84-434: Gareth John James Jenkins (born 11 September 1951) is a Welsh former rugby union player and coach. Born in Burry Port , Carmarthenshire, he played for Llanelli RFC for 17 years from his debut in September 1969. He was appointed coach of the club in 1982. In 2003, he was appointed as coach of the newly formed Llanelli Scarlets regional side, guiding them to the Celtic League title in their first season. Following
168-563: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
252-488: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
336-585: A 109–6 victory over Manawatu ; however, they lost the test series 3–0. When Ruddock resigned as Wales coach two games into the 2006 Six Nations Championship , less than a year after leading Wales to their first Grand Slam since 1978 , Jenkins distanced himself from the role, saying that he found it "very difficult to work with the group of people that manage Welsh rugby at this time"; however, he retained his aspirations of coaching Wales ahead of an extraordinary general meeting in April 2006. The WRU opened applications for
420-450: A 17-year-old, before his career was cut short by injury at the age of 26. Older than teammate Ray Gravell by a day, he was the second-youngest member of the Llanelli team that famously beat New Zealand 9–3 at Stradey Park in 1972. Jenkins became player-coach of Furnace United RFC after he stopped playing for Llanelli RFC, coaching FURFC from 1977 to 1982; it was the most successful era for
504-547: A BBC documentary released a few days before Wales' first World Cup match against Canada, Jenkins admitted to worries that the WRU were thinking about sacking him, but that he was targeting a tenure of at least four years as Wales coach. Canada took a 17–9 lead after 45 minutes of that World Cup match, but Wales scored four second-half tries to win 42–17 in Nantes. Jenkins said after the game that he thought some of his players had been overawed by
588-485: A Welsh teacher by profession and later a lecturer at Trinity College, Carmarthen . He also served in the navy, and may have done spying work, although was a pacifist later in life. James played fly-half for Llanelli, playing his first game while still at Gwendraeth School. He later played for London Welsh RFC . He was capped for Wales twice in 1958, the second time at centre, but would probably have gained more caps had he not been in competition with Cliff Morgan for
672-436: A late try from Graham Dewes , their first victory in seven capped matches against Wales, knocking Wales out of the tournament. After the match, Jenkins spoke of his desire to continue coaching Wales, at least until the expiry of his contract after the 2008 Six Nations ; however, Jenkins was sacked the following day, on 30 September 2007, informed of the WRU's decision by chief executive Roger Lewis and chairman David Pickering at
756-580: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
840-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
924-476: A lost passport, Jenkins' first home test match saw a creditable 29–29 draw with Australia to start the 2006 Autumn internationals , followed by comfortable wins over the Pacific Islanders and Canada, before a 45–10 loss to New Zealand. In the 2007 Six Nations , Wales lost four of their five matches, including a 23–20 defeat against Italy; after that match, Jenkins criticised the officials for miscommunicating
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#17330845199831008-530: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
1092-525: A six-man shortlist also believed to include Leeds Tykes director of rugby Phil Davies . On 27 April, after receiving assurances regarding the selection process, Jenkins was named as the new Wales coach on a two-year contract. Jenkins said he was proud to take the Wales job, but that it was difficult to leave the Scarlets after 37 years of involvement in Llanelli rugby. Phil Davies was appointed as Jenkins' successor as
1176-616: A smoker, he also consumed significant alcohol in his later years. In January 1983, 53-year-old James made a visit to the Netherlands as a break after making a television series, and stayed alone at the Hotel Krasnapolsky in Dam Square , Amsterdam. He had stayed with Cliff Morgan before the trip, had invited Alun Richards on the trip, and made entirely normal telephone calls to friends during it. The Western Mail reported that his body
1260-466: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
1344-693: A title. James never coached the Welsh national side, largely because of his belief that the coach should chair the selectors' meetings and be responsible for choosing the other selectors. At one stage he applied for the role but then withdrew his application. James' coaching style was said to involve quiet words with players and half-suggestions rather than orders. Mervyn Davies said, "He invited us to take personal responsibility for our role but without ever telling us what to do." Mike Gibson said, "We were free to express our ability, free to attack from any situation." He said in some training sessions James would run behind
1428-534: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
1512-452: Is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around
1596-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
1680-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
1764-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
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#17330845199831848-907: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
1932-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
2016-761: The 1971 British Lions and the Barbarians , with all of whom he beat the All Blacks . James was born in 1929, the son of a coalminer, in Cefneithin in the Gwendraeth Valley. He was educated at the village school, at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Carmathen, at Llandovery College, and at Trinity College, Carmathen. He played rugby for and captained Wales Secondary Schools. At Aberystwyth University in his first year he studied Geography, Philosophy, Welsh History and Welsh, and Welsh alone in his final year. James worked as
