Fun Facts About Rugby

Image source: Time.com

When the masses watch rugby, a lot of them see the brutality of the sport. Groups of massive, bulky men with unbelievable athleticism and toughness try to outmaneuver and outsmart each other to try to get their ball to the opposing team's territory. But there’s a lot more to rugby than that. Here are some fun facts people may not know about this amazing sport.

• The first rugby balls were made from the bladders of pigs and were difficult to catch and hold on to.
• Rugby was only played in the modern Olympic Games four times – 1900, 1908, 1920, and 1924. The United States won in 1920 and 1924, making the country the winningest in the sport in Olympic history. 
•  Legend has it that a team is singing a national anthem before a game was first done in a rugby match. The Welsh sang their national anthem in Cardiff in 1905.
• The record for the most points ever scored in a rugby match was accomplished by the New Zealand All Blacks, when they trounced Japan 145-17 in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The largest margin of victory though happened in 2003, when the Aussies defeated the Namibian team, 142-0.
• Rugby and basketball have a tight connection. James Naismith, the person credited with the invention of basketball cited football, lacrosse, baseball, hockey, and rugby as influences when he came up with basketball.

Image source: Forbes.com

Brendan Triplett served in the U.S. Army as an infantry sergeant from 2001 to 2009. He was also awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Drexel University. His sport of choice is, of course, rugby. Learn more about this fascinating sport by visiting this blog.