SCRUMS, LINEOUTS & TRIES
RUGBY UNION - AMERICA’S NEWEST, OLDEST GAME
About Rugby
Fifteen-a side rugby union is a game played all around the world. It has an estimated 10 million regular players and an audience of 500 million people.
“Invented” 200 years ago at Rugby School in England’s East Midlands, the game is both a joy to play and to watch.
Requiring stamina, speed and strength, rugby offers a playing opportunity to weekend warriors and top-class athletes alike, with multi-level competitions that will take a player as far as he or she wants to go. It is a contact sport and, of course, bumps and bruises are a natural part of the experience. Close attention is being paid to the risks of head and neck injuries and participants can expect Safety to be a permanent, major topic of conversation at all levels of the game.
Spectators can see their teams (local, professional and national) compete every week of the season in a highly competitive environment that raises the standards of both play and enjoyment. These competitions culminate in the Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial tournament that brings the top national teams together in an 8-week festival of rugby.
RUGBY BLOG
Stay up to date with RWC 23
About the Book
“Scrums, Lineouts & Tries - America’s newest, oldest game” offers information and insight into a game played around the world. While rugby has been present in the US since the late 19th Century, it has seen strong competition from several other sports for the hearts and minds of players and spectators.
However, the 200th anniversary of the birth of the game and heightened interest in the Rugby World Cup is an exciting time to publish a book that explains its history, complexities and language.
“Scrums, Lineouts & Tries” provides the reader with a variety of useful, topical information. In 3 sections it covers: The Game, its participants, suited and seated and the terminology that is used to describe and manage it; rugby’s Foundations, how it started and grew around the world and where it stands in America; and Culture, the ethos of the sport, the Laws and the referees who manage the game, and Health & Safety, so critical in this tough, uncompromising sport.
The purpose of the book is to share the admiration, respect and enjoyment the author feels for the game by explaining what makes it tick. Rugby is much more than a few guys chucking a ball around and going out for a beer afterwards. In many parts of the world the local rugby club acts as the center of the community, offering participation and engagement to those looking for something to belong to.
America’s role as Host nation for the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cup tournaments offers America’s communities an opportunity to participate in an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime event. Hopefully this book will add some valuable background to the experience.
Who might like this rugby book
The U.S. does not have a large resource of books that explain the game of rugby and its benefits, unlike the European and Southern Hemisphere rugby-playing nations.
However, interest in the sport is growing rapidly, especially with two Rugby World Cup tournaments scheduled to be played in America in the next ten years. USA Rugby estimates that 2.5 million people "follow" the game of rugby here, up from less than 1 million people five years ago.
People who might be interested in this book include:
New players, looking to start the game at school, university or a local club
Existing players and coaches who want to understand the game better and develop skills and rugby connections
Parents looking to steer their kids into a sport that is demanding but offers a powerful example of true, team-based enterprise
Former players or non-playing types who are interested in refereeing this fast-moving sport
Schools and Universities that want to develop rugby from a basic club sport to varsity
Sponsors who recognize the opportunity in America's 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cup host-nation status and need to learn about the game
Municipal recreation departments looking for anchors around which to develop community spirit.
How to Buy This Book
The book is available as of April 2023 in two formats: paperback and eBook.
Jon Passmore
THE AUTHOR
Jon is a retired Wall Street and pension fund executive, born in England and living in the US for the last 40 years.
His qualifications for writing this book come from a lifetime of interest in the game: as a player at school, as a referee, briefly, and as a lifelong spectator.
His interests in the game are two-fold: as a writer (hence this book); and in the development of the game in the United States. A strong believer in rugby as a community endeavor, he looks forward to the day when widespread rugby club networks form the basis of a thriving national sport in America.
Contact The Author
Get in touch with Jonathan Passmore to share your thoughts or ask questions about his latest book, Scrums, Lineouts & Tries.