2100-495: The 2003–04 Celtic League title under his guidance. It was during this time he also led Llanelli to Heineken Cup semi-final places in 2000 and 2002. However, his team consistently fell just short in big games, notably in the Heineken Cup . He was also assistant coach of Wales during the 1993–94 season. Jenkins was first proposed as a candidate for the job of Wales coach by First Minister of Wales Rhodri Morgan in 2002, following
2184-506: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
2268-801: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
2352-472: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
2436-579: The Scarlets' director of rugby. Jenkins' first duty as Wales coach was a two-test tour of Argentina in June 2006, for which he picked an inexperienced squad with an average age of 24. They lost the series 2–0; a 27–25 defeat in Puerto Madryn was followed by a 45–27 loss in Buenos Aires. On that tour, he gave an international debut to lock Alun Wyn Jones , who went on to become the most-capped player in rugby history. After returning from Argentina, delayed by
2520-462: The Scarlets, it would not be in a coaching capacity; the role ultimately went to Nigel Davies. Meanwhile, Jenkins expressed interest in the role of forwards coach with Munster , but ultimately returned to the Scarlets as their head of regional development and recruitment in June 2008, after realising that coaching had lost its "excitement" for him. Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,
2604-523: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game
Gareth Jenkins - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-420: The WRU for their decision, saying Jenkins might have permanently lost the chance to coach Wales. In October 2004, Jenkins was named as part of Clive Woodward 's British & Irish Lions coaching team for their tour to New Zealand in 2005 , with a specific focus on coaching the teams that would play in the midweek matches. He called the appointment "the pinnacle of [his] coaching career to date", following in
2772-475: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
2856-426: The amount of time left in the game as Wales spurned an opportunity to kick a penalty that would have tied the scores, instead opting to kick to touch in search of a game-winning try. Jenkins finally got a victory on the final day of the championship, beating England 27–18 to deny them the championship, while also avoiding the wooden spoon . A test match series in Australia followed, which was lost 2–0 despite leading
2940-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
3024-459: The backs, shouting 'Think! Think! Think!' James was a strong believer in attacking rugby, with the attitude that if a team had possession of the ball it should be able to attack, regardless of the position on the field. In his later years he became a noted broadcaster on the game in Wales. James was a nationalist and stood as Plaid Cymru candidate in Llanelli in the 1970 General Election . He
3108-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
3192-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
3276-578: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
3360-459: The club, as they were promoted from section E to section C of the West Wales league. During his 24-year stint as coach of Llanelli RFC, Jenkins won 13 Welsh Cup titles, a 1992–93 league and cup double (a first for a Welsh club) plus a 13–9 win over world champions Australia that same year. In 1998–99 and 2001–02 Llanelli won league titles and the newly formed regional side Llanelli Scarlets won
3444-570: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
Gareth Jenkins - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-495: The day after Wales failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup . He returned to the Scarlets as their head of regional development and recruitment in June 2008. Born in Burry Port , Jenkins played as a flanker for Llanelli RFC , Wales B side and the Barbarians . Jenkins also toured Japan with the Welsh national team in 1975, but was not capped. Jenkins made 259 appearances for Llanelli RFC since his debut as
3612-501: The departure of Graham Henry . Steve Hansen took over from Henry for the 2002 Six Nations , before being given the role on a permanent basis. When Hansen left after the 2004 Six Nations , Jenkins and Mike Ruddock were seen as the leading candidates to replace him. Jenkins was the only one of the five regional coaches to put himself forward for the role, and was one of 15 total applicants, along with Harlequins coach Mark Evans and former Canada coach Dave Clark; Jenkins and Evans were
3696-489: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
3780-513: The famous victory over the All Blacks at Stradey Park, Llanelli, in 1972. He then coached them to four Welsh Cups between 1973 and 1976. James also coached the Barbarians to victory over the All Blacks in 1973 , including being credited with man management to stimulate Phil Bennett to make his famous sidestepping run that day. He then coached in Italy, at Rugby Rovigo, from 1977 to 1980, winning
3864-480: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
3948-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
4032-424: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. Carwyn James Carwyn Rees James (2 November 1929 – 10 January 1983) was a Welsh rugby union player and coach. He won two Welsh international caps but is most famous for his coaching achievements with Llanelli ,
4116-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at
4200-452: The first test by a point as the clock passed 80 minutes, only for Australia to score a winning try on the last play of the game. Wales won just one of their warm-up matches ahead of the 2007 Rugby World Cup , a 27–20 win over Argentina in Cardiff in revenge for the series defeat the previous summer, but a record 62–5 defeat to England at Twickenham saw Jenkins' position come under pressure. In
4284-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
