1. a team sport played with an egg-shaped ball, in which players move the ball forw
1.nounB1
Definition
a team sport played with an egg-shaped ball, in which players move the ball forward by running with it or kicking it, trying to ground it in the opponents' end zone or send it through two upright posts that form the shape of the letter H
Example
Theo trained with the school rugby squad every Tuesday and Thursday evening.
collocation: rugby squad / rugby team
The rugby match between the two clubs ended in a narrow home victory.
What Sana loved about rugby was how players relied on their teammates.
grammar: what-clause as subject for expressing preference
Beatriz and her cousin watched a live rugby game at the city stadium last weekend.
During the national championship, Zuri scored a winning try in the final minute.
rugby vocabulary: scoring a try
Common collocations
play rugby
rugby match
rugby team
rugby player
rugby ball
rugby club
Common Mistakes
Rugby and American football are the same sport.
Rugby and American football have different rules, ball shapes, and equipment.
Rugby uses an oval ball, continuous play, and less padding, while American football involves forward passes, downs, and protective gear.
a town in Warwickshire, central England, situated on the River Avon with a population of about 71,000 people
The railway journey from central London to Rugby takes about fifty minutes.
Mark found a job at a hospital in Rugby and moved there with his family last spring.
Rugby School, located in the town, is where the sport of rugby was first played in the early nineteenth century.
Reuben stopped in Rugby for lunch while driving through the county of Warwickshire.
Word family
rugger
nounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Rugby, American football, soccer, and Australian rules football are all team ball games but differ in ball shape, rules, and style of play. Rugby uses a continuous-flow format with an oval ball that players carry, pass backward, or kick forward. American football features set plays, forward passes, down stops, and heavy protective gear. Soccer (association football) uses a round ball and does not allow players to handle the ball with their hands during play. Australian rules football combines elements of both rugby and soccer, played on a large oval field with a round ball that players can punch or kick. In everyday conversation, 'football' may refer to different sports depending on the country; when accuracy matters, the full name of each code avoids confusion.
The name 'rugby' comes from Rugby School, a private school in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the sport was first developed in the early 1800s. The town's name itself is from Old English 'Hrōca's by', meaning 'Hrōca's farmstead' (by = village or homestead). The sport was later named after the school, and today the word refers both to the town and the game.