Rugby collisions — making sense of what looks like a brawl

Welcome back to Rugby Skool, where, today, we’re diving into tackles, rucks, and mauls – those dark and murky places where players collide and yet, somehow, still manage to keep on playing. 

So grab a helmet, and let’s get to it. Or, rather, don’t. Rugby laughs at helmets. Those are for gridiron players — rugby prefers bruises and bravado.

The tackle is simple: if someone’s got the ball, you slam them to the ground. Forcefully but legally – that means no neck-grabbing or WWE suplexes.

Expect maximum bruising and minimum sympathy. Once down, the tackled player must release the ball, giving rise to a ruck. 

At this point, players from both sides pile in at top speed, pushing and shoving to secure the ball while the ref yells, “Use it!” It’s chaos, but organised, much like a toddler’s birthday party.

Then there’s the maul, rugby’s mobile mosh pit. If a player’s tackled but stays upright, teammates and opponents swarm in, creating a standing wrestle-fest. 

The ball’s passed back (always backward, because rugby’s quirky like that), and the maul lumbers forward like a drunken conga line. It’s teamwork, but with lots of elbows.

The uninitiated needn’t stress if it all resembles a brawl. This is just rugby’s language of love. And just wait for the moment that a ruck gets cleared or a maul trundles over the tryline and scores – it’s like the crowd’s won the lottery.

Next week, we’ll meet the players, from willowy wingers to lanky locks. For now, embrace the chaos.DM