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#17330845199834368-438: The fly-half spot. James gained distinction as a coach with Llanelli. In 1970, he refused to leave the changing rooms whilst Llanelli lost to South Africa as a protest to the apartheid in the country of the visiting team to Wales. James was coach of the 1971 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand , the only Lions side ever to win a series against the All Blacks. James then continued to coach Llanelli. He coached them to
4452-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
4536-610: The footsteps of his former Llanelli coach Carwyn James , who had led the Lions to a series victory over New Zealand on the 1971 tour . Jenkins was initially the only Welsh coach selected by Woodward, after the WRU barred all the members of the Wales coaching staff from being part of the Lions tour; they ultimately allowed Ruddock to be part of the Lions coaching team, but no other members of the Wales backroom staff, though Ruddock ultimately went on Wales' tour to North America instead. The Lions won all five of their midweek matches on tour, including
4620-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
4704-455: The head coach position immediately after the final game of the Six Nations, with the players said to favour caretaker coach Scott Johnson . Former Italy coach John Kirwan expressed interest in the role, before ruling himself out, as did Cardiff Blues coach Dai Young , Western Force coach John Mitchell and Crusaders coach Robbie Deans , again leaving Jenkins as the leading contender on
4788-651: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,
4872-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
4956-466: The occasion. Australia also took an early advantage in Wales' second match, leading 25–3 at half-time, but this time Wales were unable to complete the comeback, losing 32–20 at the Millennium Stadium . A 72–18 win over Japan five days later set up a decisive match against Fiji on 29 September, with the winner qualifying for the quarter-finals as runners-up of Pool B. Fiji won the match 38–34 thanks to
5040-484: The only applicants invited for a second interview. Despite Jenkins being viewed as the front-runner for the position, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) approached Ruddock and named him as Hansen's successor ahead of Jenkins on 11 March 2004. Jenkins said he felt humiliated by the decision, and accused a member of the selection panel of "a complete lack of integrity", while Scarlets chief executive Stuart Gallacher criticised
5124-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
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#17330845199835208-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
5292-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
5376-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
5460-645: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
5544-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
5628-446: The resignation of Steve Hansen as coach of the Wales national team , Jenkins applied for the position and was one of two finalists only for Mike Ruddock to be appointed without applying. Jenkins finally took over as Wales coach when Ruddock resigned during the 2006 Six Nations , but his tenure was unsuccessful, winning just six of his 20 games in charge. He was sacked on 30 September 2007,
5712-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
5796-574: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
5880-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
5964-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
6048-499: The team's hotel car park. Former Wales coach Steve Hansen said the decision to sack Jenkins was "probably wrong", but Roger Lewis justified the move, saying Jenkins was not the right man to "take us forward over the next four or five years". Jenkins' assistant coach Nigel Davies was appointed as caretaker coach for Wales' match against South Africa in November 2007, a decision supported by Jenkins himself. Gareth Jenkins’s tenure with Wales
6132-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
6216-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
6300-591: The world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,
6384-431: Was a disaster. His unfortunate habit of stating the obvious or not being able to get his points across in interviews turned him in to a laughing stock. Jenkins was a proud and principled man and it was clear that coaching Wales had damaged him as he would never coach again. In November 2007, Jenkins expressed interest in the head coaching role at Irish provincial side Ulster , following the resignation of Mark McCall ; he
6468-429: Was an opponent of apartheid and during the controversial 1969/70 Springbok tour he prepared the Llanelli team but stayed in the dressing room as a protest. He was a pacifist in his later years. James was very interested in literature. He spoke Russian fluently. James never married, and is believed by many to have struggled with loneliness and possibly been homosexual . James suffered serious eczema. Always
6552-511: Was beaten in the selection process by former Scotland and Leinster coach Matt Williams . Jenkins spent a week working at London Welsh RFC in February 2008, but would not commit to any interest in a permanent role at the club. Following the sacking of Phil Davies as Scarlets coach at the end of the 2007–08 season, Jenkins was thought to be a leading contender to resume the role, but while chief executive Stuart Gallacher said Jenkins could return to
6636-528: Was discovered in the bath of his hotel suite, having lain there for some days. Police said he had died of a heart attack and there were no suspicious circumstances. The sports building of Aberystwyth University is named after him, as is the playing field at Cefneithin RFC . Due to his coaching in Italy, an international tournament, called "Carwyn James Easter Trophy", is held in Pieve di Cento (Bologna). The 12th edition
6720-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
6804-678: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
6888-576: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
6972-614: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,
7056-629: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
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