

Players to Watch: Meg Jones 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Emma Orr 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, Aoife Dalton 🇮🇪

Shirt No. 11 & 14

Now it’s time to meet the speedsters. There are two wings on a rugby team, left wing who wears number 11 and right wing who wears number 14. In 99% of rugby teams, the wings will be the fastest on the team, and in 98% of rugby teams, they will be the top try scorers. That is their main job, to score the tries at the end of the attacking moves the team have created. Most wings are fast, agile and very explosive.

Players to Watch: Asia Hogan-Rochester 🇨🇦, Rhona Lloyd 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, Desi Miller 🇦🇺

Shirt No. 15

Finally, the number 15, or full back. Full backs will usually be found in backfield, ready to deal with opposition kicks and to be the last line of defence. Along with the two wings, the full back makes up the back three and is usually a good kicker, has good aerial skills and is a fast and elusive runner.

Players to Watch: Emma Sing 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Braxton Sorensen-Mcgee 🇳🇿, Stacey Flood 🇮🇪